- Primary Subject: NetherRealm Studios / Fighting Game Story Modes (General Analysis)
- Key Update: While NRS revolutionized the genre with cinematic chapters in Mortal Kombat 9, the formula now requires deeper player agency and integrated mechanical tutorials to retain casual players.
- Status: Confirmed (Editorial Analysis)
- Last Verified: January 20, 2026
- Quick Answer: NRS set the cinematic standard, but future story modes must integrate branching narratives and fundamental tutorials like spacing and punishes to bridge the casual-competitive gap.
Fighting game stories have had a mixed reputation inside the gaming sphere. On one hand, they’re seen as these epic stories that unfold through awesome martial battles, but on the other hand, they’re just plain goofy.
I'm talking about characters that somehow always find a way to come back to life even after being dropped into a volcano THRICE! And that’s part of the charm. Fighting game stories do not take themselves too seriously, which is why it’s important to supplement them with presentation. Thankfully, all the way back in 2011, NetherRealm Studios stepped up and gave us exactly what we were asking for.
Before the game-changing release of Mortal Kombat 9, fighting game story modes were nothing more than glorified arcade modes strewn with mini-bosses and short character cutscenes, punctuated by egregiously difficult bosses. Either that, or do what Tekken did and introduce a separate scenario mode covering the canon story, something that I find a quiet and confused appreciation for. Some other games have even turned to other genres just to communicate the fighting game’s story better, but that ended up alienating an audience that was there solely for the fighting game. It took a lot of trial and error, but eventually, NetherRealm would land on something fierce.
Mortal Kombat 9 was released way back in April 2011, and I believe it revolutionized the way fighting game stories should be experienced. The game still has an arcade mode with individual story endings for each character, following the long legacy of mini-bosses, frustrating bosses, and endings. But then we turned to the scenario campaign, which didn’t change the core gameplay of Mortal Kombat. We weren’t suddenly put into a Streets of Rage-style beat ‘em up game, but instead a more structured story mode.
Instead of choosing a single character to experience the story with, you were given a set character to play through the current arc of the story. This choice made way for lots of fighting game character expression (something I personally love), and added more structure to the story! The game also does a great job of exposing you to different characters on the roster, forcing you into playing a specific character for the sake of the story, and just so the player can get a little taste of everything the game has to offer. Since the release of Mortal Kombat 9, NRS games and even Tekken have taken the same approach to fighting game story modes, acknowledging that this may be the best way for stories to be presented moving forward.
I’d argue that they could definitely do better.
One of the things I would love to be included in the game is which side to fight on. There is a segment in Tekken 8’s story where you are allowed to participate in the King of Iron Fist Tournament actively. This comes complete with an interactive bracket showing character matchups, allowing players to choose which character they want to pick for a specific fight. Although this decision is insignificant to the overarching story, a part of me wishes that it were. Imagine a fighting game where you could play through two sides of the story, actively influencing the direction and the ending depending on which side you favor the most.
I believe that giving players these options during the story mode would open up tons of replayability for even the casual audience! Plus, giving players a choice of which character to play as would give other characters on the roster a much-needed spotlight. The thing I absolutely hated in NRS games was that, if I mained an antagonist, there was a chance that they’d show up in the game’s story as nothing but cannon fodder for the brave heroes. Then, if there are any character-specific story moments, the game could just railroad you back onto the main character when needed.
But then again, presentation isn’t the only thing that fighting game story modes are good for. Sure, you could focus on the story and individual character representation, but why leave it at the cusp of greatness? Most casual fighting game players boot up a new fighting game, finish the story mode, play a few online matches, and leave it at that. None of them really bother to learn the game aside from a few cool combos and pokes! This casual cycle is what leads to players eventually quitting, either because they get absolutely stomped on the ladder or they just lose interest.
To fix this, I believe that fighting game story modes should make the effort to actually teach players how to play the game. When I played through the most fighting game story modes like Tekken, Injustice, or Mortal Kombat, they only teach you the controls and nothing else! Contrast that with Street Fighter’s World Tour mode, where players are given controls and specific situations to use those controls. Concepts like using an anti-air and spacing should be taught to every player picking up the controller! Because if you don’t, then that just shows how little faith you have in your own game.
That’s not to say these games are incapable of building these fundamentals. I see it in the small things, like how Tekken’s more recent entries have story mode bosses that rely on knowing when to poke, punish, and side step. All I’m really asking for is for that same approach to be taken with everything else. Give us something more to work with!
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