Mortal Kombat's Open World RPG

[@iambeardedking4409]

I think MKD’s Konquest mode was one of the best things ever. I’ve been waiting for a reboot ever since.

[@scatered1]

Not only did they never bring back a proper konquest mode after Armageddon but they never went back to 360 degrees fight arenas. I'm actually sick of the 2D fighting now since it was brought back in MK9 in 2009. Edit: 2011 not 2009, apologies.

[@AlexJonesGaming]

@@scatered1 honestly same it was nice for a return to form with MK9 but now it's time for an actual evolution again sure Konquest mode isn't the most amazing thing ever but it works and the 3D arenas added depth where there isn't any nowadays on MK11 you get into a fight and it's nothing but infinite combos the 3D arena helped prevent those by giving you a side step bring em back WB

[@scatered1]

@@AlexJonesGaming bada bing! Alex Jones knows exactly what the continuation of my comment was going to be if I had articulated on it more, very nice. I 100% agree my good man.

[@WVRLORD]

Shoalin monks was pretty decent as well

[@eternal327]

@@scatered1 MK9 came out in 2011 not 2009

[@Lazypackmule]

Unlocking undead Liu Kang in this mode left a permanent impression on me Like, looking back, it was really dumb, just waiting in a specific place at a specific time for a chest to appear out of nowhere, but the general concept was enough to blow my damn mind Nowadays we don't even get character unlocks in fighting games anymore, let alone good ones

[@indifferentrectalsemensplooge]

Feelz

[@MegatronYES]

Because it was a fucking insult

[@JackOfBlades8642]

I never unlocked undead Liu Kang as a kid because I never how to. He's the only character I didn't unlock in the game.

[@darthmeticulous6901]

Lol, Hotaru was the one that took me the longest to find. Liu Kang I think I found by accident.

[@rinnnnnnnnnnrinRinOnishi]

​@@darthmeticulous6901 "agh I gotta shit!" *comes back after like 10 minutes* "wtf I unlocked a character?"

[@ShotClanTxter]

Really hit me hard as a kid to find out that you could never return to the village... I Shit you not it made me think of life in a different perspective and matured me a bit

[@utaldotralha]

Ikr i kept trying for a long time to return

[@ryanburke1656]

I cannot overstate how sentimental the MKD Konquest mode is to me. My friend and I put so so so many hours into this little world and it really captivated us as the preteens we were. We even dusted off a PS2 and played through it again some time last year. On top of everything you mentioned, one of the biggest strengths of Konquest, to me, is how much it contextualizes the events of the "regular" game. When you see Onaga showing up and wrecking house, you PERSONALLY experienced what his rise has meant for all of the realms. You personally played a roll in the state of things as they are. You personally grew and aged to eldership only to realize that your entire life from childhood has been wasted and you can't go back. There's such an emotionally raw solumness that comes from hitting the end of this Konquest for the first time, especially when connecting it with the rest of the "Classic" tower endings. And because I literally watched Shujinko age before my eyes, I feel like I have an intimate connection with him in a way that's unparalleled by any other character in this series (Except for Scorpion and how they handled him in the last few games, which I really love). When You briefly run into Sujinko in the MKA Campaign, he sets off to challenge Shao Kahn or something like that, and your forgettable MKA main character says something like "This old man seeks to face Kahn by himself? Who does this foolish man think he is?" And I literally remember saying out loud (in a room by myself, no less): "Mother fucker, that's SHUJINKO and he's 10 times the man you'll ever be" hahaha. It was like seeing an old, but deeply cherished friend for the first time in a very, very long time. I love MKD's Konquest, ahh.

[@knitler885]

Nobody will read it all neither did I But I agree

[@brandogents6624]

I agree I was so mad when Taven shit talked Shujinko. It's like bro he is waaaaay cooler and has done more than you ever will. I wish they would go back to this for a story mode.

[@moroseloki1912]

Oh man who killed Shujinko in one of there endings aaaah I can't remember

[@ChamChamRealSmooth]

@@moroseloki1912 Cassie, which is bullshit. Endings are non-canon anyway.

[@MangoSmoothy]

i remember getting my hands on Armageddon and yelling back who the hell are you at taven when shujinko pops in. Having a 3D beat up em brawler was a step down in my opinion

[@SeekerGoldstone]

I cannot overstate how impressed I am with this video. At around 15 minutes in, I thought the video was winding down. I had no idea of the depths you intended to go. Well done!

[@IzraelGraves]

Sounds like you were Deceived

[@realmjumper8154]

@@IzraelGraves you could say it was DECEPTION hahahahhahahahaha I’ll see myself out...

[@gay_actor_michael_douglas-]

Re you so brain dead you cant look at and then comprehend a fucking time stamp in the bottom of the thumb nail? Jesus dude stop trying to simp for attention to bring meaning to your worthless life for a second and use your brain

[@controversialmatters5976]

Deception is my favourite MK game of all time just because of this mini RPG mode. Loved Shaolin Monks too. MK11 story mode was fun but I really want to see another attempt at taking MK back into the rpg/adventure genre. I don't know why but it just works, the MK lore is pretty rich and easy to expand.

[@elguerotapatio9258]

I feel like today some of (definitely not the full scope) of MKs ambitions they previously couldn't fulfill in Deception might be more possible today, and it'd be really cool to see them try out a similar concept while maybe mixing in elements of the beat em up aspect from Armaggedon or some much more sparingly used (compared to normal story mode for obv reasons) cutscenes. I'd honestly love to see really any fighting game try something like this tbh (ik Street Fighter 6 looks like it's going down that route) just so you could get that experience of taking in the atmosphere of these worlds again

[@rinnnnnnnnnnrinRinOnishi]

​@@elguerotapatio9258 I'd much rather have a return to this mode than another "takes itself way too seriously" story.

[@ExhaIe]

Mortal Kombat Deception is one of my favorite games ever made because of this mode. The effect it had on me as a kid was huge and really turned me into a huge MK fan. This video is simply amazing, thanks.

[@iissleepii7874]

Yesssss bro same, this game is literally my first game I've ever played back in 2006 I was young and super amazed by the graphics and everything in the game

[@eternal327]

MK rules

[@mattwillerton6775]

Deception was soo good, the fact it had a Konquest mode rather than than the usual tourney style story was what drew me to it in the first place haha

[@Bananapocalypse]

This and the Tetris mini game

[@dhoffnun]

34:34 - This is a direct reference to the first Diablo. When the titular boss shows himself at the end of the game, he says some creepy-sounding backwards-talk. Extracting it from the files and reversing it reveals this: "EAT YOUR VEGETABLES AND BRUSH YOUR TEETH AFTER EVERY MEAL."

[@IvanDubsK7]

It’s funny how people who probably shat on a lot of these modes, want them back in modern MK

[@TheLatiosnlatias02]

@@Marsalona I remember that so well how these NRS shit heads ruin everything

[@gamingandrewbro8815]

@@TheLatiosnlatias02 that was the 3d eara nrs saved the franchise

[@TheLatiosnlatias02]

@@gamingandrewbro8815 more like ruined it since nrs caused a major downfall to this franchise

[@gamingandrewbro8815]

@@TheLatiosnlatias02 how its more popular then ever

[@TheLatiosnlatias02]

@@gamingandrewbro8815 from 1 to Armageddon were great but with nrs in charge, that franchise is turning to shit in front of me and those who think the same as me especially with that bullshit mk aftermath.

[@jonatanperret8059]

It is a pity that there are no signs that NRS wants to do something so ambitious and good for their game. We can only enjoy the Konquest of 16 years ago that brings us so many experiences and good things. Great video by the way, I watched the whole thing.

[@tylerh2548]

If Edenia had the cloudscape be just beneath the cliff edges and the sky be crystal clear, brighter stars& no clouds, it could have really set the heaven vibe, where the whole thing seemed to rise out of the clouds into the tippy-top of existence. Ah well, maybe in the sequel

[@brotbrotsen1100]

"Maybe in the sequel" Don't do this to me.

[@waitnodani]

When it comes to lore, the konquest mode also has so many Easter eggs. One of my favorites is in the Netherrealm, there is an area you cannot cross until you complete a mission, but you can see it from a certain view. You can see Nitara speaking with Cyrax, referencing her ending from Deadly Alliance where she got Cyrax to help her get the orb of her old realm. Once you have access to the area, they’re gone. Little things like that make the mode feel even bigger. This was such an amazing video!

[@ShoXwavee]

I would like to believe that the weird ambient sound in the Nexus is the sound of the portals, and everything else is quiet....all those weird sounds could be an effect of the portals being all together, pretty interesting 🤔

[@Joyless]

Oh man, that's a cool thought

[@darthmeticulous6901]

That’s a fantastic thought. I always thought the background sounds made the confrontations with Monster and Scorpion much more intimidating, especially with Monster’s unsettling voice (I love Scorpion’s voice, but Monster’s was another level of nightmare fuel). To this day, there are a number of times I will think about Monster, play the scene in my head and then look around as if he might appear to come after me next. Lmao.

[@brendiesel386]

1:17 I don’t know, the story for MK has always interested me. Starting off with the bios in the arcade games, guessing which endings are canon, and finding out in the next game. Not to mention, the overarching stories and characters are interesting to keep up with. My favorite storyline is Deadly Alliance, because of all the shit that happens. Like Hsu Hao being sent out to infiltrate and destroy the Special Forces only means of traversing the realms, heavily crippling Earthrealm. Cyrax and Kenshi being sent by the Special Forces to Outworld. Cyrax’s teleported gets damaged after a fight with Reptile, leading her to meet Nitara, who will send him home if he helps her. Turns out the encounter with Reptile was planned so that Cyrax would have a reason to help Nitara out: he will get sent home if he helps her. Kenshi stalking Shang Tsung, only to get beat up and nearly killed by Mavado. Scorpion traveling around the realms in an attempt to find and slaughter Quan Chi. Reptile being shown Kitana’s base of operations by Nitara, then returning to Shao Kahn’s fortress, only to find his master dead. Reptile blames himself for his master’s death, as he could’ve arrived there faster had he not stopped at Kitana’s. Then Nitara becomes Reptile’s new master, because Reptile must always serve under someone. Sub-Zero trains Frost and reforms the Lin Kuei for good after besting Grandmaster Sektor. Shang Tsung secretly enlist the two Netherealm oni, Moloch and Drahmin, as insurance for his eventual betrayal of Quan Chi. Li Mei’s tournament that ends with her soul being taken and implanted into the Dragon King’s army. Just... Goddamn. I love Deadly Alliance.

[@brunobb1]

I actually like the story, or rather, the lore. I think it's quite interesting and much more well develooed than in most fighting games I know of.

[@thebadwolf3088]

The only problem is the protagonist, he's uninteresting and just fucks everything up in the end of the Konquest mode, aside from the fact that his name is literally "Master" in Japanese

[@fallensurvivor21]

@@thebadwolf3088 Master of messing up. Lmao leave him alone, he tried his best 😂😂😂

[@realmjumper8154]

@@thebadwolf3088 I thought his name in Japanese was “protagonist”?

[@mellamojeff458]

@@thebadwolf3088 wrong word, its literally translated to "protagonist"

[@BioshockDrill]

​@@thebadwolf3088he was manipulated his entire life since he was a child, wtf do you expect????

[@tonythetiger9305]

Konquest mode in Mortal Kombat Deception was, and still is, one of my favourite things about gaming to this day. I'd give anything to be able to play it again.

[@maximusegh2309]

But Tony you can play it again

[@LordofDragns]

I didn't think anybody else felt the same way I did about this mode. Thanks, man.

[@KinamOfMyth]

I actually like the konquest because it made me appreciate the lore more. Seeing what all these realms were gave me a better appreciation for how they fit into the story and who the characters from each of them were. I even gained a love for the Chaos Realm because the people are just trying to be free to live their lives in any way they please away from oppressive hardasses from Order Realm. They're both crazy and they serve as a metaphor that too much of anything is bad.

[@_Dawson_]

I logged more hours in this game as a kid then should probably be possible. Just hearing the konquest mode music is such a shot of nostalgia adrenaline... I might need to pull my original Xbox out and play it all over again...

[@darthmeticulous6901]

“Raiden’s sacrifice was in vain, for the blast had little effect on the Dragon King.” That line and the music at that moment hits at the hopelessness of the situation. “I was the fool who brought him this power. Only I can stop this threat born of deception.” My guy, Shujinko, admits he screwed up and knows he’s gotta do what he’s gotta do. I WISH more people had that kind of attitude these days.

[@Megaspartan23]

One of the notable aspects that set Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Deception, and Armageddon apart from the first four games was the shift in focus to the villains emerging victorious. In Deadly Alliance, the game took a bold step by killing off Liu Kang in the opening, which immediately set a darker and more intense tone. In Deception, the opening sequence depicted Shang Tsung and Quan Chi defeating the heroes, albeit temporarily, as their triumph was short-lived with the arrival of Onaga. This turn of events nullified Raiden's sacrifice and added a sense of unpredictability to the storyline. Furthermore, even if Shujinko managed to rectify his mistakes, Dark Raiden's actions made it clear that he would still dish out harsh consequences for bringing Onaga back. This added layer of depth to the narrative, showcasing the moral complexities faced by the characters and the consequences of their actions. Lastly, in Armageddon, the game took a unique approach by having all the characters fight their way to the top of the Pyramid of Argus, with the ultimate goal being to determine the fate of the Mortal Kombat universe. However, it was Shao Kahn, the main antagonist of the Mortal Kombat games, who emerged victorious in the original timeline. This unexpected outcome further emphasized the power and prowess of the antagonists, presenting them as formidable opponents capable of asserting their dominance over the heroes. In summary, what distinguished Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Deception, and Armageddon from the earlier games was the refreshing narrative choice of allowing the villains to prevail, adding complexity, unpredictability, and a sense of high stakes to the story. These games challenged the traditional hero-centric approach and showcased the prowess and resilience of the series' antagonists, contributing to the overall appeal and success of the franchise.

[@dereksmith6980]

The Ps2 trilogy had the best soundtracks. I remember Tom Morello played for one of the stages

[@davidarredondo2017]

I agree so many tracks in the 3D era were amazing

[@boxingfrog]

Spent so much time wandering through this as a kid.

[@djnovice113]

Bro thank you, a small part of my childhood was watching my older brother playthrough Konquest mode was so great. I'll always cherish the atmosphere and environment added to a game NOBODY expected to have. God bless the devs

[@J64866]

I still imagine with a good sized budget and fun fighting system that was in shaolin monks, a open world type of MK game would be pretty awesome. MK games nowadays have gotten pretty stale tbh. The MK team hasn't gotten ambitious since Deception.

[@Max-ks2to]

Well I would argue since Armageddon

[@thebadwolf3088]

@@Max-ks2to I think he meant successfully ambitious, Armageddon fucked up in the fatalities because they were too ambitious.

[@Max-ks2to]

@@thebadwolf3088 true but Armageddon did a lot of fun things too in my opinion

[@connorharnage6697]

@@Max-ks2toThey even improved Konquest mode. Story isn't as good but gameplay wise, it's even better than in Deception

[@p1ckmansm0del]

I grew up on this game as a child. I loved this game to death, I loved exploring the Konquest mode and it really fed into my childish "there has to be more hidden stuff", and there always was. But you went into this and made my love for the game even stronger, pointing out things that I never would've connected myself. Amazing video!

[@realmjumper8154]

I first played this konquest mode when I was 15, I can safely say it’s one of my favourite gaming experiences of all time, the ambience and feeling of doing whatever you want in all the realms (and as you said) finding all these hidden side quests and secrets was one of the best aspects of this game for me, and much like joyless, I still occasionally start up the game just to go into this mode and stand somewhere

[@crewie94]

Wait do people dislike this? I fucking LOVED Konquest. Still has some elements I'd like to see in an actual RPG game.

[@vibezonegaming]

This game will be a consistent reminder that Mortal Kombat fans are less intuitive than Sonic fans because if there was a Mortal Kombat modding community like there is for Sonic, the Konquest would’ve been updated to probably include things that were mysteries like the temple in the village, the keys, and potentially give you a Shujinko v Onaga match in story mode.

[@ChamChamRealSmooth]

Jesus, I never even knew about the Chaosrealm "coffins", they're so creepy. There's certainly more detail to this game than we think. I love it. Deception has been my favorite MK game and, in my opinion, was where the series truly peaked. We'll never experience something as great as this.

[@realmjumper8154]

Yeah, I instantly went to check them out when he mentioned them here cause I thought, “there is no way I could’ve missed that” but right enough, they exist and the sounds they make are both terrifying and funny

[@TheGary108]

You know....if they made the Konquest into a full scale rpg game, I would play the hell out of it. MK certainly has the lore to back it up, I’ve always wanted to explore the multiple realms of Mortal Kombat.

[@bothatguyyoudontknow]

Deception NEEDS a remake but without changing anything from the gameplay. Konquest was my favorite.

[@achilles5312]

i absolutely adore finding underrated, top quality channels that make longforms about their passions, super dope video, your editing style really makes it feel like a late night documentary. i can’t believe i never got this MK when i was a kid, but i guess i was too busy with shoulin monks and armageddon

[@AramesiaToken]

I come to this video almost weekly to hear a soothing, very humorous voice talking about a gamemode in a game series I don't even play while farming on other games. Great video.

[@WalkBesideMe]

Playing the game with headphones in 2023 late at night as an adult now is one of the most surrealist experiences I've had in gaming. It's so atmospheric compared to how bombastic the story to Deception actually is. It's the last time I felt MK felt like a true Asian fantasy influenced series.

[@cac9926]

I remember watching that starting scene at least 100 times when I was kid, zombie liu kang was badass.

[@calypso819]

Joyless. Me and you are very very much in common. I love the fact that me and you both just soak in the atmosphere of the game worlds we encompass ourselves in. I found you not too long ago where you shared how it is you play video games, absorbing the atmosphere and whatnot. This might literally be the first time I’ve ever seen anyone who is the same as me in that regard, and then I check your channel and see things about The Forest Temple and Mortal Kombat Deception Konquest, two things I have thought about regularly ever since I have been exposed to them as a young child. I am one minute into this Konquest video and I already know I’m gonna watch it in its entirety. I don’t know if you will ever read this but like, it really does feel good to know that I’m not alone in the way that I view things, I’m also not alone in appreciating the atmosphere of Konquest which is something I am very very appreciative of. Thank you, Joyless.

[@calypso819]

I just wanted to say that I really really really enjoy your channel and just the general way you view life. I have felt an outcast for the way I experience games by soaking up the atmosphere and letting my brain just kinda naturally unwind, everyone I know is really competitive and all that. I also just really wanted to genuinely say thank you for making a video about Mortal Kombat Deception’s Konquest Mode. I know that sounds kinda dumb but that mode was like, my life as a kid and it greatly impacted my tastes, aesthetics, and all around general appreciation for things like atmosphere and sound design. Your channel is very in tune with my personality which is not something I find very often. Sorry for such a huge message, your channel genuinely means quite a lot to me as it finally feels like I have a voice on the internet. Thank you, Joyless. I was gonna send this to you as a twitter DM but it wouldn’t let me, I just hope you see it here.

[@Joyless]

This means a lot man, thank you.

[@calypso819]

@@Joyless The pleasure is all mine! Thank you for taking the time out to respond, it genuinely means a lot to me that I was heard.

[@007nikster2]

Deception with all its content and Konquest mode made me fall in love with Mortal Kombat and its universe. The new games just arent the same...

[@JackOfBlades8642]

I feel exactly the same way. While the MK reboot games look stunning, they lack content. I get that 1v1 is basically what a fighting game is but 1v1 gets so boring.

[@Heazytoohot]

Deception was WAY better than Armageddon's Konquest

[@AlejandroCastilloRapper]

I’ve watched this video 3 times. It’s my favorite KZbin video of all time and one of my favorite pieces of media ever in general. You made a masterpiece.

[@realmjumper8154]

I totally agree with you here, this video is a genuine masterpiece and the best analysis of my favourite mortal kombat game ever

[@AlejandroCastilloRapper]

Here I go again

[@shr00mhead]

I absolutely loved exploring all the realms in Deception's Konquest mode.

[@darthmeticulous6901]

Joyless seemed bothered by needing to explore to find keys for coffins, but honestly, I would rather do that than just play missions/do arcade challenges over and over like in Deadly Alliance. Then, the idea of traversing the six main realms is just an awesome concept. The one weird thing I noticed was this… you can always return to redo any character’s training (that is not Shujinko’s from the villiage)… except for Scorpion. You trained with him in the Netherrealm, yet even after beating Konquest’s main story… you cannot find him there other than one kombat mission. I find it really odd to include everyone else’s training as readily replayable, but not Scorp’s. I wonder why.

[@Zeek369]

Dude, I consider myself a pretty huge MK fan, but the level of analysis you put on this one part of it alone was mindblowing! Very well done, regardless of whether you were correct or not. A piece of art (as videogames can undoubtedly be considered) is better defined by what people perceive it to be than by what the creator intended anyway.

[@Zeek369]

this is the kind of video that makes me feel like youtube should have an option to allow you to do more than just "like" a video

[@JigginsX]

Best thing to come from mkd konquest is the simple yet masterfully delivered line from our favorite bridge guard… I LOVEEE HAMM

[@realmjumper8154]

I’ve watched this video at least 5 times now, I just can’t get over how good, interesting, funny and how much work was put into it therefore I can’t stop watching! Well done!

[@abirneji]

finally, someone talks about this mode I thought this was about to be a video on deadly alliance but when deception and konquest appeared I was hooked as a kid this mode completely hooked my attention despite there literally being nothing to do I'd randomly just have a weird urge to turn this mode on every once in a while, pick a world I felt compelled to go to, and just explore the scenery and talk to people I didn't even notice time could never go back either, that was pretty interesting to know

[@ElGaby323]

Currently playing this game in 2021! I played Deadly Alliance and Armageddon back in the day, but for some reason I skipped Deception. Now that I recently bought it and playing through it, I can easily say that Deception is the best of the 3D era, and the Konquest Mode is mind blowing. I can't believe they created this for a fighting game

[@jaberd100]

Yeah you skipped the best one hahah

[@notmenotnever4565]

There is something undeniably charming about Konquest. It doesn't rely on cheap action or graphical fidelity to entertain the player, rather it's about atmosphere and worldbuilding. Would love to see more games like this be made, but sadly it's a pretty niche genre. The only thing I can think of that comes close to this is I guess Morrowind.

[@JuliusCaesar103]

Man, I've wanted to see a video on this for such a long time. I remember being young and not understanding english that well and just being absolutely sucked into this world. Magical experience this was. Can't wait to watch!!

[@dudeletsplay4792]

The konquest mod is the only reason i got this game , it got me hooked and the story was good and intresting , doing quests for shang sung or raiden or joining sub zero's clan was so cool man ,the game was the best. well until i reached the scorpion fight and broke my controller

[@darthmeticulous6901]

I always beat him (and Tanya) by lots of blocking, then countering with Shujinko’s style branch combos, occasionally a sweep in the Mantis style (AIs are less likely to block low attacks than high attacks), followed by the same combos as he would regain his feet. Even without any special moves unlocked, they were beatable, you just couldn’t fight recklessly.

[@eternal327]

3:20 wtf are you talking about? Mortal Kombat was huge in the 90s it was making a shitload of money

[@DracXBelmont]

You seem to have missed his point. He was saying the *stories* weren't what was making money for the series, but the shock value and the gameplay itself, and it wasn't until Deadly Alliance that the focus shifting to purely consoles and legitimate storytelling was what the series started trying to do.

[@cakelizard9218]

I'm glad I found this video. MK Konquest was a huge part of my life when I was growing up, it was... Entrancing even when I was young. Sometimes I still just like to listen to the OST.

[@ShoXwavee]

Ohhh i loved this mode in Deception. even if it was confusing at times. this is gonna be a good watch

[@Alyzzardo]

I specifically looked up a video about this game because I miss it so much. I hope they come out with a MK game that has this sort of aesthetic and Open world play again.

[@dustinmalpass]

I've finally got to watching this video. I love the vid and I love the topic! I have played through Deception's mode 4 times in full and a few extra times just for specific quests. I felt like there was always something new because of the mysterious atmosphere the player was put into. This was to the point that I avoided walkthroughs my first few times playing through it because I wanted to find mostly everything out myself (I did get stuck on a few things and looked up old obscure KZbin videos specifically for that quest or mission). The story, I sometimes had a hard time following that, but regardless I still enjoyed almost every bit of it. Everytime I unlocked something I had this feel of accomplishment, like I worked for it. it wasn't a guessing game like the krypt (which I also love the mechanic of), it was a story builder with tons of stuff to do and unlock. I love it for what it is and for the role it played in my younger days. It really is a great game for a specific type of person and has a mix of two different game genres that wouldn't usually be together.

[@Joyless]

[@jovidepine5459]

Thank God I found this channel. Great video production, very interesting subjects and a keen eye for the unusual. Video game essays can be quite one-note and you've consistently been on the cutting edge of these topics, very fresh ideas and a very unique perspective overall. Honestly, wish you all the best, mate. Found you today and you're already a favourite of mine!

[@Joyless]

[@realmjumper8154]

This has become one of those videos I always return to, I’ve said it in previous comments before, but this review/overview of MKD’s konquest mode is one of the most well structured and best critical analysis of one of my favourite konquest modes and mortal kombat games, it’s been 4 months since I was last here, and I can guarantee you I’ll be here again

[@BradBag]

Thank you so much for taking time to create a video like this. I loved the hell out of this game when I was younger, and I rarely see anyone talking about how good it was. Of course, a lot of the critiques of this game are justified, but seeing somebody look past the jank and really put thought into the world that these guys were trying to build is exceptional. You covered everything about the konquest mode really well, and you got down the horror of Orderrealm perfectly. Phenomenal video, I'm really excited to view your other content.

[@K12machinima]

Loved this video, mate. I played this mode for ungodly amounts of hours as a kid, and actually did do what you were describing, where you just observe and take in the atmosphere. I remember I actually wrote down a lot of the things I noticed, specifically in Chaos Realm, and that determination to squeeze blood from the stone, game and lore wise, was so real to me back as a pre-teen. It really burns me when people do the "It looks bad, and the voice acting is bad..." criticism, not considering how lucky and flash-in-the-pan Konquest really was to have in a game as polished and massive as Deception, and how much it established in the series. I stopped playing and following MK after X, due to 11 being a writing/game-play/PR train wreck, and one of the major reasons was how poorly NRS handled the second half of the MK games, going forward into the fan-fiction timeline; X was actually "okay" story-wise, but it set up so much hype for 11 continuing off of what would have been Deadly Alliance and Deception's plot beats, and they just dropped it, in favor of safe, stupid, nostalgia-pandering, and a cheap-ass time travel/multiverse plot... because the MCU ruined modern writing/film, forever, and NRS wants to suck on some of that sweet, sweet cash cow's teat. Konquest was responsible for fleshing out so much of the shit that NRS wanted to sweep under the rug, and pretend it didn't exist, like, gee, I don't know, Onaga (a major part of Khan's backstory, and was an actually knowledgeable and interesting character in his own right), Order Realm and Chaos Realm (which was nice to show a conflict between realms that wasn't just Earth and Outworld), and things like establishing the cultures, beliefs, and architectures of the average citizens not actually part of the main story - it gave context to so much of what characters fought for, what they could go home to, and just... God, it pisses me off so much that NRS just wanted to turn MK into another fucking superhero-like property, complete with constant reboots, trite and token writing moves (MK11 is exactly how NOT to write/direct a game), bland designs, bland backgrounds, and tasteless and bland music... Deception's Konquest mode was actually fairly praised, on release, it's just the brain-dead NRS fans that want to rip it apart, because "It's not cannon anymore..." and "It's cringe, because it doesn't have (insert AAA voice actor here)..." Call me an MK Boomer, it's fine, I only play fan hacks now, but when you want to actually play something with heart and charm, and not jammed with meme culture, micro-transactions, and corporate pandering, Deception is always there to remind you of why you even HAVE games like MK9-12...

[@skeletonkidgameplay]

Great video, I allways loved this gamemode and the way you can explore a lot and talk to a lots of characters from the lore and I just think that this is an amazing gamemode that I just cant play anymore. I was sreaching for a video like this for some time, I'm glad that you had the time and the inspiration to do one.

[@Marburg-chan]

Nice content, it felt like a touristic documentary. I had it in the background and had to take multiple peeks across the video because of how interesting you made those locations sound.

[@Jester8492]

God the 3D era is just nostalgia for me and my brother who always played MK or any coop fighting games.

[@whodunit6939]

This is one of my favorite videos on KZbin, I've rewatched it several times. Such a well made video and such a unique vibe this game mode has.

[@tekkencentre]

This was an amazing watch! I thought I would correct some of the things you got wrong. What you called 'Shao Kahn's palace' is actually the city of Lei Chen, it has no relation to Shao other than its obligation to pay taxes to the crown which led to a conflict between the city's overlord and the emperor himself. In the Orderrealm, you pointed out that there seem to be no criminals or prisons around. There are actually both - there are regular riots incited by the resistance, led by a man called Darrius. There is a prison on the map as well and there are several side quests dealing with criminals/accused NPCs.

[@swatchcovers5401]

I got my wisdom teeth pulled, and played through this for a couple days while recovering last week. It was nostalgic and I felt like a kid home sick from school again. Too bad those moments are non existent now. Great video though! I Love a good retrospective that focuses mainly on music, and atmospheric elements.

[@Pupppeteer]

We have a feature length movie on the return! I'm so happy! I didn't expect you to drop this. I was thinking of you yesterday funny enough. Can't finish all right now will put on tonight instead of a movie lol.

[@Joyless]

[@danielmontano-lobe9094]

1:07:28 There is a prison in the OrderRealm. In fact, in the story, Shujinko gets arrested and thrown in that prison for an unknown period of time and that's when he ages to become the old man he is at the end of the game. It's not until Dairou is hired to break him out, that Shujinko can roam the OrderRealm free and continue the story Amazing video nonetheless!!

[@thecstineman]

Idk why but just thinking about this game makes me so happy. When I first got it I was 10, the year was 2010, and I had just gotten my ps2 slim on the cheap at a grimy cd&hobby shop, after tracking down the game for weeks. Once I had my hands on it, I begged my dad to come down and play a round or two with me. Eventually he obliged and we hooked the ps2 up to the little 20 inch screen at the bar downstairs and played for hours, laughing about the insane fatalities and fun atmosphere. Me and my dad don't really get along anymore, so it's nice to have a memory of when times where much calmer. Thanks Joyless!

[@kamaleldouaihy5539]

Saw ur video, busted my PSP open and I'm literally just walking in the konquest world with my earphones, sick vid dude!

[@realmjumper8154]

I have this game for my PSP and my PS2 and I’ve noticed a couple of konquest changes here and there, there are a couple of visual differences, I.E - ghost Liu Kang being blue and firing normal fireballs instead of dragon ones, and also some musical changes with Orderrealms theme in konquest being different between the psp and PS2 versions, honestly one of my favourite games of all time

[@kamaleldouaihy5539]

@@realmjumper8154 I never paid attention to these even though I played both versions, it’s crazy how interesting this game is, Waymore than it has any right to be, honestly one of my favorite Mortal Kombat games

[@vibezonegaming]

Also I love this Konquest mode, it felt the most impactful for me of any Mortal Kombat story mode. Though I do have a question that makes me wonder something. If Onaga actually managed to catch and kill Shujinko after Shujinko retrieved the Kamidogu, would he have just made him an resurrected soldier with a younger body like he did with all of the people that died in Deadly Alliance?

[@jerrym1218]

I will always love the Deception Konquest Mode, so many memories of growing old with Shujinko and learning about the Mortal Kombat Universe outside of the actual “Mortal Kombat Tournament” or “War of the Realms”. I know that you probably are sour on the original trilogy of arcade games/and home consoles, but to me, I will always love that original trilogy and got so invested into every Warrior’s story and wondering if Earthrealm would ever beat Shao Kahn and save Earthrealm from his invasion. I still play the original trilogy of games with Mortal Kombat II being my absolute favorite MK game of all time. I definitely put MK Trilogy as my number 2 favorite MK game of all time and finally I definitely put Mortal Kombat Deception as my number 3 favorite MK game of all time. That is my top 3. I spent so many hours, days, weeks, months, years and even decades playing any one of those 3 games throughout the years. I am so angry and annoyed at Ed Boon now for selling out to WB and having a new writing team of so many people that do not understand the Mortal Kombat Universe and it’s characters, half of those new writers are so selfish that they actually bastardized many of the characters and turned some of those original characters into “Versions of themselves” and have those characters not just act like some of those writers, but also share some of their beliefs and talk exactly like they would talk. In other words, Mortal Kombat isn’t what it used to be, this new MK Timeline doesn’t even have good or original new music, they do have the older arcade tracks in some of the new MK games, but those were from the original timeline and shouldn’t be in this new timeline, unless it’s a remix, MK 9 did have good remixes of the original trilogy environments that returned, but as I said, they are older tracks, nothing brand new, the only new music we hear in this new timeline is really generic music that would be in one of those B-movies on the Sci-Fi Channel, nothing memorable like the music from the original timeline 😔🤷🏻‍♂️. Ed Boon allowed MK to get infected by a virus that is slowly killing it. I tell myself that the Mortal Kombat Universe that I grew up loving and playing, has died after the Armageddon Event. That was the end of the REAL Mortal Kombat Universe. This new MK Universe is for a new generation of people and that is ok, I’m happy that they all have a brand new franchise to love and follow, this new MK timeline just isn’t for old school fans like myself anymore. (John Tobias should have never left Midway, who knows how MK would be now if he never did leave).

[@roughreviews6661]

Aaaaaa nostalgia I still love the zen feeling of this mode also the fact that you solve every issue with punching is comedic gold 10/10 would play again 😂

[@xierraleone1905]

This is one of my favourite videos on KZbin now. I’m going to try and watch it 50 times

[@realmjumper8154]

Bro, I’ll join you on this one, watched it four times so far!

[@GamePlayingGuru]

i've been back to watch this so many times, i love this video so much

[@realmjumper8154]

Same here! This video is a masterpiece!

[@Makoto03]

I miss Konquest mode in Deception and Armageddon. It was cool having an open are rpg. Hope they bring it back in a future MK but handle it better.

[@christianamezcua7470]

Hearing all of this music brings back so much nostalgia

[@T_YlerTheOnly]

This video is absolutely worth more than 20k views and 900 likes. Stumbled onto your channel a few days ago and been enjoying your content. Keep up the good work!

[@CaptainDugog]

Finally watched the entire thing, really enjoyed it, my favorite aspect of the konquest mode is the incredibly well designed background music and ambience.

[@case8391]

Respect to you good sir. In the beginning I thought you were just going to piss all over this game but after completing my watch of your masterpiece of a video, I love mortal Kombat deceptions konquest mode even more. Bravo. Seriously though loved the video. Left you a like. Great job 👏 ✌️🤘

[@SuprememessageNG]

I always loved Mortal Kombat Deception and this mode in particular so seeing a whole video dedicated to dissecting it brings me a lot of joy.

[@cyborgsoup8753]

ooh this is where you went, cool, joyless make me joyful

[@suturesunder3465]

I'm honestly suprised at how great this was. I have bias here towards liking what you say, but this is absolutely 100% my shit and I was called out for it mid video when attention was brought to the fact that despite being into obscure surreal atmospheric games like the serveral notorious or at least well known ones you just dropped, the last place I was looking for one was in a Mortal Kombat game as if looking for this stuff in genuine obscurity and looking past genres and whatnot to find the gold isn't the whole point of these kinds of experiences. I kind of want to gush over elements of the video in a similar way this kind of video essay itself gushes over what you've found, but I'd like to bring attention to that point alone because for all the iceberg graphs with Lostboy.exe, Kill Dad and deepweb government rape simulators on, none of them have "Mortal Kombat Deception: Konquest Mode" despite it evidently being both an underappreciated gem and obscure by hiding in plain sight.

[@brendiesel386]

Iceberg graphs? What? What even is that stuff you mentioned? Do I want to know? Yes?

[@suturesunder3465]

@@brendiesel386 Ah, they're kind of a funny image come community list of obsucre games. If you search "weird games icebeg" you'll find a whole bunch of them as images. They're actually pretty good lists for weird games to try.

[@brendiesel386]

@@suturesunder3465 I know what they are. But the ones you mentioned sound interesting... Care to elaborate?

[@suturesunder3465]

@@brendiesel386 I mean, the fun is kind of in discovering it all for yourself, but sure. Lostboy.exe is a spooky maze navigation game which came bundled with a trojan virus as well as spawning a number of imitators. Kill Dad I believe was at one point an obscure point and click, but another itch.io game of the same name exists made for a game jam with a spooky vibe. "Deepweb government rape simulators" is a string of words I made to sound as rediculously obscure as possible, and I sincerely hope of all things you weren't hoping I'd reveal a secret stash of these or something.

[@brendiesel386]

@@suturesunder3465 sorry for coming off as creepy. But I do like weird messed up stuff and I would never turn down the opportunity to witness it. Take visual novels for example. There’s a lot of cursed vns. A lot.

[@thelegendofoldworld2716]

An rpg game where u can create your own kombatant, choose what realm you're from and what race and what alignment and what faction. You can explore any the other realms and can chose to train under any og mk character learning different skills, and fighting moves. Open world fights would play like shaolin monks and boss fights would play like classic mk. Basically combine dragonball xeno verse skyrim and world of warcraft but mortal kombat

[@wrenbeck3370]

The whole "the world us cool and ambient and I want to see more" thing is EXACTLY the feeling Zeno Clash 2 gives me.

[@Evannco]

Ever since I found this video about a month or two back I must have watched this around 20-30 times, both awake and also weirdly falling asleep to it. Keep up the good work man I hope you do well.

[@Adam-qf8ps]

I would love them to bring back Konquest mode. Imagine, however, an openworld Mortal Kombat game, that's like GTA, but it feels like a Mortal Kombat universe. An offline mode with a main story, and online mode. Ability to travel to different realms, do quests, collect items, join factions, fight with random NPC peds with a potential risk involved, blow things up, use modes of transport, gain special abilities and more. It would be insane. I'd make it 3rd person, and whenever you're fighting against random NPC peds or general enemies, you stay in 3rd person, but when you encounter a boss or sub-boss, it switches to the typical sideview camera. You could maybe have it so you have your standard main character, similar to Shujinko, where you start off in your village, and progress your way through the game, levelling up. Of course fans are happy with the way the games currently are, but an openworld addition, along with the standard ladder modes, and everything else, would take it to the next level. It's something I've wanted, for years, and I'm sure many others would welcome the idea.

[@liammech6694]

This is probably the only franchise where, if they made a "Star Wars: The Old Republic/Elder Scrolls: Online" type game, I would actually get very invested in it.

[@Adam-qf8ps]

@@liammech6694 Yeah, man, I feel that! I haven't had my own gaming console, for a few years, now, and have mainly been playing classics, on PC, with emulators, or, I'll occasionally play games on a relative's or friend's console; *but,* if there's one thing that would force me to buy a PS5, it would absolutely be an openworld Mortal Kombat game, like the one I mentioned 💯.

[@johnnybrix5308]

I dont get all the fuss...this was perfect the way it was. It's not just one thing that makes it special...its the whole package. This was perfect for me because everything about it felt Mortal Kombat. I can just not do anything in the game and just soak up the atmosphere. And like the other commenters mentioned, fans can nod it and make it even more special. I loved this soo much

[@Lost0blivion-w7b]

thought I was the only one who loved Konquest mode, was always hoping for a full game like it

[@AnaTaff]

Mk Deception Konquest mode was my favorite! I would spend hours exploring, I thought it was a great idea to have this type of game in MK universe because only fighting was getting boring for me, MK has such a great story, it is better explored in an action-rpg game. I would love to play another one like this!!

[@calypso819]

This is still one of the best KZbin videos on the entire platform.

[@realmjumper8154]

100% agree with you there

[@317NEETz]

I used to run this and run mk shaolin monks all the time. I didn’t even know mk was a 2D fighter fr. My first experience was Thai kinda gameplay. I also played mortal kombat racing a ton as well

[@edattacks]

Quality video, Joyless! Really liked the transitions and the attention the little things the devs put into the game. I grew up playing this a lot and Konquest Mode was my main thing. Really good stuff. Subbed!

[@NunYaa504]

People don’t understand how fun and addicting Konquest was lol

[@Sarevok_Wins]

THANK YOU. This really scratched the itch in my brain for this beloved game. I don't give two shits about the naysayers. This game had so much mood, thematic and atmospheric wonder, it was a phenomenal MK gaming experience for me and it has stayed with me every since. It's a shame that will never happen again ...

[@liammech6694]

This is an amazing video, I just have two corrections. 1. 53:53 That walled-off city is not Kahn's palace. It is the city of Lei Chen. Their overlord defied Shao Kahn and is being forced to either sacrifice himself for his people, or have them all be massacred and eaten by the Tarkatans that you see outside the walls. 2. 1:01:46 They don't let you in, you are imprisoned there. That is Lei Mei's village, Sun-Do. They are all slaves being forced to build Shang Tsung's Palace (the final stage in Deadly Alliance, and from the intro cutscene of Deception) under threat of death.

[@syleshwhycantileavethisbla802]

Damn man I'm all nostalgic now. Great video, you went into details I've never noticed, and I've played this mode through a few times through the years. Found it a little strange that after describing the Deadly Alliance konquest mode as a tutorial you didn't touch on the fact that the Deception one is too, but with a lot of exploring and fetch quests built around it. There are guided tutorials for using every character in the game scattered throughout.

[@kalestars5104]

Found you today and i LOVE your videos. some of the only videos i can sit through and not lose interest, cant wait for more :D

[@ElViperr408]

Honestly MK Deception is the best Mortal Kombat game of all time for me. It’s so good and so much content that we never ever even asked

[@aa-tx7th]

I feel orderrealm is what walking through the fake and clean part of Pyongyang is like. Unsettingly creepy and fake and that you're somewhere where you dont want to be.

[@DioBrandoWRYYYYYY]

I feel like MK had an identity crisis when arcades died, and in the PS2 era they started to mimic Namco Bandai in ways beyond the obvious with making the 3D combat be like a poor man's version of Tekken/SC. Like Tekken had modes like Tekken Force and Devil Within, Soul Calibur had it's more elaborate story modes and later on also delved in to custom character stuff, and many of Namco Bandai's anime games also had RPG-lite single player modes, and I feel like Midway saw things like that and went "WE'LL DO IT LIKE THAT BUT BIGGER". And then when SFIV was a big hit, they rebooted MK and tried to ape that style, giving the devs the message that they shouldn't try to be original and just mimic the top dog of the era while trying to draw in the people who hate anime and or aren't good enough for Street Fighter.

[@BraidzMC]

I honestly stopped playing them when they stopped having Konquest, the genre was stale for non competitive players and it bought something new to it.... They should do a modern version for 12.

[@TasBelmont]

I'd like an MK PS2 era remaster collection that includes Deadly Alliance,Deception, Armageddon and Shaolin Monks.

[@7777jimbob]

this video is so good i cant stop coming back to it