Mortal Kombat 1 Review Summary

Stunning graphics and presentation: The game boasts stunning graphics, detailed character models, fluid animations, and impressive visual effects, creating a cinematic and immersive experience. Reviewers frequently compare the visual fidelity to top-tier games and praise the detailed environments and character expressions. The seamless transitions and overall presentation enhance the enjoyment.

Fluid, balanced combat system: The combat system balances accessibility for new players with depth for experienced fighters, offering fluid and responsive controls. Reviewers appreciate the satisfying impact of each move and the strategic elements that require skill and timing. The game mechanics are well-built, providing a mix of technique and strategy.

Engaging and cinematic story mode: The story mode is engaging and cinematic, offering a fresh take on the Mortal Kombat universe with interesting characters and plot twists. Reviewers find the narrative captivating and appreciate the balance between accessibility for new players and nods to long-time fans. The story is often compared to a bloody Netflix series.

Diverse and well-designed characters: The game features a diverse roster of well-designed characters, including returning fan favorites and new additions. Reviewers appreciate the unique fighting styles and the visual appeal of the characters. The DLC characters are also praised for their quality and integration into the game.

Brutal and creative fatalities: The game features brutal and creative fatalities with realistic gore, enhancing the visceral impact of each fight. Reviewers find the finishing moves satisfying and appreciate the level of detail in the animations. The game is praised for maintaining the series' signature over-the-top violence.

Less content than MK11: Compared to MK11, MK1 has significantly reduced character customization options, fewer game modes, and a less engaging story. Many reviewers missed features like the Krypt and found the new Invasions mode to be a poor replacement. The game also suffers from an overabundance of microtransactions.

Excessive DLC costs and microtransactions: The game and its DLC are considered overpriced, with many reviewers criticizing the high cost of characters, skins, and story expansions. Some key characters, like Shang Tsung, are locked behind paywalls, even in premium editions of the game. This monetization strategy is seen as predatory and disrespectful to fans.

Horrendous PC optimization and stability: The PC version of MK1 suffers from significant technical issues, including poor optimization, frequent crashes, and online lag. Many reviewers found the game unplayable even on high-end hardware. These issues persisted for months after launch, leading to widespread frustration.

Kameo system is unbalanced, flawed: The Kameo system is a divisive mechanic that many reviewers find unbalanced, unnecessary, and detrimental to the core gameplay. It adds complexity, leads to repetitive combos, and detracts from the 1v1 fighting experience. Some reviewers also noted that certain Kameo characters are overpowered, creating further imbalance.

Unbalanced, toxic online experience: The online mode suffers from unbalanced matchmaking, a toxic player base, and a lack of content. Many reviewers reported being matched against players with significantly higher skill levels, leading to frustrating and one-sided matches. The online experience is further marred by lag, instability, and a perceived lack of fair play.

Kameo system adds strategic assists: The Kameo system introduces assist characters that can be called in to extend combos, interrupt opponents, and provide unique support. While adding strategic depth and variety, some find it clunky or prefer a tag system. Some Kameos are considered more viable, leading to potential competitive imbalances.

Combo-focused gameplay with aerial elements: The game features a combo-heavy system with a focus on juggling and aerial combos, potentially leading to extended viewing times during matches. The pace of the game is somewhere between MKX and MK11. Some reviewers find the controls more difficult than in MK11.

Invasions/Towers offer single-player content: Invasion and Tower modes offer single-player content with RPG elements, seasonal rewards, and character progression. These modes replace the Krypt from previous titles, providing replayability and a way to unlock skins and other items. Some reviewers dislike the Invasion system, preferring the Krypt or towers.

Character balance and roster diversity: Characters have distinct strengths and weaknesses, contributing to overall balance. However, some characters may have limited move lists or feel underpowered. The roster size is considered somewhat small compared to MK11.

Repetitive combos in Kombat League: Some players in Kombat League (KL) tend to overuse specific combos with certain characters. This can lead to repetitive gameplay experiences. The game features many original fighters, some as Kameo characters.

Long shader compilation times: The game requires lengthy shader compilation upon each launch, which can take 15-20 minutes. This process can make the game unplayable while running in the background, even on powerful PCs. Some players have reported crashes during shader loading.

60 FPS cap on PC: The game is capped at 60 FPS on PC, which is a limitation for players with high-end hardware capable of running the game at higher frame rates. Some players also report frame rate drops outside of the main gameplay, such as in menus or during cutscenes.

Online matches suffer lag: Players report lag and stuttering in online matches, even with good internet connections and high-end computers. Some players also experience disconnections during ranked matches and instability in specific online modes like Towers of Time.

Hitches during saving: The game hitches and experiences frame rate drops when saving, such as when picking up items, opening chests, finishing fights, unlocking content, or earning currency. This can disrupt the flow of gameplay and make these actions feel less rewarding.

Large storage requirement: The game has a large file size, consuming nearly 200GB of storage and increasing with each update. This can be a concern for players with limited storage space.

Buy on sale only: Many reviewers suggest waiting for a sale before purchasing, citing the full price as too high for the content offered. Some specifically recommend purchasing the DLC or complete edition only when discounted. This point is mentioned frequently and consistently.

Fun, engaging gameplay experience: Several reviewers recommend the game for its engaging gameplay, impressive graphics, and the potential for fun with friends. However, some caution that mastering the game requires time and effort.

Good for MK franchise fans: The game is generally recommended for existing Mortal Kombat fans who are interested in seeing a new take on the franchise, but some reviewers suggest that even fans should wait for a sale. Some reviewers note that long-time fans may be disappointed by changes to the gameplay or content.

Technical issues hinder experience: Some reviewers mention technical issues such as optimization problems, FPS drops, and online matchmaking issues. These problems detract from the overall experience and lead some to recommend against purchasing the game until they are resolved.

Franchise direction is concerning: Some reviewers express concern that the game may be detrimental to the franchise due to its flaws and questionable design decisions. They worry about the future of the series and whether the developers will address the issues.

Timeline reboot, continuation: The game is a timeline reboot, but also a continuation of the previous game's story. Some reviewers are familiar with the lore, while others are new or returning after a long break, impacting their perspective.

Multiple currencies, seasonal shop: The game features multiple currencies (Dragon Krystals, etc.) and a shop with seasonal events and limited-time items. Players can earn some currency through gameplay, while others can be purchased with real money. The ranking system provides limited incentives beyond the challenge, but offers skins and in-game currency.

Concerns about future support: Some reviewers express concern about the game's future support, citing a lack of new content, balance patches, and potential discontinuation. This concern is amplified by the game being discounted.

Mixed narrative quality: The narrative blends character arcs, twists, and multiversal elements, with some reviewers praising the script's cleverness and new character dynamics. However, others find the story inconsistent.

Warner Bros. influence on monetization: Some reviewers speculate that Warner Bros.' influence impacts the game's development and monetization strategies. They suggest this may be due to the game-as-a-service model.