Fight!

All 11 Mortal Kombat games, ranked from worst to best

“Finish him!”

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Mortal Kombat is one of the most recognizable (and often controversial) franchises in gaming. On top of decades worth of games, it’s also spawned a series of brutal action movies — the most recent of which is streaming now on HBO Max.

To celebrate this new cinematic masterpiece, here’s every Mortal Kombat game released so far, ranked from worst to best.

11. Mortal Kombat 4 (1997)

The jump from 2D to 3D was hard for a lot of developers, and the first 3D Mortal Kombat game certainly suffered for that. With muddy character models and hilariously bad voice acting, this is the worst of the series.

10. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (2008)

Pitting Mortal Kombat fighters against DC characters sounds cool in concept, but the DC roster wasn’t as fun to play in practice, and Mortal Kombat’s signature Fatalities were toned way down.

9. Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (2007)

Like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon crammed every fighter in the series’ history into one game. Unfortunately, most didn’t actually feel distinct enough and their designs don’t hold up.

8. Mortal Kombat (1992)

The first Mortal Kombat game is remembered fondly for kicking off the classic series, but its sequels have improved on the formula in every way and left the original feeling like a relic of its time.

7. Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002)

Mortal Kombat found its footing in 3D with Deadly Alliance, which improved the combat and added new characters and modes, but it’s been overshadowed by later releases.

6. Mortal Kombat: Deception (2004)

The direct sequel to Deadly Alliance, Mortal Kombat: Deception brings even more fighters and modes, along with interactive stages that add new depth to the series.

5. Mortal Kombat II (1993)

Mortal Kombat II can be considered a perfect sequel. It looked and felt better than the original, expanding on everything the game did right without adding anything unnecessary.

4. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995)

Releasing six months after Mortal Kombat 3 as an update that completely replaced it, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 improved the series’ combat system and added new modes, making it the best of the original trilogy.

3. Mortal Kombat (2011)

Development was handed off to NetherRealm Studios for this reboot, which returns the series to 2D stages and begins a surprisingly engaging new storyline.

2. Mortal Kombat X (2015)

Mortal Kombat X proved that NetherRealm’s Mortal Kombat wasn’t a fluke. With distinctive new fighters and some truly gnarly Fatalities, it feels like what every game in the series so far wanted to be.

1. Mortal Kombat 11 (2019)

Mortal Kombat 11 combines the most strategic combat in the series with new modes and a great foster of fighters. The result is a game that feels like both an evolution and celebration of the franchise.

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