Appreciating MortalKombat’s 30 Years of Brutally Awesome Stages
, and part of that influence is seen in the first game with Shang Tsung’s Courtyard. It’s outside, in the daylight, with an audience of monks and some intimidating guards, as Shang Tsung himself presides over the battles atop a raised platform. The roof of the structure shields only him from the sun, because no one other than the individual sitting on the throne is important. The distant mountains and golden dragons provide a wonderful backdrop, one which the blood stands out perfectly against.
This arena is a small part of a massive structure in Outworld — supposedly the seat of Shao Kahn’s power — with carpets, flooring, and pillars that make the building look far nicer than anything else in that realm, high enough that the blue skies can be seen over the corrupted landscape.was excellent, with breakable elements in the stage and a deathtrap that could send an opponent flying through an open portal.