Midway Games was struggling financially during the mid-2000s. They prioritized Mortal Kombat: Deception for the PSP port (titled Unchained ) because it was the flagship "fighting" game of that era. Porting the fighting engine was likely viewed as a safer investment than porting a complex action-adventure engine which required more optimization for handheld constraints.
The game centered on the narrative of Liu Kang and Kung Lao following the events of the first Mortal Kombat tournament. The core gameplay loop involved traversing the realms (Earthrealm, Outworld, Netherealm), solving environmental puzzles, and engaging in combat utilizing a multi-directional fighting engine. mortal kombat: shaolin monks psp