A few decades ago the masses believed video games were a waste of time for lackadaisical youths to pacify themselves while ignoring their responsibilities as both kids and young adults. As more and more people started understanding the benefits of gaming so too did the perception of what a video game is and, most importantly, the benefits gaming can bestow on a person’s life changed.
Hi, my name is James Bullock and I am a gamer who has spent the better part of his existence testing the laws of physics, exploring the vastness of a world ruined, and been a champion inside various arenas courtesy of digitized worlds both driven by reality and created through pure unbelievable ingenuity unlike anything seen by human eyes. And as a gamer I’ve discovered something else video games provide: life lessons. Today I examine the most recent entry in the “Mortal Kombat” franchise with a game featuring time travel and the revelation of your young self being the biggest jerk ever.
Your Past is You
It’s not surprising that a lot of who you are today stems from past experiences, celebrations, failures, friendships and babalities – okay, maybe not the last one, but the fact is we are who we are because of every experience associated with our respective existences. “Mortal Kombat 11” dives deep into the knowledge that the person you once were may not be the person you become. After Raiden – who stood as a pillar of good nature & deeds until Shinnok’s amulet corrupted his soul in “Mortal Kombat X” – went about his merry way killing Liu Kang and slaughtering Shinnok, the goddess of time known as Kronika sets back the hands of time. Kronika’s introduction creates a rip in reality that allows younger versions of the “MK” trilogy characters (and Erron Black) to arrive and meet their older selves. The intent of these time-ripped people is to save an existence Kronika intends to restructure without Raiden the Thunder God being in it to ruin everything.
It’s during these wild interactions between past and present selves that the older versions see what they once were and how much they’ve grown while the young versions are almost caught off guard in regards to what they become. Early in the story, Sonya Blade sacrifices her life in a effort to thwart the Outworld forces headed by the corrupted Liu Kang & Kitana.
But when young Sonya shows up she’s infuriated over her future daughter’s decision to leave older Blade in the rubble that killed her. Like his future ex-wife, young Johnny Cage – who is still a movie star in his reality – can’t believe that his future self is a simple serviceman working with the Special Forces; not understanding the eventual young Cage would see that his priorities in regards to fame ruining his relationship with his daughter were all out of whack. Jax’s narrative is a little different, but nonetheless as profound. Instead of his younger version seeing a man who overcame the tragedy of losing his arms & almost his life, Young Jax discovers a desperate man ready to sacrifice freedom for a potential better life for his daughter.
For better or worst, embrace who you once were and be happy that everything – every mistake, every failed relationship, every triumph, ever learning experience – has groomed you into becoming the awesome person you are today … unless you’re still an incorrigible elder god who can’t help but kill his prized pupil because of a shiny amulet.
Have you learned any major life lessons from playing “Mortal Kombat” or any video game for that matter? Leave them in the comments below and, as always, thanks for reading.