Antlergroin
Sub-Zero main - Tremor and Scorpion scrub.
First off, i want to say that i am in no way a pro or tournament player. So the ''balance'' changes suggested is to spark discussion and not go into frame details etc.
Now, on to the topic at hand.
THE DEVOLUTION OF SUB-ZERO
MKX is the continuation of MK9. Both story and gameplay wise. Every character that has come from MK9 has been pulled into MKX and then expanded upon. However, Sub-Zero is the only character that seems to have gotten worse at everything he used to be able to do in the previous games.
For example, Scorpion.
Scorpion is one of the flagship characters of Mortal Kombat. Everyone knows the yellow ninja and his two signature moves: Spear and Teleport. Now to create variations for Scorpion, NRS created the ''standard'' scorpion with those moves and then made additions to his skillset, creating the variations he has in the game. One where he has gained several new attacks with his swords, one where he can summon hellish minions and one where he can cloak himself in flame and throw fireballs at his opponents.
This is probably how every character in MKX has been designed. Take the universal well known moves, then give them some new and exciting stuff in each variation. Bam!
However, this is seemingly not the way Sub-Zero was designed. Sub-Zero instead has had his prior moveset cut into pieces and sold seperately. Sub-Zero's signature moves have always been his ice ball and his ice clone. However when each variation for Subby were made, they made the base character solely with his ice ball, robbing him of one of his signature moves.
Grand Master. Now one of his signature moves has become a variation. And that's cool. A moveset designed around one of his signature moves is great. Now you can throw the clone, shatter it and all sorts of cool shit. I feel that Sub-Zero's GM variation is nicely designed (but with a few hitbox issues). But taking away one of his signature moves in his other variation makes him a much less interesting character overall if he doesn't get something new and exciting that makes up for it. Something which does not happen.
Cryomancer. Ok i get it. Subadub created ice weapons mid combos in the earlier games. But it was never anything special. I see how it could turn into an interesting variation with some cool new additions that makes him play in a different way. Like throwing ice shards/throwing stars/Kunais at the opponent or some other crazy stuff that makes you able to throw the opponent around (like something Boneshaper Shinnok has, but made of ICE). But all he got was an Ice Hammer move and one of his space controlling combo's turned into a combo ender instead. That's it. The only big difference you notice when playing this variation is that you don't have an ice clone anymore. How exciting. It's like playing Reptile, but with less options.
Unbreakable: This variation seemed to have potential. A big fucking Ice Shield and an ice aura. So now you have a close-range Ice clone you can use for parrying or blocking projectiles. Something which you could already do in the GM variation. Can you do any other cool things with the ice shield? No. B-but you got a cool ice aura! Does it enhance Sub's other abilities? No. He just doesn't take chip damage. Wow.
So TL;DR: The design of Sub-Zero in MKX is flawed to begin with. I love Sub and i still think he's pretty good. But that doesn't change the fact that one of Mortal Kombat's flag ship characters has gotten severely gimped and a lot less interesting compared to the rest of the cast. And that makes me sad.
HOW CAN WE FIX THIS?
Well, to be honest i don't know if he can be fixed. But there's a few things that i think could be added without breaking the game and adding more variety to the character:
GM: Fine as it is, but need some fine-tuning on the ice clone hitboxes and the clone no longer disappearing when mid throw (does this seriously have to be said?)
Cryomancer: Change up his ice ball, turn it into several ice shards or a special projectile or something. Or give him another kind of ice weapon so he has something other than a slow hammer that's only used for it's EX juggle properties.
Unbreakable: Make his Ice Shield cancelable! This would add some interesting combo extenders and some more variety. Or make it possible to shatter the shield as you can do with the ice-clone in GM. Now the shield has several different uses. Hooray!
Or you could make the Ice Aura give some special properties to Sub's attacks. That would be cool.
What are your opinions on this? Let's try to have a civil conversation about our favourite ice ninja.
Now, on to the topic at hand.
THE DEVOLUTION OF SUB-ZERO
MKX is the continuation of MK9. Both story and gameplay wise. Every character that has come from MK9 has been pulled into MKX and then expanded upon. However, Sub-Zero is the only character that seems to have gotten worse at everything he used to be able to do in the previous games.
For example, Scorpion.
Scorpion is one of the flagship characters of Mortal Kombat. Everyone knows the yellow ninja and his two signature moves: Spear and Teleport. Now to create variations for Scorpion, NRS created the ''standard'' scorpion with those moves and then made additions to his skillset, creating the variations he has in the game. One where he has gained several new attacks with his swords, one where he can summon hellish minions and one where he can cloak himself in flame and throw fireballs at his opponents.
This is probably how every character in MKX has been designed. Take the universal well known moves, then give them some new and exciting stuff in each variation. Bam!
However, this is seemingly not the way Sub-Zero was designed. Sub-Zero instead has had his prior moveset cut into pieces and sold seperately. Sub-Zero's signature moves have always been his ice ball and his ice clone. However when each variation for Subby were made, they made the base character solely with his ice ball, robbing him of one of his signature moves.
Grand Master. Now one of his signature moves has become a variation. And that's cool. A moveset designed around one of his signature moves is great. Now you can throw the clone, shatter it and all sorts of cool shit. I feel that Sub-Zero's GM variation is nicely designed (but with a few hitbox issues). But taking away one of his signature moves in his other variation makes him a much less interesting character overall if he doesn't get something new and exciting that makes up for it. Something which does not happen.
Cryomancer. Ok i get it. Subadub created ice weapons mid combos in the earlier games. But it was never anything special. I see how it could turn into an interesting variation with some cool new additions that makes him play in a different way. Like throwing ice shards/throwing stars/Kunais at the opponent or some other crazy stuff that makes you able to throw the opponent around (like something Boneshaper Shinnok has, but made of ICE). But all he got was an Ice Hammer move and one of his space controlling combo's turned into a combo ender instead. That's it. The only big difference you notice when playing this variation is that you don't have an ice clone anymore. How exciting. It's like playing Reptile, but with less options.
Unbreakable: This variation seemed to have potential. A big fucking Ice Shield and an ice aura. So now you have a close-range Ice clone you can use for parrying or blocking projectiles. Something which you could already do in the GM variation. Can you do any other cool things with the ice shield? No. B-but you got a cool ice aura! Does it enhance Sub's other abilities? No. He just doesn't take chip damage. Wow.
So TL;DR: The design of Sub-Zero in MKX is flawed to begin with. I love Sub and i still think he's pretty good. But that doesn't change the fact that one of Mortal Kombat's flag ship characters has gotten severely gimped and a lot less interesting compared to the rest of the cast. And that makes me sad.
HOW CAN WE FIX THIS?
Well, to be honest i don't know if he can be fixed. But there's a few things that i think could be added without breaking the game and adding more variety to the character:
GM: Fine as it is, but need some fine-tuning on the ice clone hitboxes and the clone no longer disappearing when mid throw (does this seriously have to be said?)
Cryomancer: Change up his ice ball, turn it into several ice shards or a special projectile or something. Or give him another kind of ice weapon so he has something other than a slow hammer that's only used for it's EX juggle properties.
Unbreakable: Make his Ice Shield cancelable! This would add some interesting combo extenders and some more variety. Or make it possible to shatter the shield as you can do with the ice-clone in GM. Now the shield has several different uses. Hooray!
Or you could make the Ice Aura give some special properties to Sub's attacks. That would be cool.
What are your opinions on this? Let's try to have a civil conversation about our favourite ice ninja.
