Mortal Kombat 1 is a return-to-form for the series. The timeline is reset yet again and this time things are really interesting. The story is more reminiscent of the 3D era, with many returning 3D-era characters like Havik, Ashrah, Li Mei, Nitara, Reiko, Kenshi, and Tanya. This limeline however makes a lot of interesting changes and unexpected changes. In past timelines, Scorpion was Hanzo Hasashi and Kuai Liang was Sub-Zero. Kuai Liang also had a brother by the name of Bi-Han. Bi-Han was killed and became Noob Saibot who is an evil wraith. However, in this timeline, Kuai Liang and Bi-Han are still brothers but Kuai Liang is Scorpion and Bi-Han is Sub-Zero. Bi-Han betrays Kuai and wants to rule using his clan. Kuai doesn’t agree with his brother and leaves to create the Shirai Ryu. Another big change is that Raiden is no longer a god of thunder and lightning. He is instead a farmer who is trained by a woman named Madam Bo. Raiden is Earthrealms champion and he is granted an amulet that gives him lightning powers. Another pretty large change is that Mileena and Kitana are actual sisters now. In previous timelines, Mileena was a being created from grotesque science experiments to imitate Kitana. Now they are family which by extension means that Sindel, Kitana’s mom, is now Mileena’s mom. One change is that Tarkat is now a disease while in past timelines they were a race that lived in Outworld. This change is similar to how Tarkat worked in the second and third Mortal Kombat games from the 90s so this is really another return to how it used to be. This change is really important because this is how Mileena gets Tarkat. She contracts it after sneaking out of the palace to be free from her royal duties.
In terms of gameplay, the biggest change is the inclusion of the Kameo system. The Kameo system is like a tag assist which is a way to call in another character to help you out during the fight. Usually, every character gets two charges of the Kameo before it must recharge. Each Kameo does something different, some characters extend combos, some provide block pressure, some can launch enemies, and some give the player projectiles or mix-ups. Pressing the Kameo button and then tapping any direction like up or forward will give the player a different result. Air combos are also back, and they are really fun to pull off. In the air some characters get the ability to slam the enemy back to the ground with a ground bounce and from there they can continue the combo to get insane damage and set up for when the opponent stands up. The air combos are fun and they were absent in the last few MK games. Every character also gets their own few attacks, some being better in the air like Scorpion and Sub Zero and some being weaker. The game also features some really fun characters, and it may be difficult to pick who you want to play, so here are my top five characters to try if you want to have fun.
1. Scorpion
1. Scorpion is a classic character, and one of the most recognizable in gaming and pop culture. This Scorpion is Kuai Liang, who was the previous timeline’s Sub-Zero, and he is part of the Lin Kuei. He and his brother, Bi-Han, are once again fighting against each other. Scorpion has flashy combos and lots of air options. Scorpion can deal with long-range opponents and deal good damage up close. Scorpion also doesn’t need any meter to combo because of his spear, which leaves enemies standing after he hits them with it. The player can use it after doing a normal attack with a special cancel, which is inputting the move mid-attack Scorpion also has lots of awesome outfits and color palettes, one of them being his Deadly Alliance costume, which features a flaming skull. Scorpion uses his classic kunai, sickle, and rope to deliver awesome and devastating attacks.
2. Rain
2. Rain is the great mage of Outworld. He wields water and lightning magic to attack along with his staff. He wears purple clothes and a hood. Rain and Havik teamed up because Rain wanted to “liberate” the people of a big town but it resulted in chaos which was Havik’s idea. Rain now sought absolution from the empress of Outworld. If it isn’t obvious, Rain is a reference to the musical artist Prince. Besides that reference, Rain is a cool character who specializes in a tactic called zoning. Zoning is controlling the arena and the movement of yourself and the enemy, typically with long-ranged attacks. Rain has smooth combos and the attacks flow together well. Rain has some outfits that take his hood off, and he usually wears his long brown hair in a ponytail. Rain is a fun, semi-difficult character, but he is worth it as he is an awesome fighter.
3. Havik
3. Havik, a cleric of destruction and chaos, is a character from the 3D era of Mortal Kombat. He wants to bring chaos to the people and realms to upset the balance. Havik attacks with no real weapons except for his arms, legs, head, bones, etc. Havik doesn’t specialize in anything and instead does everything at an okay level. Havik rips himself apart to attack enemies, swiftly followed by regenerating his limbs. For example, he has an attack called “Seeking Neoplasm,” where he rips his neck open and a ball of gore comes out and seeks the opponent. He also has a move called Torso Spin, where his torso and legs disconnect and he spins around, flailing his arms in hopes of hitting the opponent. Havik had part of his face melted off by Scorpion and as such his teeth and gums are exposed and his voice is much more demonic and rough. Havik is a gnarly character with unique animations and combos.
4. Johnny Cage
4. Johnny Cage is a classic character, just like Scorpion, in the very first MK (Mortal Kombat) game. He is an actor and martial artist although his film career is starting to sink. Johnny has a cool moveset, and he focuses primarily on mix-ups, which is where the player uses overhead and low attacks to confuse opponents and deal damage. Johnny kept a lot of his moves like the shoulder up, nut punch, and shadow kick. Johnny’s combos are very flashy, which makes sense, as he is a movie star and a martial artist. Certain moves will build Johnny’s new mechanic, which the community has decided to name “star power”, although it’s referred to as “hype” in-game. “Star power” allows the player to chain special moves into other special moves in Johnny’s attacks. This is strong, as he can do multiple shadow kicks or nut punches to create huge damage and set up for more pressure. In this state, Johnny also has all of his moves amplified by default which gives some moves armor, more damage, or better start-up. Johnny is a powerful character and may even be the best character in the game.
5. Ashrah
5. It was difficult to decide which character should get the last spot, but I believe that Ashrah deserves it. Ashrah is another one of the characters who was introduced in the 3D era. She is a demon that rejects her demonic background and instead wants to purge her soul of all dark elements, which she is getting closer to doing. By killing other demons, monsters, and evil entities with her magic sword, she comes closer to absolution. Ashrah is a very difficult character to play, perhaps even the hardest, because she has two stance options: a light stance and a dark stance. They both possess different properties and change how the character plays. Her mechanics are very confusing at first, but by learning her and playing her to the best the player can, she will feel much more rewarding than other characters. She also deals great damage and has amazing reach thanks to her sword. Overall, I’m glad she returned and that her design is way different and more unique than her previous incarnation.
Mortal Kombat 1 is a really fun game, and it is honestly refreshing compared to the past few installments. The story changes, along with the reintroduction of 3D-era characters, are amazing and the game has a DLC on the way now with Omni-Man which comes out on November eighth. The implementation of the air combos is a great change to provide more variety in terms of combos, and the Kameo system is unique for the MK series. Overall, I am really happy with the game, and I would recommend it to anyone. The only thing I would say is it is pretty expensive at 70 dollars. Many games now are 70 dollars and MK is one of those games. If you can get past the pricing, then it is a really fun game. I have been happy with my purchase and have been enjoying it so I would say give it a try.