Mortal Kombat XI Review

Raiden and EarthRealm’s finest warriors are back to spill even more blood in Mortal Kombat’s latest installment.

One Moment in Time

Mortal Kombat IX rebooted the series. Mortal Kombat X began to move the story forward and away from the safety of nostalgia. Fans everywhere loved what NetherRealm’s Studio did. But one person wasn’t happy – Kronika, Mortal Kombat XI’s big bad. She wants to set the timeline back on its destructive path. As she does, characters begin to collide with their past selves. Old rivalries are resurrected, and the conflict between Realm’s rages on stronger than ever. NetherRealm have become masters of crafting narratives in fighting games. Mortal Kombat XI story, unsurprisingly, delivers a blockbuster-style cinematic experience. Although not as strong as the story of Mortal Kombat X, Kronika’s time-bending shenanigans keep things fresh. Watching the character interactions between young and old selves are a highlight. And the story is just long enough without overstaying its welcome. Mortal Kombat XI’s roster includes the usual selection of iconic fighters. Some of the great additions from MK X return too, like gunslinger Erron Black and the grotesque D’Vorah. Three brand new characters also join the mix and do their best to keep up. Geras has the ability to rewind and manipulate time. Cetrion is an elder god with elemental projectiles. The Kollector has a wonderful six-armed design. Character variations – a returning feature of Mortal Kombat X – keeps things diverse. Each character has the option of selecting between different sets of special moves that alter their playstyle.

Perfect Timing

MK11 also streamlines several mechanics, making for a system that feels more aggressive than before. The slow stamina meter, that made for slower, more throughout combat is gone. Instead amplified maneuvers to be used at almost any time. Offensive and defensive techniques have separate bars that both recharge rapidly. “Fatal Blows” replace X-Ray techniques. This allows for a gory comebacks that can be activated once per match when your health is nearly depleted. MK11’s focus on always being within striking distance of your opponent making for frantic and bloody combat that can be over in the punch of an eye. Following the fine work seen in Injustice 2, Mortal Kombat XI features a comprehensive series of tutorials. These cover everything from basic attacks to more advanced lessons. What’s more, there are also a tutorials that break down expert-level concepts. One shows you what frame data is and how it works in clear, visual terms. It’s an extremely impressive resource that allows for a deeper understanding of fighting game mechanics in general. It knowledge that you can take to any other title. Character-specific tutorials are also available. These focus on the most useful and practical abilities and combos for a particular character and give you suggestions on when to use them. Of course, if you just want to jump into a fight MK11 allows for that too with flashy special moves and brutal combos at your disposal instantly. MK11 sees the return of Klassic Towers, a straightforward affair where you fight a series of opponents culminating in facing Kronika. The Towers Of Time are MK11’s version of the limited-time ladders seen in other NetherRealm games. Which feature unique modifiers that can affect the playing field, combatants, and mechanics. One tower might have combatants who can poison you with combos. Another might place a totem that electrocute whoever is standing closest. These kinds of challenges are interesting and force players to adapt. You’ll learn to become defensive, offensive or plan attacks better with stronger positioning.

Time for Change

The Krypt returns too. In Mortal Kombat XI it takes the form of Shang Tsung’s island, the location of the very first Mortal Kombat game from 1992. Unlocking new paths and locations often requires finding items around the sprawling map. A slew of treasure chests litter the island, requiring one of three different currencies to open them. As before they can contain new costumes or brutality finishers for a specific character, or something as basic as a piece of concept art. This time around the contents is completely randomised – in Mortal Kombat X you could look online for a guide on which chests contained what. This has been done away with in MK11, making the new, annoyingly larger, Krypt even more irritating than before. There are also a range of online multiplayer modes. Including ranked and unranked matchmaking, a king-of-the-hill mode, and ranked seasons. Private options like lobbies and a practice mode are also available. In casual matches, you can see your opponent’s win/loss ratio, an estimated chance of success, and information about their connection speed. The game thankfully allows you to decline a match if you want. I encountered no major issues with online play and was never matched up unfairly.

Final Thoughts

MK11 isn’t just a sequel for long time fans, it’s an entry point for newcomers. Streamlined mechanics keep everything exciting no matter your skill level. Comprehensive tutorials encourage you to dig, explore and train. There’s roster of fighters has never been stronger. The story, although not as good as MKX’s, is fun and entertaining. The random Krypt rewards sour the experience and stop MK11 from being the all-round package it should be, but the title gets everything right where it should.