Mortal Kombat 1 is shaping up to be a refreshing new take on the 30 year old fighting game franchise.
Jumping into the most recent beta, I was able to get a small taste of what’s in store for the game when it releases in full on September 19th.
As the game was in Beta, we were only given access to two standard modes, which Mortal Kombat fans will be familiar with, Kampaign mode and the online Versus mode.
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The Kampaign mode is a Player versus CPU Towers mode, which has been a staple throughout each of the Mortal Kombat games over the past three decades. The player must battle adversaries on each level of the tower, with each battle increasing in difficulty, before meeting the final boss at the top of the tower.
There was a small roster of characters available, including Sub-Zero, Kitana, Lui Kang, Johnny Cage, Li Mei and Kenshi. Playing as my go-to MK character, Sub-Zero, I got through the Kampaign and rose up the tower fairly quickly.
The beta also allowed us to see how Kameo fighters work and how they’re able to assist in the fight.
During a fight, you call on them to assist in battle with their own special moves, throws and defensive breakers.
The roster of Kameo fighters for the beta included Frost, Kano, Sonya Blade and Jax; a pretty solid lineup.
What I enjoyed most about the feature, was the fact that I was able to take a quick breather while my Kameo dealt some damage to my opponent. This not only allowed me some time to recover but it also helped me to keep dealing damage, despite not technically ‘playing’ during those few seconds.
When it comes to special moves and fatalities, Mortal Kombat 1 manages to really step things up in a big way. Special moves are perfectly choreographed to truly showcase the best of a characters’ abilities.
With Sindel and Shao Kahn recently announced as playable characters at Gamescom, I’m particularly excited to see how their special moves look and feel, as both characters are equally threatening in the Mortal Kombat universe.
In terms of fatalities, MK1 manages to take things to a whole new level with more gory bone crushing moves, decapitations and painful dismemberment than ever. I’m sure even the most desensitised players will be cringing and looking away.
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Despite having been a long time Mortal Kombat fan, I still can’t quite get over the level of gore the game has! It sometimes makes me wonder why my uncles thought it was suitable to introduce me to the game when I was only five years of age! Not that I’m complaining, it helped shape me into the gamer I am today, but still…I was FIVE!
I didn’t get to spend much time with the online Versus mode during the beta, mostly because I was suffering from significant lag and was being matched with high-level players who had faster response times. One day Australian internet speeds will catch up to the rest of the world!
Upon matchmaking and searching for an opponent, there didn’t appear to be any kind of balancing in terms of player level, nor any option to specifically play against people in my own region, though I may have just missed it.
The match I did play was pretty frustrating, the lag making it impossible to respond to my opponents attacks or land a single blow of my own, resulting in a complete fatality.
Disheartened and a little bit miffed, I decided to spend the rest of my beta access back in the Kampaign mode, this time taking Kitana out for a spin.
I’m hoping the full release of Mortal Kombat 1 will see the Kampaign towers be a lot more interactive and fun, and that the Versus mode will have improved matchmaking, pairing players of a similar skill level.
Overall though, I’m especially excited for MK1 and can’t wait to experience the franchise’s reboot. I expect the story is going to be riveting and one that will change the course of the franchise for the next 30 years.
