Mortal Kombat 1 will feel remarkably different without the presence of one well-used aspect from the series' past. Of course, being a fighting series, a lot of the basics that have been solidified in the franchise should be expected, such as a long list of characters, deep movesets, and intricate fighting mechanics. However, there are still a fair amount of features that are up in the air regarding whether they will return, particularly regarding more recent additions to the franchise. While Mortal Kombat 1 is the series' next step forward, it shouldn't ignore advancements from past games.
Thanks to the new timeline in Mortal Kombat 1, there is a lot that fans can probably expect to change. For one thing, Liu Kang is now the resident god of the roster rather than the newly mortal Raiden, and his element is fire rather than thunder. Now, the main draw is the fact that the Mortal Kombat universe has been reset compared to its status in Mortal Kombat 11. With so many wars and other sources of strife yet to happen, that opens many new possibilities for the cast to explore. Still, one feature confirmed not to be reprised in the new entry may be a glaring omission.
Mortal Kombat 1 Would Be Missing a Common Element Without the Krypt
A recurring part of recent games has been unlocking items in Mortal Kombat's Krypt. First appearing in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, the Krypt has been the main way to unlock additional content. By spending Koins and other items unlocked through gameplay, players could unlock secrets in the Krypt. This ranged from concept art to new outfits, and in some games, even new characters. The Krypt would go through a few incarnations, starting as a simple selection screen and eventually becoming a sprawling map to explore in Mortal Kombat 11. In each of these games, the Krypt acted as a treasure trove of bonus content.
Despite the Krypt's longevity, Ed Boon revealed in an interview that Mortal Kombat 1 will not feature the Krypt. To be fair, since the Krypt only showed up about a decade into the franchise, it not being in a game that takes place at the beginning does make some sense. In addition, while the Krypt was the main source for unlockables, it was never perfect. Players had to grind a lot to earn Koins and other resources to earn unlocks, with the random results often being lackluster. Mortal Kombat 1 will still have unlockables, but they won't be accessed through the Krypt.
Although the Krypt may be gone, its influence could still make its way into Mortal Kombat 1. Mortal Kombat 11's approach to the Krypt was the most interesting approach the series had taken thus far. That most recent version of the Krypt featured several puzzles for the player to solve, including some that involved items that needed to be earned in other game modes.
This provided an interesting twist, turning the Krypt into a game in its own right. Mortal Kombat 1's unlockables could adopt something similar, letting the player unlock bonus content through additional challenges outside of battle. Mortal Kombat 1 is going to seem pretty different without the Krypt, but its spirit could still survive in the new game.
Even though the new direction for Mortal Kombat 1 will bring a lot of changes, the game still needs unlockables, as well as a format for them. By taking some of the more interesting ideas from the Krypt, whatever Mortal Kombat 1 ends up using as its method of unlocking new content could become a fantastic new addition to the game. Still, Mortal Kombat 1 will be missing something iconic without a traditional Krypt to explore.
Mortal Kombat 1 will be released on September 19, 2023, for the Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
