Ever since I was a little girl, I was fascinated with Mortal Kombat. Growing up around four uncles who loved martial arts films and fighting games, I was exposed to the exciting and exhilarating fun of combat.
I was just four when I played my first ever console game, Mortal Kombat 3, and I watched the Mortal Kombat movies so often that I’d memorised most of the characters’ lines. To say I was a fan, was almost an understatement.
Since then, I found myself in and out of the Mortal Kombat world, playing some of the games on the odd occasion with my siblings, when my parents would rent the games for us. It wasn’t until Mortal Kombat X that I truly became entranced by playing fighting games as an adult. So, naturally, when Mortal Kombat 11 was announced, I was thrilled.
Mortal Kombat 11 is a game that encompasses two of my favourite elements, captivating story and combat. The game includes multiple modes under two separate categories: Konquer and Fight. In Konquer, players are able to play through the story mode, Towers of Time, Klassic Towers and Krypt. Towers of Time builds upon the Challenge Tower and Living Towers modes from previous games, whereas Klassic Towers is simply the same classic tower based challenge that has been present in the Mortal Kombat franchise for years. Krypt, however, is one I’ve not had the chance to try out yet.
Fight, of course, allows players to play online against other players in real time. The online multiplayer gives players the chance to battle against opponents of their choosing, with the opponent able to accept or decline the invitation.
As a struggling gamer, who button mashes more than actually memorising all the variation of combos available, I found the online multiplayer challenging. It’s not easy going against seasoned veterans and after a few rounds of defeat, it’s quite a nice change of pace to play through the single player modes.
Another fascinating feature of the game is that players are now able to customise their characters, to design them however the player sees fit, which of course requires a fair bit of grinding in order to earn enough ‘koins’ to purchase new items and such. This goes beyond just design, but also includes special abilities, gear, taunts and more.
Being a sucker for a good story, I couldn’t help but engage with the Mortal Kombat 11 story mode. The idea of worlds and timelines colliding, bringing back characters from the past to meet their present selves, fascinated me. It was such a thrill to see two Johnny Cages come face to face, one an arrogant Hollywood star who hadn’t yet matured, and his future self, a doting family man. With the story being so well written, it made gameplay fun, with the ability to play as many of the characters.
The character roster in the game was also decent, with many fan favourites being made available. With upcoming DLCs introducing a variety of other major characters from the franchise, as well as those who are from other worlds, a lot of fun is to be had.
The combat is similar to Mortal Kombat X, with the usual fatalities and brutalities that appear to be more gory with each new game. In Mortal Kombat 11, there are also new gameplay features such as Fatal Blows and Krushing Blows.
Fatal Blows are special moves similar to that of the X-ray moves in Mortal Kombat X. Like X-ray moves, Fatal Blows deal a large amount of damage but only become available when a player’s health drops below a certain percentage. Krushing Blows, on the other hand, are a special cinematic version of a special move that is triggered when certain requirements are met. In many ways it is similar to Brutalities.
Playing Mortal Kombat 11 is without a doubt lots of fun, especially playing against AI characters or online opponents who match your abilities. With an enticing story mode to keep players entertained, as well as plenty of characters and customisations to choose from, there’s a lot one can do in game.
Though combat can be challenging, it’s a saving grace that Mortal Kombat has several levels of difficulty, allowing players of varying experience to play. Games like these, that allow new players to enjoy and experience the fun, is what I love most, especially when it doesn’t penalise beginners.
I, for one, have only just started learning the ropes again and look forward to being able to compete in ranked matches, which has been teased to be coming soon.
For Mortal Kombat fans and those who enjoy an engaging fighting game, Mortal Kombat 11 is certainly a refreshing new addition to the genre and one I would highly recommend.