I am somewhat of a newcomer to the Mortal Kombat franchise. I’ve only really gotten deep into the franchise with the most recent game prior to MK1, Mortal Kombat 11 (though I’ve also played a bit of Mortal Kombat X). That being said, I am certainly invested in the franchise after this wonderful new entry. Mortal Kombat 1 comes after an unusual break in cycle from NetherRealm Studios. Traditionally, they have released a new game every 2 years. From 2011 to 2019, they put out Mortal Kombat, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Mortal Kombat X, Injustice 2, and Mortal Kombat 11 all 2 years apart. The gap from Mortal Kombat 11 to Mortal Kombat 1, however, was 4 years. As a result of the long wait, fan expectations were very high for MK1. And honestly? I’m happy to report that it mostly lives up to the hype, despite some issues that will hopefully get resolved over time.

The game’s story mode, which NetherRealm Studios releases have become known for, is another strong entry in their catalog of (relatively) cinematic story modes. The plot this time revolves around the creation of a new timeline following the climactic fight for control of the Hourglass at the end of the last game. As this game confirms, Liu Kang controls the Hourglass (one of two possible endings in MK11) and has created the timestream to minimize the threat of infamous evil figures in the Mortal Kombat universe. Of course, evil once again finds a way to cause chaos, so Liu Kang and his allies must kombat this threat. The culmination of events is pretty fun in a vacuum, but it can feel a little stale when looking at a lot of popular media from the last couple years. Rebooting the characters once again, albeit with a bit of a twist on their origins this time, isn’t the most exciting move.

Gameplay-wise, the offerings in this game feel somewhat rushed but are overall a fantastic starting point for future balancing and building on the included content. The roster this time is a lovely medley of returning fan-favorites and classic characters. The lack of any new characters and some missing staples is a bit unfortunate though, especially considering a few of the choices that made it in (looking at you, Reiko). That being said, all of the characters are fun to play! And with the new Kameo fighters’ implementation, the gameplay here is the freshest a NetherRealm Studios release has felt in ages. Removing variations, bulking the options characters have, and improving air movement and combos solidifies Mortal Kombat 1’s gameplay as some of the best the franchise has had in quite some time.

The only issues I have with Mortal Kombat 1 could be resolved in future updates, which is why I won’t hold it against the game all that much. The customization systems, though not bad at all, currently offer very little to showcase due to the offered skins largely being recolors. The previous game had a much larger breadth of outfits per character at launch and was more transparent about what offerings there were on the outfit selection screen. Additionally, some of the better outfits being offered are locked behind premium currency in a rotating shop (which currently offers a severely overpriced Halloween-themed fatality). Doing this now and then isn’t a dealbreaker, but when the unlockable costumes aren’t very exciting, it’s annoying to constantly see the better skins locked behind a paywall in an already pricey game.

The last thing of note I want to touch on is the new single-player mode Invasions. This mode features your selected character running around a game board-esque series of paths, each themed to a different locale in the Mortal Kombat universe. In the Invasions mode, you complete battles and challenges at each node you come across. The battles and maps will also shift in between seasons to represent a different invading force. This concept should be exciting in theory, but its execution leaves some noticeable room for improvement. The battles are often simplistic and bland, making the mode a chore rather than an innovative new feature. The potential here is great, though, especially considering the detail put into the visual design of the maps! I hope in future seasons, NetherRealm creates new twists to make the Invasions mode less tedious.

The rest of the offerings here are pretty par for the course and are aggressively reminiscent of MK11, for better or for worse. Kombat League returns as the primary ranked mode for this game and plays exactly like it did in MK11. I haven’t played many of the other online offerings, but from what I can gather, they are also largely the same experience as MK11. And yes, traditional arcade towers too feel like MK11 copy-pasted. If you enjoyed these aspects of MK11, great! If not, oh well.

Mortal Kombat 1 has received a lot of fair criticism for the lack of cosmetics, batch of quick fixes, and annoying microtransaction practices, but I maintain that the core of this game is very strong. The gameplay is a clear improvement from the last few NetherRealm Studios’s games and the story mode is fun, if not groundbreaking. Invasions could use some work, but in its current state, it’s an adequate diversion. The future is bright for Mortal Kombat 1, and I hope the game is able to work out the issues it does face sooner rather than later.

8/10