Highlights

  • Mortal Kombat 1 had initial hype, but issues like an unbalanced roster and a lack of game modes emerged over time.
  • The Invasions mode in Mortal Kombat 1 also feels out of place, not fitting the world of Mortal Kombat. However, that does not mean that the idea is inherently bad.
  • The concept of Invasions could work better in Injustice, as suggested by the success of Injustice 2's Multiverse mode. It is easy to imagine Invasions working in the series because of DC's many elseworlds.

When it was first released back in September of last year, Mortal Kombat 1 had a pretty good initial reception, both from fans and critics alike. But as is the case with quite a few big fighting games, once that initial hype wore off for some fans, the cracks started to show, and unfortunately, Mortal Kombat 1 has its fair share of cracks.

From a slightly unbalanced roster at launch to a severe lack of modes and unlockable cosmetics when compared to its predecessors, Mortal Kombat 1 had - and still has in some cases - quite a few issues. While a few of these problems have been gradually corrected over the last few months, there are some issues with Mortal Kombat 1 that can't be fixed so easily, and that's certainly the case for its board game-like Invasions mode. The heart of its live-service content and one of the weakest parts of the game, Mortal Kombat 1's Invasions mode is a great example of a good idea being implemented in the wrong time and place.

Mortal Kombat 1 Doomslayer Shadow
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Mortal Kombat 1's Invasions Might Suit Injustice Better

Mortal Kombat 1's Invasions Feel a Little Out of Place

A new mode introduced in Mortal Kombat 1, Invasions sees players work their way through a board game-like map, fighting enemies along the way, leveling up, earning currency, and spending it on various rewards. While it's a shame that Mortal Kombat's iconic Krypt mode had to be axed in order to make way for Invasions, it's a fine mode that puts a fun spin on the series' Challenge Towers.

But one big problem with Mortal Kombat 1's Invasions mode - along with a litany of others - is that it doesn't feel like it truly fits the world of Mortal Kombat. While the Mortal Kombat franchise has never taken itself too seriously, with additional modes like the beloved Motor Kombat kart racer in Armageddon, MK1's Invasions mode still stands out for feeling just a little out of place, being directly tied with the series' new multiverse concept, something that itself doesn't feel totally at home in the Mortal Kombat universe. The idea behind Mortal Kombat 1's Invasions mode isn't inherently bad, it just might have been incorporated into the wrong series.

Injustice Has Already Dabbled in the Multiverse

Though Injustice 2 focused on its own universe's story, the multiverse was a central concept of the first game in the series, and it made a return in the sequel's additional "Multiverse" mode. An evolution of Mortal Kombat X's Living Towers, Injustice 2's Multiverse mode saw players work their way through various timed Challenge Towers, each one themed after a different Elseworlds iteration of Earth. This mode was simple but effective, providing players with some great rewards and encouraging them to return regularly with its time-limited approach.

Invasions feels like a natural evolution of Injustice 2's Multiverse mode, albeit a lot more convoluted and slightly less rewarding. But with a few tweaks and a new setting, Invasions could completely turn its reception around. Not only does a multiverse premise just make a lot more sense in a DC series like Injustice, but it would also allow for more interesting story, character, and gameplay variations, rather than just presenting a color-swapped version of a well-known character that doesn't really act any differently from its standard counterpart.