Highlights
- Mortal Kombat 11 has trained players to adapt to the new Kameo Fighter system in Mortal Kombat 1, giving them an advantage in the game.
- The addition of Kameo Fighters expands the roster and introduces strategic options for players to explore in Mortal Kombat 1.
- The tower effects in Mortal Kombat 11 have prepared players to handle attacks from a third party, making them well-equipped to deal with the Kameo Fighter feature in Mortal Kombat 1.
Mortal Kombat 11 may have already trained players to know what they should expect from Mortal Kombat 1's Kameo Fighters. Although Mortal Kombat 11 didn't even have Kameo Fighters, those who played that game before making the jump to Mortal Kombat 1 could take to the new challenge quite well thanks to past experiences. That's not to take anything away from the mechanic, of course. It's a good twist that should provide some new dimensions to gameplay. It's just that some players may be more equipped to deal with this new wrinkle in the game than initially expected.
With the new Kameo Fighter system in Mortal Kombat 1, players will be taking two fighters into the fray rather than one. While one will be their main fighter, the Kameo Fighter acts as their assist, jumping in with their own attacks at the command of the player. There are several benefits to adding Kameo fighters to the roster. For one, it expands the roster with a few new additions, albeit not fully playable ones. Gameplay-wise, it creates several new strategic options, with opportunities to see which fighters combo well with various Kameo Fighters. The result is a mechanic that should make Mortal Kombat 1's meta-game interesting.
Mortal Kombat 11's Tower Effects Were Like a Prototype for Kameo Fighters
When it comes to how Mortal Kombat 1's Kameo Fighters work, there are bound to be a few limitations. Obviously, they do not have access to their full movesets, and they can't position themselves as freely as the player's chosen fighter. What they do have is a pool of attacks known by the fighter, with the player choosing each one they would like to use each time they are called in. In addition, they have limits on how often they can be used in a single fight. These restrictions are what make them support characters rather than full-fledged tag team partners for the player.
Mortal Kombat 1's Kameo Fighters are reminiscent of some effects from Mortal Kombat 11's Towers of Time. Most towers had some effects that would make fights different from regular matches. For example, gravity could constantly push fighters towards each other, or bombs could occasionally fall from the sky. Many of these effects took the form of attacks from the fighters, such as Kano's eye beam shooting across the screen, or Mileena's sais flying in from the side. In some towers, certain fighters would even jump on the screen and perform an attack, quite similar to what Kameo Fighters do in Mortal Kombat 1.
Because of Mortal Kombat 11's tower effects, players of that game have a good chance of adapting to Mortal Kombat 1's Kameo Fighter feature rather well. The Towers of Time already did plenty to teach players about dealing with attacks from a third party in the midst of a fight. This is especially true for players who cleared a lot of towers because they would need to become quite adept at that skill in order to do so. However, Kameo Fighters are set apart by being triggered by the user rather than effectively attacking at random, making a tactical approach even more important.
Kameo Fighters are new to Mortal Kombat 1, but it seems like Mortal Kombat 11 may have been preparing players to fight them all along. What has been confirmed for Mortal Kombat 1 so far indicates that Kameo Fighters will be a fun addition to the series' signature gameplay. In a way, it's similar to letting players use one of Mortal Kombat 11's tower effects for themselves after having to face it so often.
Mortal Kombat 1 will be released on September 19, 2023, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.