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Mortal
Kombat 1
ABOUT: Announced
as part of the 30th anniversary of the series, Mortal
Kombat 1 is confusingly the 12th mainline entry and 23rd installment of
the long-running Mortal Kombat series. Similar to Mortal
Kombat (9) released back in 2011, Mortal Kombat 1 is considered a
"soft reboot" taking inspiration from the original game's characters,
environments, and storyline.
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Mortal
Kombat 1 character selection screen.
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Kameo Fighters:
The new "Kameo"
Assist mechanic features a separate roster of recognizable faces from the early
days of Mortal Kombat and beyond. Kameo characters are chosen before the
fight begins, and can be called into action to perform several different attacks
during gameplay. Some of the Kameo characters are inspired by their classic appearances from the late 90s,
including but not limited to: Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Sonya Blade, Kano, Goro, Jax, Cyrax,
Sektor, and Stryker.
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Mortal
Kombat 1 Kameo selection screen.
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Mortal Kombat 1 will introduce Tag Fatalities. While the main
characters on the roster still have the ability to perform their own Fatalities,
Kameo characters can now perform combination Fatalities with their Kameo
Fighters as well as their own Fatalities individually. As usual for Mortal
Kombat, there's a lot of gratuitous violence, gore, and murder.
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Reimagined
klassic fighters... in a new timeline.
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Similar to past modern
installments like Mortal Kombat 9, Mortal
Kombat X, and Mortal Kombat 11, Mortal Kombat 1 will
contain a lengthy cinematic story mode
(although details on this mode have not yet been revealed). Ed Boon confirmed
that The Krypt will not return in Mortal Kombat 1 and will instead be
replaced by a new unlocking system.
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The
six dlc characters of MK1's Kombat Pack... will move units.
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A Mortal
Kombat 1 Kollector's Edition
was announced in May 2023 featuring a Liu
Kang statue
by Coarse and other in-game content. The Kollector's Edition costs $249.99.
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Mortal
Kombat 1 features a new cinematic story mode.
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Page Updated: |
April
10th, 2024 |
Developer(s): |
NetherRealm
Studios |
Publisher(s): |
Warner Bros.
Interactive |
Platform(s): |
PlayStation
5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
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Release Date(s): |
September
19th, 2023
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Characters: |
Scorpion,
Sub Zero, Raiden,
Liu
Kang, Kung Lao, Johnny Cage,
Kitana,
Mileena, Kenshi,
Shang Tsung, Smoke,
Rain, Baraka,
Li Mei, Tanya,
Quan Chi, Ermac,
Geras, Takeda Takahashi
(DLC),
Reptile, Ashrah,
Havik, Sindel,
Nitara, Reiko,
General Shao, Homelander (DLC),
Omni-Man (DLC), Peacemaker
(DLC) |
Kameo
Characters: |
Sonya
Blade, Kano, Goro,
Jax Briggs, Stryker,
Scorpion, Sub-Zero,
Kung Lao, Cyrax, Sektor,
Frost, Darrius,
Sareena, Motaro,
Shujinko, Tremor,
Khameleon, Mavado,
Janet Cage |
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Featured Video:
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Related Games: |
Mortal
Kombat 11, Mortal Kombat X,
Mortal Kombat 9, Mortal
Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, Mortal
Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat 3 Ultimate,
Mortal
Kombat 4, Mortal Kombat
Trilogy, MK: Deadly Alliance, MK:
Deception, MK: Armageddon,
Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe,
Injustice: Gods Among Us, Injustice
2,
Guilty Gear -STRIVE-, TEKKEN
8, Street Fighter 6 |
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Gameplay Engine
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Story / Theme
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Overall Graphics
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Animation
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Music / Sound Effects
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Innovation
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Art Direction
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Customization
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Options / Extras
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Intro / Presentation
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Replayability / Fun
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"Ouch" Factor
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Characters
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BOTTOM LINE
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First
Impression: |
Instead of releasing what would've been the
impressively highest numeric fighting game installment to date ("Mortal
Kombat 12"), Ed Boon and company decided to scrap the "2" for
some random reason and go with
yet another reboot. Congrats Mortal Kombat... you're officially
and undisputedly the
fighting game series that has been "rebooted" the most times. And I'm not
surprised, bitch.
I've become less and less interested in playing Mortal Kombat
games in
recent years... as micro-transactions, "force-fed" gore and murder, gimmicky gameplay systems, and stiff movement really isn't my thing when it comes to
enjoying fighting games. Like the most recent prequels (MK11 and MKX),
the non-stop gory cinematics are cringey and laughable at best, but mostly off-putting.
Seeing the human form being grotesquely dissected in every single match
(even before Fatalities) is unpleasant and... GETS OLD. I've stated it before in earlier
MK reviews. All the redundant X-Ray moves, Time-wasting Fatalities, and Double Team Fatalities... and
no major characters in the series ever actually die. (Quick! Insert a cliché
time
travel or painfully over-used "multi-verse" story element so it all
just barely makes sense.) Yaaay. Still Mortal Kombat. Still bored of
it.
In fairness, MK1's Kameo system is interesting and
potentially fun,
taking heavy inspiration from assist / tag-based arcade fighting games such as the Marvel
Vs. Capcom series. On that note, MK1 sort of has a more "arcadey"
vibe about it, offering more personality than usual along with some cool throwbacks thanks to
Kameos. Even if the core gameplay sucks and MK1 ends up being a dead game in
under a year (like the last three NRS games), at least MK1 has ridiculously high production value and a Story Mode worth playing
through... once.
Kameo attacks spice up the typical 2D formula we've seen and experienced from
NRS before...
but the broken / unbalanced gameplay at launch, unpolished online, painfully-overused
cinematics,
and pandering to the "mass appeal" audience are quite apparent. While
certain MK1 animations are impressive and entertaining,
the overall stiff character controls and janky animations that we've come to expect out
of Mortal Kombat in recent years is still very much alive (more
alive than the Steam community of MK1 players, who preferred
playing MK11 over this game just months after its launch. Ouch.)
Even though I am not a fan of playing or (watching) modern Mortal Kombat
games, I've enjoyed seeing the return of randomly selected "klassic" characters
joining the MK1 roster (especially laughable old-timers like Kurt Stryker)... for
nostalgia value alone. Guest characters? I have to admit, NetherRealm made some
expectedly great choices with the addition of Homelander, Omni-man, and
especially Peacemaker (A.K.A. John Cena). Yes, John Cena is now in a proper 2D fighting game... NRS sure makes
some crazy things happen in their games.
While a visually impressive game at face value, not much about MK1
catches or keeps my interest. Certainly,
NRS will update MK1 with overpriced DLC in the years to come.
Like past microtransactions in NRS games that left a bad taste in the
community's mouth, MK1 still comes off as a self-serving, big fat XXL money
grab. $70 for the
base game? $40 to unlock Kameo characters if players don't want to grind?
Another $40 for the Kombat Pack 1? Sounds more like "Mortal Money Grab"
than the good old days of "Mortal Monday". No, I didn't buy MK1. Now
you know why there's no TFG Rating (yet).
Maybe
I'll buy this game in about a year when it's marked down to $14.99 because no one is playing it
and NRS wants to sell DLC (but probably not because I'll be way too busy
playing TEKKEN 8 and Street
Fighter 6.) Just being honest. Also, shoutouts to Street Fighter 6
for beating Mortal Kombat 1 and winning "Best Fighting Game of
2023" at The Game Awards. Whether or not you want to believe it, the good
guys won.
~TFG Webmaster | @Fighters_Gen
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