Highlights
- As something of a reboot, Mortal Kombat 1 is the perfect place to introduce lots of new game elements.
- Mortal Kombat 1 introduces new gameplay features such as the Kameo fighter system and air combos, refreshing the familiar mechanics.
- Mortal Kombat 1 offers a captivating story mode with stunning cutscenes, as well as a new Invasion mode that combines classic modes and continuously updates with new challenges and rewards.
An already busy year for gaming is about to ramp things up considerably, but Mortal Kombat 1 is releasing at the perfect time. While the start of September sees the juggernaut-to-be Starfield release, the rest of the month is pretty much free of any other huge AAA releases, giving Mortal Kombat 1 plenty of room to flex its muscles when it launches on September 19.
The fourth game under NetherRealm, and the 16th mainline entry for the entire franchise, Mortal Kombat 1 is taking things back to the beginning once again, though this time things are a little different. Following on from Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath's story, Fire God Liu Kang has restarted the timeline, and in an attempt to maintain the peace, he's tweaked the continuity a little, giving familiar faces and plot beats a fresh twist. That's not the only trick Mortal Kombat 1 has up its sleeve, with a ton of new gameplay features also coming to the game on release.
Mortal Kombat 1 Features Plenty of Single-Player and Multiplayer Modes
Mortal Kombat 1's story mode will see players drop into Liu Kang's new universe, where iconic characters all got new backstories. More so than ever, NetherRealm is really trying to market the story mode for Mortal Kombat 1, and from what fans have seen so far, it seems like it'll live up to the hype. With stunning cutscenes, a compelling plot, strong dialogue, and plenty of unique twists to keep long-time fans hooked, Mortal Kombat 1's story certainly looks like a mode worth playing, but it isn't the only single-player option players have.
Mortal Kombat 1's other big single-player game mode is named Invasion, and it takes a few classic Mortal Kombat modes and blends them together to create something new. Essentially a board game and RPG rolled into one, Mortal Kombat 1's Invasion mode sees players choose a character, and move through a location from a top-down perspective, traveling between nodes that represent challenges. The mode will throw Classic Tower challenges, Test Your Might minigames, and some brand-new challenges at the player, and completing each one will reward players with various cosmetics. Mortal Kombat 1's Invasion mode will also be continuously updated over time, bringing new boards and rewards to the game at a consistent rate. Of course, Mortal Kombat 1 will also feature online multiplayer, though any mode aside from Versus hasn't been announced yet.
Mortal Kombat 1 Has a Few New Gameplay Tricks Up Its Sleeve
While the core mechanics of Mortal Kombat 1 will be familiar to anyone who's played the last few entries in the franchise, this semi-reboot does bring a few new features to the table. The biggest addition to Mortal Kombat 1 is the new Kameo fighter system. After choosing a primary fighter, players will choose a Kameo fighter from a secondary roster. These Kameo fighters will then be able to assist the player during the match, being mapped to "R1" and a directional key. Each Kameo fighter has their own unique set of moves, and it's up to players how and when they use them during a fight.
Mortal Kombat 1 is also bringing back air combos. Though the last few Mortal Kombat games let players hit an opponent while in the air, they couldn't really chain together attacks, but that's now the case in Mortal Kombat 1, with every character shown so far having at least one powerful air combo. And on the subject of characters, Mortal Kombat 1 will have a total of 24 playable fighters on launch, and a similar number of Kameo fighters, all coming from across Mortal Kombat history. Mortal Kombat 1 will also have at least one Kombat Pack DLC after launch, with six characters currently confirmed, including guest characters like Homelander, Peacemaker, and Omni-Man.
Mortal Kombat 1 launches September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
