Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero is a story-driven fighting game that casts you in the shoes of Sub-Zero, and chronicles a series of events that occurred prior to Mortal Kombat. In a storyline reminiscent of Thief, the Lin Kuei assassin/thief is sent to steal an important document; this mission proves to be a test from a mysterious character who charges you upon retrieval of this object to recover an ancient medallion of untold power.
In pursuit of Quan Chi and his true intentions, Sub-Zero finds himself on a perilous journey through hell, racing against time to reach the demonic Shinnok before him. With Quan Chi's trickery revealed, Sub-Zero must now become a reluctant hero, fighting his way through treacherous landscapes in a quest to stop Shinnok's plans.
The gameplay combines the Mortal Kombat familiar 2D fighting environment with a platformer element, where you travel through hazardous levels running and jumping while fighting against digitized and polygonal enemies. Sub-Zero's interface is the same as in every MK game, with added features such as an inventory and RPG-like experience points that translate into new techniques and moves.
Technically, this game represents the final evolutionary step in the MK series 2D engines, introducing new features like zooming, 3D lighting, 3D backgrounds, and characters.