Highlights
- Mortal Kombat 1 is facing negative user reviews and review bombing due to its absence in Russia and Belarus.
- The PS5 version of Mortal Kombat 1 has received multiple 0/10 and 1/10 reviews from Russian gamers who can't access the game or its online features, dragging down its user score to 6.0 compared to its positive critic rating.
- The decision to not release the game in Russia or Belarus is likely due to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Mortal Kombat 1 is being review bombed. The highly-anticipated Mortal Kombat 1 launched earlier this month to mostly positive reviews, with praise for its hard-hitting fights and impressive new features.
While most of the Mortal Kombat 1 reviews have been positive, the game hasn't completely escaped criticism. The Switch version of Mortal Kombat 1 in particular has been criticized by fans and critics alike for having significantly worse graphics despite being sold at the same $70 price as its PlayStation and Xbox counterparts. The controversial Mortal Kombat 1 Switch port isn't the target of a new review bombing effort, however.
The PS5 version of Mortal Kombat 1 has received multiple 0/10 and 1/10 reviews from people who are not happy that the game isn't being released in Russia or Belarus. Some Russian gamers who still managed to get their hands on the game have discovered that they can't access any of its online features and have used 0/10 reviews to express their disappointment about that revelation. These negative reviews have dragged Mortal Kombat 1's PS5 user score down to 6.0, compared to the 85 overall rating it's earned from critics. This is not the biggest review bombing effort aimed at a new game release in recent times, but it's still having an impact on the game's user score nevertheless.
These negative user reviews have been posted on Mortal Kombat 1's Metacritic page since the game's launch. The review bombing has persisted since then, with some posted as recently as September 21. There's been no indication that Warner Bros. has plans to officially release the game in Russia or Belarus or let users in those regions access Mortal Kombat 1's online features. It's likely that this decision was due to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which saw many video game companies stop doing business in the region.
WB Games isn't the only company to stop doing business in Russia. Nvidia, Ubisoft, and various other companies had a similar response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Live service games like Pokemon GO stopped operating in Russia, too. Russia reacted by essentially legalizing piracy for entertainment products like video games and movies.
Outside this controversy and the Nintendo Switch port problems, Mortal Kombat 1 is otherwise enjoying a positive reception from the community. It will likely remain popular for quite some time to come, with a boost provided by the release of the Mortal Kombat 1 DLC fighters.
Mortal Kombat 1 is out now for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X.
Source: Metacritic
