Game: Mortal Kombat 1
Platform: PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Rating: M for Mature
Cost: $69.99
One of the most anticipated games this fall season was released this week on September 19th—Mortal Kombat 1. This series holds nostalgia for gamers dating back to its initial release in 1992 as an arcade game. Mortal Kombat 1 is a reboot of the franchise that brought you Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Liu Kang and more. With a roster of 20 playable characters and “Kameo fighters” that help assist in matches, this iteration has been boasted to impress and transform the Mortal Kombat Universe.
GamePlay Pros and Cons
Mortal Kombat 1 maintains bloody graphics, x-ray special hit scenes, and morbid finishers in this reborn iteration. The scene designs and voice acting in the campaign story are still up to par with previous versions of the game, and the immersive story campaign is interesting, but still treads on the narrative focusing on a multitude of timelines colliding with one another, causing some to call into question the game’s originality. Mortal Kombat has always been based on the narrative of a tournament, and the reborn’s version focuses more on Fire God Liu Kang and maintaining the timeline. Also, the Invasions Mode is an interesting single player take on facing foes that threaten the Mortal Kombat timeline.
However, the fighting system has been altered where players are forced to have a Kameo partner (who helps participate in special moves), the environments are not interactive like other versions of Mortal Kombat that allowed players to use background items to hit their foes, and there is no Krypt (which was one of the Spring Creek Sun’s favorite aspects of Mortal Kombat 11) and instead there is a temple where you make your offerings to get unlockable.
Conclusion
The overall gameplay and even story is still very much fun, and while there are some characters that should have been playable, rather than just Kameo figures, Mortal Kombat 1 still quenches players thirst for a bloody fun match. While the game was just released this week, there has already been an announcement on a Downloadable Content (DLC) Kombat Pack, which includes six new characters and five new Kameo fighters: Takeda, Quan Chi, Ermac, Peacemaker, Homelander, and Omni-man to name a few. Right now, players can enjoy its 20 plus playable characters including classics like Kitana, Scorpion, Johnny Cage, Mileena, Baraka and Reptile while also getting a taste of some new fighters such as Nitara, Reiko, Ashrah, and Li Mei.
