Mortal Kombat: Special Forces is a 2000 action-adventure beat 'em up video game developed and published by Midway for the PlayStation in 2000. A spin-off/prequel of the Mortal Kombat franchise, it is the second installment to not be a fighting game and the first 3D spin-off. Set before the first game Mortal Kombat, players control Jax as he pursues criminal leader Kano and his gang. Special Forces endured a difficult development due to series co-creator John Tobias and other staff members leaving Midway before the game was completed. The departure of Tobias led to a significant trimming of content, including the removal of Sonya Blade as a playable character. Upon release, the game was panned by critics for its poor level design and tedious gameplay, and is considered one of the worst video games of all time. Gameplay Mortal Kombat: Special Forces is a third-person view action-adventure game. The protagonist is Jax, who uses not only hand-to-hand combat techniques but also firearms and explosives. There are five levels set on Earth in Otherrealm, with a boss battle at the end of each of them. Exploring the locations in the search for keys, the players solve puzzles, find the codes to unlock the doors, and blast hidden passages in walls. Jax can ascend to higher-level platforms even as he cannot jump, but he can push large blocks. The player can restore Jax's health meter using first-aid kits. The player also has a limited energy reserve: whenever Jax performs one of his special techniques, he spends energy that can be replenished by performing certain combos. Jax can attack with his hands and feet, as well as block counter strikes. Although there are no Fatality systems, the combo system allows finishing off the opponent with the final blow in case the enemy's health line is exhausted by this moment. The experience points that a player gains by defeating enemies allow one to get new combos. An in-game menu displays the presence of items in the player's inventory, and also contains information on the purpose of the current mission. After completing the game, the player can activate the cheat menu to start a new game with additional bonuses. Plot Mortal Kombat: Special Forces is chronologically the first game in the Mortal Kombat storyline, as its events take place even before Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero. The story of the game involves Kano freeing his gang,