The Mortal Kombat 1 story acts as a soft reboot for the franchise. It follows up directly from the ending of Mortal Kombat 11 : Aftermath and presents a fresh opportunity for Netherrealm Studios to flex their creative skills with the franchise. Mortal Kombat 1 has an entirely new story mode in a new era shaped by the Fire God Liu Kang. This features a lot of familiar faces, but with tons of key differences. Players are also treated to tons of tiny callbacks and references.
A lot of fans are skeptical with any big project such as this. The chances to ruin the identity of iconic characters like Sub-Zero or Johnny Cage is very high. Fortunately, this isn’t the case here. MK1 hits a home run and makes some incredible changes which change the franchise for the better.
5 The Takartans
Baraka and the Takartans have basically been mindless cannon fodder for a while now. They’re just there to fill up the numbers and give the good guys someone to beat up. Now, it’s a little different. Tarkat is a disease which mutates and debilitates the victim. It turns them into bloodthirsty fiends. The way victims of the disease are treated in Outworld shows Liu Kang’s new era isn’t exactly perfect. Moreover, it shows than Sindel isn’t an infallible leader, at best she is ignorant to what Shang Tsung and the General are doing. At worst, she authorized it.
Baraka gets his own story chapter. He gets to have interactions with, and forge bonds with the likes of Reptile, Ashrah and Kenshi. His combat is as fun as always, and he gets to beat up a bunch of bad guys while players get to see what his origin and motivations are.
4 Raiden & Kung Lao
Raiden and Kung Lao, despite being vital characters in the franchise, were beginning to get a little old. This game changes that. Raiden gets to be a sort of plucky underdog ‘chosen one’, while also showing some sass in his dynamic with Kung Lao, and even with the Deadly Alliance.
Kung Lao, instead of being annoying or one-note, is now more funny and his dynamic with the Earthrealm champions is fun to see. Both of these characters feel like a breath of fresh of air after the last few games.
3 Kuai Liang & Bi-Han
Kuai Liang has been Sub Zero for a while. This has altered Sub Zero’s perception into this stoic and honorable warrior that doesn’t compromise on his principles. Bi-Han has basically been Noob Saibot for a decade; a typical bad guy. This game flips the switch. The two brothers are back leading the Lin Kuei. Except this time, Bi-Han is Sub Zero and Kuai Liang is Scorpion. There’s no fiery spirit of vengeance in the shape of Hanzo Hasashi in this game.
Kuai Liang’s Scorpion, is calm, determined and sticks strictly by his own core values. He’s shown to be loyal to his family and extremely powerful. Some of the best scenes in the story involve him. On the other hand, seeing a more morally gray Sub Zero is super fun. Bi-Han is allowed to shine as the leader of the clan and faces some extremely difficult decisions. It remains to be confirmed whether there is going to be a story expansion, but judging from MK11, this is a strong possibility. It will be interesting to see how Bi-Han’s journey continues in any further story expansions.
2 Potential For Chaos
MK1 reintroduced players to Havik. Players have been hoping for a return for Havik ever since he stole the show in the MKX comics. His redesign is fantastic, with lots of brutal combos and stupid amounts of gore. While he has a merely tertiary role in the game’s story. Certain tidbits from characters intros and tower endings allude more to the Orderrealm and Havik’s slow descent to darkness.
What makes matters more interesting is the tease in the end of the game’s story which sets Havik up as an important character for any future story expansion packs. Netherrealm have a chance to craft another iconic villain, and a maniac like Havik would be perfect if things go the way they have been hinting.
1 Johnny’s New Bestie
Johnny Cage in MK1 might be his best version. He’s a vital part of the story, and he’s back to his narcissistic goofball self. Johnny has a very fun character arc in the game. His interactions with Liu Kang, the ninjas, Kenshi and pretty much everyone else are all hilarious.
What really shines though, is his relationship with Kenshi, one of the best characters in the game in his own right. Starting off as grumpy rivals fighting over an important weapon, they quickly form a brotherly bond. Without going into any spoilers, their interactions in the second act of the story were handled exceptionally. They both get some key character defining moments, which intersect with one another too. Safe to say, this is quickly going to become one of the best bromances in fighting games.
Mortal Kombat 1 is available now on PS5, Xbox X, Nintendo Switch and PC.