Info about Mortal Kombat 11:

Official game description:
Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate
=========================
The definitive MK11 experience! Take control of Earthrealm's protectors in 2 acclaimed, time-bending Story Campaigns as they race to stop Kronika from rewinding time & rebooting history. Feat. the komplete 37-fighter roster, incl. Rain, Mileena & Rambo.  
Incl. MK11, Kombat Pack 1, Aftermath Expansion & Kombat Pack 2.  
• Experience 2 robust, critically acclaimed Story Campaigns from MK11 & MK11: Aftermath  
• Play as the komplete 37-fighter roster incl. newly added fighters Mileena, Rain & Rambo  
• Thousands of skins, weapons & gear for an unprecedented level of customization  
• Includes all previous guests: Terminator, Joker, Spawn & RoboCop  
• Every mode including Towers of Time, Krypt, Online, Klassic Towers, etc.  
• All Stages, Stage Fatalities, Brutalities, Iconic Fatalities & Friendships
About the Game
==============
YOU'RE NEXT!
------------
MK is back and better than ever in the next evolution of the iconic franchise.  
The all new Custom Character Variations give you unprecedented control of your fighters to make them your own. The new graphics engine showcases every skull-shattering, eye-popping moment, bringing you so close to the fight you can feel it. Featuring a roster of new and returning Klassic Fighters, Mortal Kombat's best-in-class cinematic story mode continues the epic saga over 25 years in the making.

Release date: Apr 23, 2019

Categories: Fighting Game, Character Customization, Gore-focused Combat, Single-player Story, Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer, Combo System

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 85; verdict: Aggressive/Predatory Monetization; summary: Mortal Kombat 11 implements a predatory monetization model with pay-to-win consumables, currency obfuscation (multiple premium currencies), a time-limited rotating cash shop, and excessive grinding designed to incentivize real-money spending—all atop a full-priced base game.
- Proton/Linux: score 18; verdict: Works Well; summary: Mortal Kombat 11 works well on Linux and Proton with minimal friction. Most users experience immediate playability. A few mention Wayland issues or recommend specific Proton versions, but these are minor and not blockers for the majority.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: Mortal Kombat 11 generally runs well on Steam Deck with solid 60fps performance, but it is hampered by always-online DRM that cripples offline play, a poorly optimized Krypt mode (30fps lock), and occasional crashes or bugs. Users often need to tweak Proton versions and edit controller configuration files for a smooth experience.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: Across all hardware cohorts, the game generally performs well with most players reporting smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems. Minor issues like driver problems or cutscene locks are noted, but overall optimization is praised, though higher-VRAM setups may see occasional frame drops.
  - Sample size: 333 (3% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM / <16GB RAM (positive, 176 reports): Most players report good performance even on low-end hardware, with only minor issues like driver-related micro-lags that are easily fixed.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM / 16-31GB RAM (positive, 67 reports): Game runs flawlessly on high settings with stellar optimization, though cutscenes are locked to 30fps.
  - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (positive, 44 reports): Smooth animations and detailed graphics reported on this hardware.
  - Windows 12-15GB VRAM (mixed, 29 reports): Some players report major frame drops during fights and a 30fps cap in the crypt, though overall experience is still recommended.
  - Caveats: 333 of 10079 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $1.00 - $9.00
  - Reasoning: Multiple reviews indicate the game is only considered fair when purchased at a deep discount. Common sale prices mentioned include values from 7 RMB (~$1) to 49 RMB (~$7) and explicit $5 and €8 (~$9). Full price is widely seen as not worth it, so the community fair base-game price range is estimated from the lowest seen sale price to the highest mentioned as acceptable, approximately $1 to $9 USD.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 5.0h
  - Story completion: 4.5h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: Multiple reviews explicitly state story/campaign completion time as 4-5 hours, with one mentioning cinematics around 3 hours and gameplay around 4 hours. Game completion is considered synonymous with story completion as most players refer to finishing the campaign as finishing the game. Session length and endgame hours lack consistent numerical evidence; the only related mentions are vague (e.g., '15 minutes for 3 rounds', '1000 hours grind') and cannot be reliably extracted.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Mortal Kombat 11 offers immediate fun for casual local multiplayer sessions, but a steep learning curve and online desync issues can hinder early enjoyment. Playing with friends is the primary driver of fun, while grindy progression and difficult tutorial are common frictions.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: Starting a local multiplayer session with friends
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Steep learning curve; Online desync errors; Grindy progression for cosmetics; Unforgiving tutorial requiring precise inputs; Some character balance issues
  - Unlock drivers: Playing with friends locally; Comprehensive tutorial explaining mechanics; Customization and Krypt content; Casual button-mashing mindset
  - Conditions: Local multiplayer; Playing with friends; Casual play style; Using Steam Remote Play or local co-op; Focusing on single-player story and towers; Accepting steep learning curve for competitive play
- Player Archetypes:
  - Competitive Fighter (buy)
    - Motivation: Mastering the game's mechanics and competing online.
    - Playstyle: Focuses on learning combos, frame data, and matchups; plays ranked mode and studies advanced techniques.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: fighting game enthusiast; competitive player; frame data nerd; veteran MK fan
    - Reference games: Street Fighter; Guilty Gear; Injustice 2
  - Story-First Explorer (sale)
    - Motivation: Experiencing the cinematic story and character moments.
    - Playstyle: Plays story mode in one sitting, enjoys fatalities and cutscenes; may try local multiplayer but not online ranked.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: cinematic fan; story-driven player; casual MK fan; movie lover
    - Reference games: Injustice 2; other WB games
  - Completionist Collector (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Unlocking all cosmetic content and personalizing characters.
    - Playstyle: Grinds Towers of Time and Krypt; uses guides to optimize unlocks; may utilize AI auto-battle for grinding. Prioritizes collection over competitive play.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: collector; completionist; customization fanatic; grinder
    - Reference games: MKX; Injustice 2


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Excellent overall quality and fun (weight 0.3): Multiple players praise the game for being fun, great, and wonderful, with solid gameplay and no major downsides.
- Beautiful graphics and visuals (weight 0.17): The graphics are consistently described as pretty, beautiful, and sick, with some noting slight improvements over the previous version.
- Decent story with great references (weight 0.12): The story is considered decent to great, with a long campaign that references previous games, though some find it enjoyable despite a weak plot.
- Solid gore, fatalities, and violence (weight 0.08): The gore graphics and innovative violence, including varied fatalities and brutalities, are highly praised.
- Krypt is the best in series (weight 0.07): The Krypt mode is highly praised as cool and the best in the franchise, offering useful items to reduce costs.
- Good customization and build slots (weight 0.07): Extensive character customization with five build slots is appreciated, and all base content is earnable through gameplay.
- Excellent in-game tutorial system (weight 0.06): The tutorial is praised as excellent and well-designed, helping players learn the game mechanics.

Common complaints:
- Severe desync issues (weight 0.37): Matches desynchronize in almost every online session, making online play unplayable. This affects private matches and persists across updates.
- Frequent server crashes (weight 0.26): Servers crash or disconnect daily, preventing login and stable play. This issue is widespread and recurring.
- Online mode unplayable (weight 0.2): Players cannot play online due to connection failures or crashes, particularly on Windows 11. Some report crashes in every match.
- Persistent connection problems (weight 0.2): Players experience constant connection failures, disconnections, and synchronization errors in online modes. VPNs do not help.
- Poor controller support (weight 0.17): Xbox controllers have incorrect mapping and random inputs, making the game unplayable. Keyboard controls also feel clunky.
- Paywalled classic characters (weight 0.15): Classic characters like Nightwolf, Shang Tsung, and Mileena require separate payment. Premium editions do not include all content, forcing double purchases.
- Developer neglect (weight 0.12): The desync and server issues have existed for over a year with no fix from NetherRealm or Warner Bros. Players feel abandoned.
- Huge storage requirement (weight 0.1): The game requires over 100GB, often reaching 150GB, which is excessive for many users.
- No Turkish language support (weight 0.06): The game lacks Turkish dubbing and subtitles, disappointing Turkish-speaking players.

Gameplay feedback:
- Fighting game deeply mechanics (weight 0.28): The game is a fighting title with complex combos, matchmaking, and competitive play, featuring many layered systems like Fatality Blow, Breakaway, jump-in options with option select, and getup mechanics with multiple options.
- Varied game mode content (weight 0.16): The game includes a Tower mode with final boss Shao Kahn, local multiplayer, campaign mode, Krypt and Time Towers, plus multiplayer and character customization, offering a broad single-player and multiplayer experience.

Performance notes:
- Frequent crashes on multiple setups (weight 0.15): Crashes and freezes occur across various configurations, including during matches and menus. This disrupts gameplay and suggests instability.
- Windows 11 incompatibility problems (weight 0.07): Multiple users report that the game is unplayable on Windows 11 due to compatibility issues. This suggests a lack of proper support for the latest OS.
- Cutscene audio desync issues (weight 0.07): Players report audio lag and desync during cutscenes, along with freezes and audio dropouts on modern hardware. This affects immersion and playback quality.
- 30 FPS cap in cutscenes and modes (weight 0.07): Cutscenes and certain modes like Krypt are capped at 30 FPS, which is jarring on modern displays. This creates an inconsistent visual experience.
- Game fails to launch (weight 0.04): Despite trying all methods, the game will not open for some users. This indicates a critical startup bug.
- Low GPU utilization under 30% (weight 0.04): GPU utilization drops below 30%, suggesting severe bottleneck or misconfiguration. This leads to poor performance on capable hardware.
- Poor high-end GPU optimization (weight 0.04): Optimization is lacking for high-end GPUs, causing poor performance and stuttering. This undermines the value of premium hardware.
- Severe stuttering on specific GPUs (weight 0.04): Stuttering is severe on the AMD 9070 XT, indicating poor optimization for this hardware. This affects performance on high-end AMD cards.
- Cannot alt-tab without issues (weight 0.04): Alt-tabbing causes crashes or unresponsiveness, limiting multitasking. This is a notable usability bug.
- New GPU recognition failure (weight 0.04): The game cannot recognize new GPUs, leading to crashes or poor performance. This suggests outdated driver support.

Recommendations:
- Wait for deep discount (weight 0.17): A number of players suggest the game is only worth purchasing at a significant discount, particularly for the story mode, and not at full price.
- Not for casuals or newcomers (weight 0.15): Several reviews note the game is not suitable for players without prior experience in the genre or for those seeking easy, casual fun.
- Avoid online multiplayer (weight 0.14): Multiple clusters warn against playing online due to desync issues, sync errors, and poor server performance, recommending single-player or local play instead.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.58): The primary cause is the inability to play online due to persistent server connection issues, frequent disconnections, and desynchronization errors. Technical issues such as complex controls, unresponsive button mapping, and game-breaking bugs in Tower mode also contribute, along with poor performance like freezing and audio lag in cutscenes.
- Disappointment (weight 0.23): A major letdown stems from the game not meeting expectations due to broken online features, poor graphics despite large storage, and a terrible story. The lack of character skins and content updates, combined with paywalled characters and a clunky combat system, further diminishes the overall experience.
- Anger (weight 0.14): Anger is fueled by poor design choices and persistent server connection problems that render the game unplayable. Frustration over greedy DLC practices, such as being forced to pay for content that should be included, and the developer's failure to fix netcode issues on Windows 11, exacerbate this feeling.
- Boredom (weight 0.04): The inability to play online and repetitive, boring gameplay with a lack of move variety and a limited character roster are the main causes of this emotion.
- Disgust (weight 0.03): Disgust arises from excessive violence and blood in the story mode, along with a microtransaction and grind system that feels exploitative.
- Confusion (weight 0.03): The core issues are unclear animations and a lack of understanding of what is happening in the plot, which is incoherent with illogical character actions. The world setting is also incomprehensible, adding to the confusion.
- Annoyance (weight 0.03): Annoyance is triggered by female screaming, the lack of Turkish language support, and a long setup time with a disliked character-switching mechanic, as well as a large file size requirement.
- Betrayal (weight 0.03): Betrayal stems from premium edition owners still having to pay for new content, and a misleading premium edition that was removed from the store, making a great game difficult to experience.
- Dissatisfaction (weight 0.02): Dissatisfaction stems from having to pay for iconic characters that were previously in the base game, and the game lacking Turkish language support despite paying for full service.
- Outrage (weight 0.02): Outrage is driven by severe stuttering on a high-end AMD GPU, PC players being excluded from crossplay, and the requirement to pay 50 euros yet still needing to buy all modes.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.02): Satisfaction comes from a good game with a fun local multiplayer experience, getting it for a cheap price, and well-done gameplay mechanics like hit boxes and customization.
- Rage (weight 0.01): Rage is caused by the game being considered worse than Brawlhalla and the worst ever.
- Excitement (weight 0.01): Excitement is generated by the game looking sick.
- Caution (weight 0.01): Caution is recommended only for a deep discount purchase.
- Humiliation (weight 0.01): Humiliation results from getting beaten with unreactable combos in online mode.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.01): Enjoyment is derived from the story, towers, and Krypt, which are all cool.
- Praise (weight 0.01): Praise is for a good tutorial that helps players learn the game.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love is expressed for the game design, characters, and collaborations.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness arises from the server shutdown, which prevents full enjoyment of the game.
- Overwhelmed (weight 0.01): Being overwhelmed is caused by complex combos from opponents, making it hard to survive.}