I can't give my final grade until I can play through story and get a solid idea if some of this roster is as irrelevant as they seem, but this is my most non-biased grade I can offer right now. I added an extra slot for overall dlc grading to even out the numbers. Each character will be rated 0-3 (for thirty slots grading purposes) as in no, probably not, neutral, and yes. I will average out the total at the end.
Props if you read all of this.
01 Liu Kang
2 pts. While I would like dead characters to stay dead if they serve no purpose of returning, I think we all have all suspected Liu of surviving or returning in some manner. He is one of the few who might be able to offer a justifiable reason for his return, or he might just be in it for the fuck of it. We will see.
02 Jacqui Briggs
2 pts. She gets a lot of flack as of now, but she might actually have potential as long as she isn't overshadowed by Cassie. Not enough info to like her or dislike her, so I will give her a neural 2.
03 Johnny Cage
3 pts. We knew Johnny would return. Not only that, but he has returned in a manner that has made me love him for the first time since the first movie was released. I am really liking what I am seeing from him, and his roster spot was since 2011. Deal with it.
04 Quan Chi
3pts. Everyone seems to hate this guy, which is understandable. He is a royal cunt. He has served his time. In the moment, I really am impressed by him in this game. Good design, great finishers, and his fighting styles seem fun to play with once mastered. If this is his last game, they seem to have given him a great sendout.
05 Scorpion
3pts. I am not just giving him this score as a poster boy of MK. I truly love how they are presenting him this time around. His story is finally refreshing, nd some of his intro actually give him a personality. Plus, I am really digging his more minimalized design this time around.
06 Kano
3 pts. I wont lie, I fucking hate Kano. I hate his stupid flying ball move. I hate how much of a douche he is. But they really have made him a badass this time around. I love his new design and am actually looking forward to playing as him. A great restart for Kano.
07 Kenshi
3pts. His design is fantastic. I enjoy how they are making him more relevant to the story. I am actually hoping he stays alive in this game, because this parent-child relationship seems to be the only one with any substance.
08 Raiden
3 pts. This was a hard one to score. He also fully earned his roster spot as a survivor of MK9, but he is also a super dingus. I almost gave him a 2, but I am trying to be non-biased. His movesets seem pretty generic for Raiden, but they do a great job designing his thunder. I don't have much to say as he doesn't offer much that is new, but I give him a three because he is, of course, supposed to be here this time around. Hopefully he takes a break later on.
09 Sub-Zero
1 pt. Yes, I am giving the other poster boy a 1. This is certainly subject to change after the plot is revealed, but for now he seems to be a clusterfuck of plot mix ups. I love this character. He will probably be my main. I just really need to learn what justifies his return besides him being popular.
10 Ermac
3 pts People bitch about his design, but I love it. It's fresh, without being tryhard. His finishers are debatably the most cringy along with Takeda's, and he still has that presence of being a bad mother fucker.
11 Jax
0pts
Look dad. You're dead. I like you and all, but unless you REALLY need to be in this game, you don't need to come back. Let your daughter do the hard work now. Move on to your great farm in the sky.
12 Sonya
3pts. Sonya seems especially no-nonsense this time around, and her fighting skills seem to have improved by a long shot. She is another who had a guaranteed roster spot from MK9. Some people insist she should have died, but some people are also butthurt that other dead characters are still dead. She is a survivor, and she earns at least one last game with her family.
13 Kung Jin
3pts. He was also had to rate, but he earns this three because he simply deserves to be here (unlike the other Shaolin). His fighting style is new to the MK universe (even if not in Injustice) and the white lotus needs a new representative. He earns a three for now, but I will touch base more on that further down the list.
14 Erron Black
3pts. I have to be a little biased here, because we know absolutely nothing about him. I am interested in his hand to hand combat, but I think this guy offers a sense of mystery and badassitude that makes him one of the more intriguing newbies to the series. Can't wait to see more.
15 Takeda
3 pts. I wish I could give him four. I liked him even when I only knew him via the comics. The son of one of the coolest 3d era characters, and the apprentice of arguably the most popular character in the franchise. I don't give a shit about his voice. Takeda is cool.
16 Kitana
0pts. I feel like she is only in here due to circumstance. Maybe she does have a significant role to play in this game, but for now, she really has no business being in here as far as I can see.
17 Cassie Cage
3 pts. Cassie has gotten some hate due to the overwhelming amount of Cages in this game, but she has proven herself to be a worthy successor. She is something new, yet familiar. I can see her growing as a character throughout the franchise. Plus, ifNRS really does want to go the route of offspring, Johnny and Sonya are going to be the first couple they look toward, as they are the only real couple besides Liu and Kitana. That obviously didn't work out.
18 Kotal Kahn
3 pts. One of the most outstanding new characters we have seen since Deception. He seems just,fair, and wise, yet passionate to a flaw. I no longer see him as an Ogre ripoff. In fact, Ogre can go eat dirt now.
19 Ferra/Torr
1pt. I know many people will disagree, but I am just pretty underwhelmed with these two. I have a strong feeling they will be the Reptile/Baraka of MKX, and the general idea behind them has been played out in gaming for years.
20 D'Vorah
3 pts. Finally, a bug character. Plus, she's got a nice moveset. Plus, she seems like a great female addition that isn't just in here for the sake of adding a female. I am sure some people will find her finishers a bit disturbing. Wasps don't fuck around. Well played, NRS.
21 Kung Lao
0 pt. This hurts me to rate, because I love Kung Lao. The sad fact is he isn't Havik, so having his head almost snapped off by Shao Kahn isn't something he should just be able to walk off. He died. Now I wont lie, I REALLY am liking his new design and gameplay. He just isn't needed this time around. His death was a waste of potential, but it was still present. Time to move on.
22 Reptile
A cautious 3 pts. Yes, he is a survivor or MK9. He has a nice new design, and a charming new persona. He was just so fucking boring in MK9. I hope he fills a bigger role this time around.
23 Mileena
3pts.This is the first time I have REALLY liked Mileena. Her design is logical, and all around cool. She is a massive improvement from her 2011 appearance.
24 Shinnok
3 pts. His spot was reserved in the last game, and holy shit does he seem intimidating this time around. His design is fantastic, nd everyone finally seems to understand that he shouldn't be taken lightly. I dig it.
25 Goro
2pts.
Another score I must be biased about. In the comics, Goro finally showed his colors as a champion of Outworld. While it is puzzling how he regrew his arms, I am cautiously optimistic about his play stile this time around. I will say this should be his last huzzah, but in terms of plot they are making him impressive.
DLC
26 Tanya
3 pts. I don't like Tanya. I think she is stale. I don't like her design. But I will acknowledge that she was an important part of MK4, and she should have been part of the main roster to begin with. She needs to be in, and as much as I don't like her, I am glad she made it.
27 Tremor
3 pts. First off, I want solid evidence that a petition got him in. You people have been bitching about his inclusion for YEARS now, and when NRS finally caves, you start pointing fingers. In terms of subject matter, I love his design. He might give Jax a purpose for being alive. I don't know if he will make it past this game, but if so, welcome aboard Tremor. It has been a long wait for people to be so angsty about your inevitable inclusion.
28 Jason
1 pt. I love Jason. I am a huge horror buff. I mke detailed Halloween props every year. But I just cannot imagine how he is going to properly fit into MK. He is a badass, but a simple badass, and all I can picture him doing is flailing his machete around like a complete twat. I love you Jason. Pls don't kill me for this.
29 Predator
2 pts. I love the Yautja. I bet her will be amazingly fun to play as. I just think that he has been overdone in the media as of late. I will certainly be playing as him often, but I still feel like others deserved the spot more.
30 Overall DLC
1 pt. In terms of this first batch of DLC, I think their choices were dumb as shit. Tanya should have been part of the main game. Predator is awesome, but overdone. Jason does not strike me as a world class fighter by any means. Tremor is the only logical inclusion for DLC.
One last thing to note is the exclusion of characters that deserve to be in more than others. I am deducing five more points for this, bringing my final score to
Âa
A TOTAL OF 73%
This total rating feels about right. Note that this is all based on my personal opinion, so if you actually took the time to read all of this, feel free to counter my points, but don't expect me to agree with you either. I hope I counted this up correctly.
EDIT: For those who noticed the change, I took five more points off the score I gave it initially, because so far the roster seems to lack characters that logically should be in, while it includes characters that have no business returning. Again, we will likely find out why the likes of Havik, Reiko, and Fujin are missing, but for now, it seems like they just lost a popularity contest.
Props to MINION
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