Mortal Kombat 1

Mortal Kombat 1 is the most complete package I have ever seen in a fighting game. It is an excellent new chapter for returning fans and a great jumping-on point for new players. In this new golden era of fighting games, where more people are playing them than ever before, Mortal Kombat 1 is exactly what we need. A fighting game for everyone, and a beautiful reminder of why we play.

While Mortal Kombat 1 feels a little streamlined and cut down compared to Mortal Kombat 11, it surpasses it where it really counts: the gameplay. This is quite simply the most fun we’ve had with a Mortal Kombat game to date. The improved combat with its faster pace, combined with a brilliant roster of fighters and the new Kameo system, means that we’re once again excited for the future of the series, as well as what’s to come to this entry. We’ll be returning to Invasion mode time and time again as its seasonal content is refreshed, and look forward to more characters being added into the mix.

With its largely satisfying story mode, an intriguing new mode in Invasions, a better progression system for both playable and Kameo characters, and robust online modes, Mortal Kombat 1 delivers the best Mortal Kombat experience ever.

A pillar of the genre, Mortal Kombat is not afraid to take risks with each release. Whether it’s fighting stances or suit modifications, Ed Boon introduces new elements so that every iteration is distinct. With MK1, not only has NetherRealm performed a reset on the complex lore of the universe, but they have also added new combat elements that help to make this the finest fighter in the franchise’s history.

Mortal Kombat 1 is another great fighting game that released in 2023. While it exhibits some of the same faults previous entries did, the Kameo system adds a new depth to the main mechanics.

Unfortunately, the lack of appealing single-player content beyond the story and barren online matchmaking variety will limit the time casual players spend with the game once their friends stop playing or if Invasions doesn’t grab their interest.

Whether you are a seasoned combatant or a new one stepping into the arena for the first time, Mortal Kombat 1 has something for you. The Kameo system has revitalized the trusted formula, which has improved with the many welcomed changes made by the team, everything looks great in motion, and the story mode is more engaging than ever before. Invasions might not be for everybody, and online play could do with some work, but there is nothing too major holding this game back from shining brightly. A new era of Mortal Kombat has arrived, and things are looking smashingly good.

A solid but oddly soulless entry that fails to commit to being a series reboot.

Mortal Kombat 1 was pitched as the start of a new era for Mortal Kombat, where NetherRealm Studios had complete freedom to craft the universe they wanted, mostly free from the previous two eras. In some ways, the studio has managed to get back to basics and deliver the best rendition of Mortal Kombat yet, but in others, they've second-guessed themselves and taken steps back. The story mode is thrilling and does a lot to establish characters that were previously forgotten or never got a chance to shine, and it even gives fan favorites a new lease on life. Much of that, however, is thrown away f...

Mortal Kombat 1 envisions an exciting future with fluid combat, a fantastic story mode, and superb visuals - but receding features, underbaked mechanics, and a dated online experience keep it in the past.

During Mortal Kombat 1’s superhero movie-like story campaign, one standout action scene finds me inside a dingy dungeon full of Shang Tsung’s disgusting experiments. Kenshi, Baraka, Johnny Cage, and Kung Lao fight against a horde of monsters within the grimy lab, and an intense fight ensues. Instead of cutting to a traditional 1v1 fight, it all initially played out in an impressive cutscene choreographed and “filmed” like it had all happened within one take. The scene may not have much in terms of emotional depth or unique gameplay interaction, but it’s a thoroughly entertaining fight that I’v...

Mortal Kombat 1 on Nintendo Switch manages to deliver this superb game's Story and Towers modes in a state that's playable, but only if you've got plenty of patience. There are frame rate issues, big resolution dips, input and timing problems related to performance drops, missing content, game-breaking bugs in Invasion mode, long loading times, and unresponsive menus. If you are a huge Mortal Kombat fan whose only option is Switch, you may be able to press through all of this. However, if you have any other option, we suggest you stay away from this one for now.