Recently,Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimatereleased for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in what is essentially an enhanced port of the original title, with all of the game’s post-release content. PreviousMortal Kombatgames got this same treatment, with 2011’sMortal Kombatgetting theKomplete Editionthe following year, as well asMortal Kombat XgettingMortal Kombat XLlater on. The difference here is thatMortal Kombat 11 Ultimateis a release that brings the series onto new hardware, along with brand new exclusive content. Other fighting games, likeTekken 7andSoulcalibur 6,could learn from Warner Bros.' fighter and do something similar for next-gen consoles.
TheTekkenandSoulcaliburfranchises have been around for almost as long as theMortal Kombatgames, with all three of them starting in the 1990s. This past generation, all three franchises began selling post-release content in the form of new characters, costumes, skins, and more as part of downloadable content. Unlike other fighting game franchises, Bandai Namco has never released an “Ultimate” edition of either of its IPs, withTekkenandSoulcaliburonly ever receiving one single edition of its respective entries. But it could be a good idea for the company to release upgraded versions ofSoulcalibur 6andTekken 7for PS5 and Xbox Series X, for multiple reasons.
RELATED:Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate Has One Big Benefit Going Into Next Gen
Jump to Next-Gen
Now is honestly the perfect timing for bothSoulcalibur 6andTekken 7to get “Ultimate” editions, for several reasons. For one, the PS5 and Xbox Series X are brand new consoles with very few games available exclusively for them, so launching upgraded versions of these games would put them back into the spotlight once again and give players a real reason to pick them up. This could re-popularize both titles once again, and in turn help sell more copies. Additionally, an Ultimate version of these games would also allow the developers to make any tweaks, upgrades, or any desired changes, and take advantage of the next-gen hardware by upgrading both games' visuals and add much faster loading times.
Everything in One Package
Perhaps the biggest reason for these titles to come to next-gen hardware is that all of the downloadable content for each game could finally be available on disc, for those wishing to have the “full experience” without needing to purchase anything off of the PSN or Microsoft Store. Withtwo Season Passes forSoulcalibur 6,eight new characters have made their way onto the sword-fighting game, along with tons of costume pieces and new stages.Tekken 7, on the other hand, has gotten a whopping four Season Passes overall since its release in 2017, with 14 new fighters available post-launch plus new stages, costumes, and additional game modes.
Purchasing allfourTekken 7season passeswould cost $95, meaning that one would need to spend $155 in order to experience all of the content thatTekken 7has to offer. With so much additional content, these titles would benefit from an Ultimate editions that could bring all of the content into one package, finally allowing for players to have every feature on-disc without breaking the bank.
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New Content
One smart tactic that Bandai Namco could implement inTekken 7andSoulcalibur 6that could help the next-gen versions of the games sell is the inclusion of new content. Though all of the content present inMK 11 Ultimateisn’t exclusive, Warner Bros. was smart enough to release the upgrade alongside Kombat Pass 2, marketing the port with brand-new characters that allowed it to stand out. Other companies have done this in the past as well, with other next-gen ports likeMario Kart 8 Deluxedoing the same thing by adding in new characters and a revamped Battle Mode for the Nintendo Switch version.
Soulcalibur 6has been appeasing old fans by bringing back some fan-favorites to the title as part of DLC including Cassandra, Seksuke, andmost recently Hwang, but if it were to resurrect more old characters and release them day-one on a next-gen port, it surely would get more fans on board. Characters like Yun-seong who have been long-absent could finally return, and could appease long-time fans.Tekken 7could similarly do the same thing by having additional characters to the next-gen version, with tons of potential characters that they could bring back.
These are just a few things thatSoulcalibur 6andTekken 7could learn fromMortal Kombat 11 Ultimate, and should implement if they were to also get “Ultimate” editions.
Mortal Kombat 11is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
