Mortal Kombat 11 Review (PS4)

There are so many Mortal Kombat games that it has now become hard to keep track of all of them, but it's important to remember that the original Mortal Kombat game made its debut back in 1992. During that time, many sequels, prequels and spin-off titles were launched, many of them adding new characters to the Mortal Kombat roster.

But imagine there's one Mortal Kombat game that not only reunites all the iconic heroes in the series, but also introduces different generations of these characters. The eleventh main installment in the franchise is also the ultimate Mortal Kombat game, so if you're a fan or just want to get into the series, Mortal Kombat 11 is a must-play title.

At least two dozen playable characters are available at launch, but only a few are completely new: Cetrion, Geras, and Kollector. More will be added via DLC, but NetherRealm included younger versions of these heroes, which you'll be playing throughout the story mode.

Mortal Kombat 11 is a huge game when it comes to content. Besides the story mode, towers and PvP, the developers have also included The Krypt, a smart way to keep players entertained even after they had their fair share of fighting, but we'll be talking more about that later on.

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Story

The story arc of Mortal Kombat 11 covers 27 years of development, but with a twist. NetherRealm had the smart idea to reunite the main cast of some of the most important Mortal Kombat games and their younger versions. The premise is quite simple, but the outcome is surprisingly complex.

The rivalry between Shinnok, the disgraced former Elder God of Death who made its debut in Mortal Kombat 4, and Raiden is at root of the problems in the latest Mortal Kombat game, but the former is no longer the main antagonist. The goddess Kronika, also known as the “Keeper of Time,” is trying to rewrite history and start a New Era in which only those joining her will continue to exist.

Over the span of 5 or 6 hours, the folks at NetherRealm are trying to put together a plot of cosmic proportions where iconic heroes will face younger versions of themselves. Each character is driven by their own ambitions when choosing sides, most of them being the result of the events in the previous games.

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Story-wise, Mortal Kombat 11 is very condensed and with few plot twists, but the ending, while not totally unexpected, is quite grandiose. The narrative is split in chapters that follow the actions of two characters and their encounters with their antihero counterparts, which may or may not be the younger versions of themselves.

Since this is a conflict of epic proportions, the various factions in the Earthrealm, Outworld and NetherRealm, but more importantly their armies, play an important role in Mortal Kombat 11. The side that will succeed in enlisting more of these factions will have a clear advantage in the final battle.

You'll be working towards that goal by trying to sabotage the enemy while gaining new allies from the most unexpected places. Throughout the game, you'll be offered the option to choose your character more than once, but you won't be playing the entire roster of 25 playable characters available at launch.

Besides facing younger versions of various characters, you'll also be fighting revenants version of them, such as, but not limited to, Liu Kang and Kitana.

The entire storyline is a trip down memory lane for hardcore fans, but I'm 100 percent sure it won't make too much sense for newcomers to the series. Overall, Mortal Kombat 11 offers a short but condensed story experience, which lives up to the expectations.

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Gameplay

Mortal Kombat 11 is a massive game, but every part of the game starts with a tutorial. Depending on how well versed you are in the Mortal Kombat universe, you may want to finish them not just to get reacquainted with the controls, but gain some rewards as well.

After you finish the story, you have three main activities at your disposal: play against other players online, visit Towers of Time, or explore The Krypt. Just about anything you do in Mortal Kombat 11 rewards koins, the main currency of the game, but there are two other types of currency just as important: souls fragments and hearts. The former are rewarded every time you win a match in any game mode, while the latter are earned by killing an opponent with a Fatality or Brutality.

The Towers system you need to defeat a specific number of opponents to earn a reward, but Mortal Kombat 11 features different type of Towers. For example, there are summoned towers where you must defeat a certain number of enemies in a given time. To unlock these towers, you'll need specific keys, but the rewards awarded by these towers are much better than those offered by normal towers.

The Krypt is a completely new mode where you'll be exploring the Shang Tsung island in third-person, opening loot chests and solving puzzles that either award more currency or various customization items or consumable that can be used in Towers. Each of the chests in The Krypt require a certain amount of koins to open, koins which you gain by finishing towers. It's an addictive loop that will keep players occupied for a very long time, not to mention that the loot you find can be used to customize your roster.

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Every piece of gear you find in these loot chests are purely cosmetic with the exception of consumables, which can be used to help you conquer the harder tower fights. Also, the amount of customization options in Mortal Kombat 11 is quite overwhelming, and includes items like weapons, shields, armors, outfits, augmentations, and more.

Combat-wise, Mortal Kombat 11 introduces two new mechanics: Krushing Blows and Fatal Blows. The former can be triggered when certain requirements are met and are more akin to Brutalities in the previous game, while the latter are some sort of ultimate powers that can only be used once per fight when your total HP drops below 30%. Fatal Blows are extremely powerful attacks, which can be blocked like a normal attack. If that happens, you will have to wait a short time until it becomes available again.

I didn't feel anything different between the previous game in the series and this one when it comes to the flow of the battle. It's just that everything in Mortal Kombat 11 is much more brutal and bloody.

The Good

Exhilarating, epic story
Deep combat mechanics
Brutal combos
Rich roster of playable characters
Outstanding voice acting
Smart approach on loot boxes
Impossibly huge amount of customization options

The Bad

Can be grindy for those who want certain cosmetic items

Conclusion

Despite the fact that the amount of heroes that the game throws at you from the beginning if quite overwhelming, Mortal Kombat 11 is a good place to start for a newcomer to the series. For hardcore fans, this is the one Mortal Kombat game to rule them all, the epitome of the series, not necessarily because of combat and gameplay mechanics, but due to the amount of content it allows you to experience without having to pay anything extra, and the different types of activities included.

Although the ending of the game opens up lots of possibilities for future games, I'm not sure they will be as consistent and massive as this one. With all the loot boxes controversy, the folks at NetherRealm had to invented a way to introduce them without alienating the players. The Krypt is an original way to tackle the problem, which I'm very curious how will be received by the Mortal Kombat veterans.

I have no doubt that Mortal Kombat 11 is the best game in the series thanks to the incredibly deep combat mechanics, customization options and addictive extra activities. Not the mention that the game brings new meanings to the words “bloody” and "gore."