14 DAY TRIAL // 
Get over here! Mortal Kombat, the most well-known fighting game series on the planet, is back. Literally. MK1 is another reboot of the story, with new roles for the beloved characters and new mechanics, meant to appeal to old veterans and newcomers alike. But does the cast led by Liu Kang outperform the old age formula established under Raiden? Read on to find out.
Mortal Kombat shocked the world of gaming when it was released and the developers led by Ed Boon never changed the basic principles: bloody and brutal combat, hardcore action and a plethora of colorful characters. There have been many changes since 1992, but Mortal Kombat 1 may be the biggest one yet.
The game is once again packed with various game modes, the story mode showcasing best the new direction the developers are trying out. It picks things up where Mortal Kombat 11 left things: Kronika is defeated and Liu Kang recreated the universe bringing harmony, to the realms. While not free of fights and wars, this new timeline sees that old threats like Shang Tsung got what they deserve.
But as we know from countless examples in history, peace is a fragile thing and there always people who thrive on war and conspiracies. These nefarious background machinations start to unravel with the newest Mortal Kombat tournament that throws Liu Kang’s champions in the midst of a new storm that will upset the balance between the realms.
Many of the characters in the game will be familiar to the fans of the series, although their new roles will be surprisingly funny. You will have the chance to be reintroduced to Kung Lao and Raiden while working the fields, Scorpion and Subzero are working together along with the entire Shirai Ryu to protect Earth Realm, while Johnny Cage is the same washed up action movie star – that this time we get to meet on the scene of a B class movie that resembles an awful lot Indiana Jones.
Since the story is not particularly long, although satisfying, the developers also included a new game mode, Invasions, that will shake things up every 6 weeks or so. This new challenge can be best described as fighting games with plenty of tabletop and RPG elements. Invasions is based on the premise that Liu Kang did not destroy the original timeline, just hid it in case it will be needed for some reason.
This gives players the opportunity to also meet the old alter egos of our fighters, making this a trip down nostalgia lane, the same as the ever-present Towers. Going from 6 up to an infinite number of levels, these Towers once again represent a good reason to stick with the game and test your might.
There are also tutorial and practice modes, the local and online multiplayer modes, and the Shrine that can be used to get new customization objects for your favorite fighters. Overall Mortal Kombat 1 contains plenty of content to keep casual and hardcore players busy for a while.
The starting roster includes 21 fighters, with a bonus character for those who preordered the game. Beyond familiar faces we also get newcomers and the Kombat Packs we already know will bring some exciting additions like Homelander from the boys or a couple of the cast from Invincible. A new feature is the presence of the 15 support characters that can be deployed combat to pull off devastating moves and the developers promised to also extend the number of locations where you can kick the crap out of your opponents.
The controls are a mixed bag of threats. On one hand, newcomers can easily pull off some spectacular moves, on the other the control scheme needs some getting used to. The support characters are conditioned by cool down periods, and they can be used both in defensive and offensive fashions. The air combos are back and also when you get below 30% HP for the first time you can pull off a Fatal Blow that has it’s brutality amplified by Xray vision like sequences.
The latest Mortal Kombat is powered by Unreal Engine 4, that does a great job bringing to life the colorful visual style of the game. There are no framerate drops, the movie sequences look stunningly detailed and on PS5 you cannot really complain about the loading times. The same goes for the soundtrack and the voice acting part, they are very well put together.
The only major letdown is how heavy the microtransaction system is. Not just skins and cosmetic items, but also special moves and even daytime changes in various locations need to be grinded out in the game or, alternatively, can be unlocked by purchasing in-game currency with real money.
The Good
- Great story and engaging character arcs
- Colorful visual style with smooth graphics
- Great replay value
The Bad
- Too much emphasis on grind and microtransactions
- The locations lost their interactive components
- The new controls need some getting used to
Conclusion
The only downside is the presence of microtransactions, but those who care enough to completely pimp out their characters will probably be willing to invest the time to do it.
Review key provided by CD Media.
