Thus explaining the Continuity Snarl regarding the time travel. The reason there are modern-day cities in KI2 is that, when the surviving cast was sent 2000 years into their past, they ended up in late 20th or early 21st century.
It would explain the same name, different history, and previous death. Maybe this Ben Ferris has been genetically modified to tolerate the heat and sting of his flames.
- Jossed. The new game is a reboot that only carries over a few pre-existing details, so any pre-existing Cinder story never happened.
We already have one example of the warlords from the past disguising themselves in the modern day as a spirit. Gargos disguised himself for a whole as the Tiger Spirit. Eyedol was Gargos' rival. Tiger Versus Dragon is a long-standing trope for a particular rivalry. Watch as it turns out that Eyedol is less gone than it first appears.
In KI 2, the cast is thrown into every which way as far as the time stream. Obviously, this can lead to some timey-wimey troubles. Coupled with some remarks from Iron Galaxy on how KI 2013's Tusk is the same person from the old games rather than a rebooted self, even if they turn out to be in jest, shows that his immortality is what "saved" him from being converted into the new continuity while Kim Wu and Maya were reborn in the present day.
This also helps keep all 3 games within the same canon, even if not the same continuity and timeline.
- The Doom Slayer. His theme would definitely be more like "At Doom's Gate," with his Ultra combo theme sounding like "Flesh & Metal."
