Mortal Kombat 1’s biggest boon is the return of fully formed fighters
The roster in Mortal Kombat 1 are able to live up to their true potential again thanks to one of Mortal Kombat X’s mechanics being removed.
My history with the Mortal Kombat series dates all the way back to childhood, where I was uppercut punching the likes of Baraka, Liu Kang and Shang Tsung into the Acid Pool level’s toxins in the original Mortal Kombat II. I say ‘original’ because, it’s 30 years since that sequel released, and somehow Mortal Kombat 1 is only just getting around to releasing. Its developer NetherRealm Studios’ cheeky way of resetting the rules with its trademark gory fighting game series, yes, which I’m pleased to say is writing a wrong first introduced in 2015’s (otherwise excellent) Mortal Kombat X.
You see, NetherRealm pretty much nailed it the first time in rebooted the franchise in 2011 with the simple titled Mortal Kombat. The character roster was generous, reliving the events of the first three games was a great choice to reset the clock for new and long-time players and the addition of X-Ray moves was a nice touch. By the time Mortal Kombat X rolled around four years later, however, the only real change the developer thought to make was to split up each character’s move list into three.
Admittedly, making it so Sub-Zero can only create ice weapons with one class and generate ice clones as another adds an extra layer of strategy as you have the ability to use certain abilities taken away from you. In theory, though, it resulted in fighter characters feeling less powerful and varied, with classic special moves like Scorpion’s Hell Fire not able to be used alongside the variation that includes swords. An undead ninja without swords is hardly a ninja, just like how Scorpion without his Hell Fire abilities is hardly Scorpion.
Test your might
That’s why I was elated to see during my time playing the Mortal Kombat 1 Online Stress Test that character variations were no more. Instead, NetherRealm has been very public about the game’s new Kameo fighter system being the new mechanical tweak said to add an added degree of strategy and freshness. Main characters available in the Stress Test were Sub-Zero, Kenshi, Liu Kang and Kitana, the four of whom I could tell benefitted greatly from having simultaneously access to classic special moves, especially when backed up by Kameo fighters Jax, Sonya Blade or Kano.
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NetherRealm Studios is yet to confirm the full ins and outs of which Mortal Kombat 1 fighters will be available to utilise as part of both rosters, but the thinking so far is that some characters will appear solely as Kameo fighters. This would suck in the case of, say, Kano, for anyone who enjoys barrelling around the edges of the screen. I’m choosing to give franchise creator Ed Boon and his team the benefit of the doubt that they know what they’re doing, though, and that the Kameo system will make for a good replacement for previous character variations.
It's all emblematic of the fact that Mortal Kombat as a series has been going for so long now, with each new release it becomes harder and harder to improve upon basically perfection. As already alluded to, modern Mortal Kombat as we know it was nailed in my opinion when the franchise first rebooted properly in 2011. Everything we’ve seen since, both in Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 11 have been slight alterations on the same basic formula. Those games really upped the focus on story luckily, which appears to be the case for Mortal Kombat 1.
Scorpion and Sub-Zero being brothers? Liu Kang suddenly a fire god who has to teach a young Raiden the ways of the titular tournament? The general narrative theme running throughout Mortal Kombat 1 is that everything has gone a bit topsy-turvy, which I’m sure NetherRealm is hoping will play upon the expectations of anyone familiar with this universe. Crucially, opting to rework the narrative elements over the fundamental way characters handle and control is for me a safer method to ensure players get what they want from this soft reboot.
In some cases these remixed narrative aspects have the potential to bleed into gameplay. The Mortal Kombat 1 Stress Test already proved evidence of this as, even if Liu Kang becoming a fire god happened in Mortal Kombat 11, this change in his status influences the way some of his abilities look – it’s a real spectacle. Raiden is a returning character confirmed to also be playable in the main roster, and I’m excited to see whether or not his age difference affects his move set; it would be a good opportunity to do so.
We only need to wait until September 19, 2023, to see for certain whether Mortal Kombat 1’s narrative changes and new Kameo system will be welcomed with open arms by players. Personally speaking, as a long-time fan but not a particularly talented fighting game enthusiast, I’m just happy that NetherRealm Studios made the choice to return full move sets for characters. Because while their status in the universe may have been altered, the Mortal Kombat 1 Stress Test has proven that they’re primed to reach classic and new characters are primed to reach their full potential.
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