Daniel AgiusI’ve been a fan of the Mortal Kombat franchise for as long as I can recall, a dedicated follower of its brutal brawls and rich lore throughout the past three decades. This isn’t just any game series to me; it’s an integral part of my gaming history, a saga that has shaped my gaming identity. Now, with the arrival of Mortal Kombat 1, my excitement knows no bounds. This game emerges at a time when the fighting game genre is experiencing a renaissance, thanks to titles like Street Fighter 6, King of Fighters XV, and the highly-anticipated Tekken 8. The question looms large: does Mortal Kombat 1 possess the might to go head-to-head with these formidable adversaries?
Mortal Kombat has always danced to its own rhythm within the fighting game genre, and this latest iteration doesn’t stray too far from its established formula. Mortal Kombat 1 maintains simplicity with just four attack buttons (back punch/kick and front punch/kick) and user-friendly, memorable special attack inputs. Gone are the thumb-numbing half-circle special moves; instead, it delivers Mortal Kombat as you remember, albeit with noteworthy enhancements.
The most immediately obvious addition are its Kameo fighters, a selection of tag-team partners you can call upon to execute various moves with a swift press of the right trigger. This mechanic has found success in previous fighting games, but its integration into Mortal Kombat’s universe isn’t as exhilarating as one might expect. When summoned, Kameo fighters perform a single move before retreating, and there are limitations on how frequently you can call upon them. This mechanic doesn’t always fit seamlessly into the heat of battle, often disrupting the flow of combat. Moreover, with only 15 Kameo fighters, some of whom are duplicates of main roster characters, the concept feels underdeveloped.
Thankfully, while Kameo fighters may be a slight letdown, almost everything else about the overhauled combat hits the mark. It feels significantly faster and more freewheeling than Mortal Kombat 11, which pushed the series’ action in a more deliberate direction. There’s a lot more opportunity to piece together your own offensive approach and unique attack chains as air combos and other mechanics designed to make the action feel more fluid are back in the mix. Some elements from MK11 have been removed or simplified, such as that game’s offensive and defensive meters being combined into a single bar. Fatal Blows return, but they’re not as overpowered and easier to avoid. Everything just feels a bit slicker, a bit more streamlined.
Ultimately though, the thing that’s changed the most about Mortal Kombat 1 is the fighters themselves. Yes, there are no all-new characters in this game, but many are so changed they feel new. Even old favourites like Liu Kang, Sub-Zero, and Raiden have had their move sets revamped significantly. The changes may throw you a bit at first, but any concerns you might have will be allayed when you realise how good almost everyone feels to play. Traditionally, there’s been a pretty wide gulf between top-tier and mid or low-tier fighters in NetherRealm games, but this time around, almost every character feels pretty competitive. Don’t get me wrong, tier lists are still going to be developed, but I’ll leave that to the hardcore types to worry about. I still haven’t settled on a main and I’m having fun figuring out who it might be.
In addition to playing well, Mortal Kombat 1 looks fantastic. Stages are jam-packed with intricate details, creating immersive battlefields for the intense combat encounters. The facial animations and character models have reached an impressive level of realism, heightening the emotional impact of the story-driven sequences. Additionally, the game maintains a steady 60fps on PS5 (although cutscenes are still 30fps, a fact that’s sometimes noticeable).
Speaking of cutscenes, like the last few entries in the series, this features a grand spectacle of a story and it’s the best ones NetherRealm has ever pulled off. Despite its title, Mortal Kombat 1 isn’t actually rebooted, soft or otherwise. The game actually picks up after the events of MK11’s time-travelling yarn, as Liu Kang – not just a god, but now the God – recreates the entire universe, with the notion that changing certain characters’ destinies will avoid the conflicts of the past. This means we get to see a number of classic characters in an interesting new light – Raiden is just a humble trainee; Mileena is now the honourable heir to Outworld’s throne, and Sub-Zero, well… Sub-Zero is an absolute prick. After decades of more or less doing the same thing, it’s fun to see these characters try on some different hats, and frankly, I actually like some of these new characterisations more than the original ones.
All that said, without giving too much away, it seems the old Mortal Kombat universe may not be entirely erased and some bad guys will always be bad guys. Even as Mortal Kombat 1’s plot becomes more complex in its later chapters, it never devolves into the kind of incomprehensible mush served up by many past MK titles. This story remains fun right until the end and ought to provide a solid foundation for future games.
Beyond its story, Mortal Kombat 1’s other core single-player option is Invasion mode. This mode serves up lower-key stories (the first one focuses on Scorpion trying to save his wife Harumi across multiple timelines) through a series of simple board-game like maps and single-round fights. In addition to being able to choose your path through these stages, you can level up fighters and collect gear and consumable items. There’s a certain amount of depth here, but the overall presentation feels a bit cheap and underwhelming compared to something like the Krypt from MK11.
In addition to story and Invasion modes, Mortal Kombat 1 offers up a small handful of classic towers to tackle. For online play, the setup closely resembles that of MK11, both in its strengths and drawbacks. The netcode remains reliable, the return of King of the Hill is a welcome feature, and the Kombat League, with its enticing seasonal rewards, provides a satisfying ranking system. It excels in matching players appropriately and incentivises their commitment with meaningful prizes, distinguishing itself from mere cosmetic rewards found in other titles.
Nonetheless, the absence of the ability to queue for matchmaking while engaged in other modes remains a glaring frustration. Mortal Kombat stands as one of the few major modern fighting game franchises that doesn’t offer this convenience. Additionally, the lack of support for creating custom rooms with multiple slots for concurrent matches is a missed opportunity. When joining an ongoing match, players are left staring at a blank screen until the current match concludes, a stark contrast to the smoother experiences offered by competitors in the genre. Although crossplay is on the horizon, its absence at launch is a letdown, leaving NetherRealm seemingly trailing behind its counterparts.
One thing Mortal Kombat 1 doesn’t offer is the deep customization and gear system from other recent NetherRealm titles. That isn’t necessarily a fatal blow, as I found collecting gear a bit of a grind in MK11, but that depth hasn’t really been replaced by anything. Instead, MK1 offers a bog-standard live service setup, with NetherRealm promising regular infusions of seasonal Invasion content and cosmetics. Some of the game’s cosmetics can be unlocked through gameplay or purchased with in-game currency, but, of course, there are also premium items that can only be bought with real money. This kind of stuff is endemic to fighting games now, so I can’t knock MK1 too much for it, but it all feels a bit more up your face this time around.
Overall, outside of its meaty 6-to-7-hour campaign, Mortal Kombat 1 just feels a bit… light. That’s not uncommon when it comes to new fighting games, but traditionally NetherRealm has hit harder than the competition when it comes to content, so it’s disappointing to see them pull their punches a bit here. Nevertheless, it stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of the series and its ability to adapt and thrive in the ever-evolving world of gaming. It may feel slightly light in terms of content, but it leaves a promising foundation for the future of the Mortal Kombat franchise, keeping fans like me excited for what lies ahead in this iconic journey.
This review utilised a key provided by Plaion ANZ and Mortal Kombat 1 lands on Xbox, PS5, Switch, and PC on September 19th. Get ready to Test Your Might!
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Chris Inglis
