When MKX was announced, I had clear in my mind that I didn't want dead characters back, for the sake of the story, the most important thing for me.
When Kung Lao was announced, I was a little upset. But I mentioned here I would wait to fulfill any disappointment.
Then came Kitana, very cool, I loved her. And I saw that people could be revived some way, reinforcing the idea of Sub-Zero too, at that time, identity unknown.
Then the comic was clear about some characters coming back. Completely fine. With a good explanation.
What I was annoyed is that, I really don't think "fan service" is bad, but they included resurrected versions of characters when they were never brought back to life.
While Kung Lao is cool, only because of an ending, Liu Kang, IMO, is ridiculous with that old outfit (the young is SICK and Emperor is badass) and Kitana, while looking fine, looked so unnecessary without being Empress/Revenant.
The problem of that is that they acted just like common NPCs (notice that, between them and Sindel there is no difference), they could have been announced and developed in a darker way (I mean, why put them as "what if he/she survived MK9, and they say that, check Kung Lao's koncept) and they didn't add, IMO, much in terms of GAMEPLAY INSIDE THE STORY.
Ok, people wanna play? I'd rather have them as dark revenants and past versions. Even Jax, who people complain a lot, was more useful on the story and was more logically used.
I know this is pretty aesthetic, since I'm saying that if Liu Kang came as revenant, and not an old scam, he would be more useful, but even his inclusion, if not on the original, is arguable when he and the others appears just to be there.
I look through the eyes of the storyline, because, people deny its importance or not, it can decide who is in the game or not.