By: Kemar Noel
Mortal Kombat 1 (MK1) is a hot new game developed by Nether Realm Studios and
published by Warner Bros. with a very promising future ahead.
Nether Realm has been responsible for games like Injustice 2, Batman Arkham City
Lockdown and other Mortal Kombat Games, so this isn’t their first rodeo.
Mortal Kombat has had many different iterations since 1992 in games, movies, comics,
shows and more. Mortal Kombat is a very beloved franchise, so when Nether Realm announced
MK1, fans were very excited.
MK1 serves as the franchise’s 12th installment and second universal reboot since the
game’s release.
At the end of MK11, Lui Kang became a time titan after defeating the previous one and
started the story over from scratch. There are, of course, some problems with what he does after
the reset, and there are ripples and changes throughout the timeline.
The Story mode in MK1 is complex and well-written and serves as a great sequel to the
previous game. There are not too many fighting games with complex stories and cinematic
cutscenes that are this prominent in their overall delivery. The story takes many characters who
didn’t seem as important and gives them a story or just adds some meaning to their existence in
the universe. It’s a completely new universe, and fans didn’t know what could happen next since
some things remain the same while others are different.
The team for this game took their time in making each and every one of the playable
characters likable to an extent which gives the game a better feel upon the first playthrough.
Small changes to things like Sub-zero vs. Scorpion or Mileena and Katana were amazingly done
and made me more excited in the game.
Overall the storytelling was great, but some fans did have a problem with how it was
handled toward the end.
There is a multiverse trend going around in pop culture, and MK1 took inspiration from
that trend. MK1 introduces its multiverse timelines early in the game, but doesn’t emphasize
them until the end. This still left a bad taste for the player because of the overused and
oversaturated plot threads that had been introduced.
Graphically, though, the game looks amazing. It has been four years since the release of
the last MK game, so of course, there were improvements, but the art style has changed a bit too.
The previous two iterations of MK had a dark and gritty art style while this one is a bit more
bright and vibrant. While there was nothing wrong with the previous color pallet, the change is
still welcomed with open arms.
The gameplay is relatively the same; it is an MK game with crazy gore, great combat and
out-of-pocket finishers. They have gotten rid of the offensive and defensive meters from the
previous game (MK11) to make the game more balanced, especially in the competitive sphere.
The old system was annoying to take but fun to dish out, so it had to be reformed. Changing how
the game is played each game gives veteran players something to relearn, keeping it fresh for the
longtime fans of the franchise.
There was also a removal of Krypt and now characters will unlock through other game modes.
This doesn’t sit well for some people, and this is one of the changes that some people don’t like.
The Krypt was akin to a booster pack, and people love to gamble. There is new DLC that will be
released soon that has Homelander from “The Boys,” Omni Man from “Invincible” and more.
This DLC is slated for release sometime next spring.
This game was a fun play and had some of the best storytelling I’ve seen in a fighting
game since Injustice 1. While the combat may not be as good as Injustice 2 or MK11, in my
opinion, I still rate this game a 7/10. It isn’t a must-play, but it is worth it if you like a good story.