Mortal Kombat 1's new Kameo Fighter system looks to shake up the time-tested formula with button-press assists from alternate versions of characters across the series' historic tenure. The feature has already shown its potential for adding another interesting layer to Mortal Kombat 1's combo and finisher systems, but may also become a precursor for a Mortal Kombat game mode akin to MultiVersus' 2v2.
From a bullet point in a Warner Bros earnings call at the start of the year to the richly detailed showcase fans have now, NetherRealm did a great job drumming up anticipation ahead of Mortal Kombat 1's September 2023 release date. The shift in tone, with Mortal Kombat's soft reboot, and the new Kameo Fighters system both make this new entry its most ambitious since Mortal Kombat 9. With the closed beta's positive reception, all signs point to NetherRealm living up to its name as one of the premier fighting game studios.
Mortal Kombat 1 Can Adapt Over the Course of its Lifespan
Though it could not maintain its massive popularity for long, the initial surge of relevance for MultiVersus following its early-access release proved that it had a formula that fighting game fans were hungry for. Despite featuring a 1v1 mode, its core game mode and most popular was the 2v2, highlighting a gap in the market for a fighting game where a player and their comrade could duke it out together. Now taken offline to relaunch at some point in 2024, it is anyone's guess whether the gambit will allow MultiVersus to reclaim that share of the playerbase.
While not totally issue-free, mostly regarding the speed of gameplay, reactions to the Mortal Kombat 1 stress test have largely been glowing. The Kameo Fighters fit in seamlessly and the system's usage adds a good deal of variance and a wrinkle of strategy to each match. Early scrutiny that it would make the battleground feel cluttered or too busy seems, at this point, unfounded. It will be interesting to see how NetherRealm expands on Mortal Kombat over the course of its lifespan now that it can add in new Kombatants and Kameo Fighters with DLC.
Would 2v2 Be Feasible For Mortal Kombat?
While it would take a significant amount of effort to tune correctly, a 2v2 mode for Mortal Kombat 1 or the next entry in the series could absolutely work. The Kameo Fighters in MK1 give a glimpse into what four Kombatants on-screen at once might look like, and so far it does not occlude the fighting space in a way that would raise too much concern. That may change if they were human-controlled and permanent, but the solution to that may be as simple as zooming out the camera. Even a dynamic camera like what is used in MultiVersus could work for a hypothetical Mortal Kombat 2v2 mode.
The biggest caveat besides whatever technical limitations doubling the player count for each match might entail, is the size of the arenas in Mortal Kombat 1. Obviously, they are tuned for 1v1s, and merely throwing in additional Kombatants would throw off balance and make it too easy to box a player into a corner. Speaking of balance, each Kombatant would need to be re-tuned for 2v2, as the potential for overpowered combinations would be high. All of these issues are workable, it is merely a question of it NetherRealm sees the merit in doing so.
If MultiVersus showed anything, it is that fighting game players do not have to solely go alone for a fulfilling and competitive experience. The co-op Towers of Time in Mortal Kombat 11 may have been a gauge for the developer to discern interest in a fully-fledged 2v2, with the Kameo Fighters now acting as a proof-of-concept, but only time will tell where NetherRealm's priorities lie on the matter.
Mortal Kombat 1 will be released on September 19, 2023, for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.