Highlights
- Mortal Kombat 1 successfully blends old and new by redesigning classic characters, creating a fresh and modern spin on several iconic fighters.
- The game's ninja designs are excellent, with characters like Sub-Zero and Scorpion having some nice details on their outfits without the looks getting too complicated.
- Mortal Kombat 1 reintroduces forgotten 3D-era fighters, giving characters like Sareena and Havik much-needed updates and a vibrant new look. Sindel's regal look to match her status as Empress is a standout as well.
Mortal Kombat 1 is finally out, at least for those who bought the Premium and Collector's Edition of the game, and by all accounts it's a release worth celebrating. Though it isn't without its slight shortcomings, Mortal Kombat 1's great elements vastly outweigh them, creating one of the best fighting game experiences of the last few years and definitely one of the best entries in the franchise's long 30-year history.
Featuring a ton of great game modes, excellent fighting mechanics, an exciting new Kameo Fighter system, and a genuinely intriguing story, Mortal Kombat 1 will surely go down as one of the best MK games ever made. And thanks to some phenomenal character redesigns, Mortal Kombat 1 will also be remembered for its perfect blend of old and new, taking some classic looks and giving them a fresh, modern spin.
Mortal Kombat 1's Ninja Redesigns Are Perfect
When it comes to Mortal Kombat's expansive roster, there are few characters quite as immediately recognizable as its collection of brightly-colored ninjas. An easy way to create new characters back in the day, each Mortal Kombat ninja started life as a simple palette swap, resulting in a yellow, blue, green, red, purple, and gray ninja. As time has gone on, each of these characters have been given much more distinct personalities and appearances, and while Mortal Kombat 1 pairs back the overcomplicated designs from previous entries, it retains just enough detail and expression to make each character stand out more so than ever before.
Scorpion and Sub-Zero, being the series' biggest mascots, naturally needed the most attention, and their designs in Mortal Kombat 1 are reflective of the amount of effort that clearly went into them. A simple tunic and mask combo, Mortal Kombat 1's Scorpion and Sub-Zero designs are some of the most simplistic in the entire franchise, but they manage to remain instantly recognizable due to their bold color palettes. Smoke has also received a more grounded look, and Rain's new role as a sorcerer has completely reimagined his design, largely for the better.
Mortal Kombat 1 Has Reimagined 3D-Era Fighters Very Well
The Mortal Kombat franchise has undergone a few different phases in its 30-year lifespan, and one of those saw the series venture into the realm of 3D. During this phase, a good few fighters were created, but due to the poor reception of this period many of these fighters had been largely forgotten about in NetherRealm's rebooted universe - that is, until now. Characters like Reiko, Havik, Nitara, Ashrah, and Sareena all make their triumphant return in Mortal Kombat 1, and all of them have been brought into the modern age expertly, losing their grungier 2000s aesthetics and being given a splash of much-needed color.
Mortal Kombat 1 Gives Some Much-Needed Touch-Ups to Classic Designs
While some Mortal Kombat character designs have been practically flawless since the very beginning, even the most classic appearances need a shake-up every now and then, and that's exactly what Mortal Kombat 1 does. One of the series' greatest mascots, Liu Kang, is given a fresh new look in Mortal Kombat 1, befitting of his new role as Fire God. Shang Tsung is also given a fresh spin on his classic outfit, giving the character a younger look and wrist-mounted blades. Shao Kahn has also been redesigned, with his demotion down to general bringing about the appearance of more armor and a large axe. And taking on the role of Empress this time around, Sindel has been given a more regal appearance.
Mortal Kombat 1 is available now for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
