1. Mortal Kombat
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PS VITA, Windows
The 2011 release of Mortal Kombat was a game that not only revamped the MK series, but also showed a lot of other fighting games just how the genre could be expanded and built upon.
The NetherRealm Studios fighter retold the stories of the first three Mortal Kombat games, though this time there was a major emphasis on story, with cut scenes and fights that made sense as part of the larger narrative. This was one of the first times that a beat-em-up had put serious effort into telling an actual story, and the game benefited from this immensely.
The addition of the battle tower and a series of unlockable bonuses and rewards made sure that there was plenty of content to the game, content that meant that you’d keep playing long after you’d completed the story and mastered the online multi-player.