The fighting game genre is fairly hard to get into by casual players. Unlike most games, players need to be calm and have good timing to do well. Thanks to Injustice and the later entries of Mortal Kombat, the net is getting wider. It smashes the door open for new players.
Both games have a legacy behind them, Mortal Kombat is one of the first mainstream fighting games, for Injustice it's the superhero story arcs that are significant on their own. Both games have all but announced inevitable sequels. Here's a definitive rundown on why follow-ups should happen from both series.
10 Accessibility (Mortal Kombat)
Since the 11th entry, the gameplay is more accessible, slower, and is more forgiving than its counterparts. We're now seeing a shift in gameplay and who's playing it. NetherRealm Studios is being smart by making it have a less painful learning curve.
Mortal Kombat 12 can be liked by both newcomers and veterans because of the changes. Most fighting games are still in that mindset that all they need to do is appease their base. NetherRealms Studios clearly is moving away from that.
9 Accessibility (Injustice)
Much like Mortal Kombat 11, Injustice 3 should be easy to pick to up and everyone likes superheroes. Who doesn't like pitting their favorite superheroes against each other? Injustice is already an iconic game due to its famous roster but since it's a fighting game, many will turn away.
With Injustice 3, NetherRealm Studios should find the balance because the problem with Injustice 2 is that many ranged characters are weaker and harder to play. So they should figure out that sweet spot of making it fun without ruining the character, then it can be a success.
8 Story (Mortal Kombat)
In Mortal Kombat 11, the canon was reset when Liu Kang went back in time and changed the timeline. This allows the narrative to mix things up, like Sub Zero teaming up with Scorpion and working together.
The clever plot choice of going back to the original tournament to re-live for an entirely new generation and the old generation will bring it all together. Retconning the story can allow for older characters to come back with a new spin to them and even create new backstories. Restarting the story is another way of introducing a new wave of players to the series.
7 Story (Injustice)
Batman and Superman's conflict has been overdone in every single medium from comics, tv, movies, and video games. Injustice is no exception, both Injustice 1 and 2 follow that storyline. With Injustice 3, the story should move away from them and focus on other heroes or villains. Players should experience a different side of DC. With an already extensive back catalog from DC, there shouldn't be an issue.
Fans want to have the story to center around the Green Lanterns Corps which opens up to more possibilities for stories. Even the rouges gallery has been getting more attention than the main heroes in the movies and TV. A Joaquin Pheonix style Joker storyline can be something fans are onboard with.
6 Combat (Mortal Kombat)
The combat is what makes the series, the bloody and gruesome fatalities are synonymous with the brand. In 12 the formula shouldn't change if NeatherRealm Studios can find new and more brutal ways to tear apart their roster they can build on that. The Flawless Blows system which allows players to make a comeback after blocking attacks is a new system. That mechanic should be brought over to 12, it'll give people an incentive to fight back.
That second chance will also help expand the base knowing that it's not over. The Mercy mechanic which allows the winner a chance to revive the loser for a little bit of health should be brought over. The point of Mortal Kombat 12 is to make it easier to win even when you lose.
5 Combat (Injustice)
The coolest thing about Injustice is that every character has their own set of powers and tools that complement the combo system. When players are mixing the combo system with those powers, it makes for some exciting moments.
But the complaint that's been ongoing for this game is how hard the combos are to do. For the 3rd entry, the developers should figure out how to make the combo system fluid and easy to do. This can make the game easier to handle for newcomers.
4
Mortal Kombat 11 has a mechanic that lets players pick moves from different playstyles. Each character has many different special attacks and players have 3 spots to fill when picking their own variation. Some moves take two spots if they're too powerful. Which helps players experiment more.
Allowing players to choose how they fight in 12, should be something to look forward to. In 12 if they added the same mechanics like Krushing Blows as well as the new bar system it'll change how 12 is played for the better. Having fewer damage combos to choose from makes the player pick different styles.
3 Customization (Injustice)
Adding armor upgrades in Injustice 2 sets up for so many ways to play. No one Superman is the same as another Superman, so the game gives the choice of letting players play how they want to. The upgrades aren't just for cosmetics but also stats like defense, offense, and other abilities. It creates a new element of gameplay.
Elemental stats like fire and poison attacks could an interesting addition for the third game because it makes sense. To give players more freedom and choice, the 3rd game should have different ways to play--offensively, defensively, and in-between.
2 Balance (Mortal Kombat)
A lot of characters are too strong and too simple to use like Scorpion. With him being one of the most iconic and one of the most secretive characters in Mortal Kombat, he has issues. When going online he's a one-trick pony, players will button mash one move that makes it hard to beat him.
Although this isn't the case anymore, it opens up a problem that certain characters become unfair. This should be less of an issue when 12 comes out, many fights in both 10 and 11 typically become onesided because either a character is too fast or way too strong. Finding that sweet spot where the balance shouldn't sacrifice gameplay would probably be an issue--but it needs to happen.
1 Balance (Injustice)
NetherRealms has been changing and switching up things since the game first came out. So it's different than what it first was. These changes can be good or bad like characters become stronger or weaker. It can throw the balance of the whole game off when characters are changing so much.
Characters in Injustice are already weaker or stronger with the changes from the past, and those changes aren't going to stop. For the third game, changing certain traits will happen but it shouldn't break the game. The criticism for Injustice is mainly around how unbalanced it's getting. So NeatherRealm will have to figure that out.