Highlights
- Mortal Kombat 1 has received critical acclaim and is considered an excellent entry in the franchise, with a Metacritic score of 86.
- This is higher than the Metacritic scores for Mortal Kombat 9, X, and 11, which come in at an 81, 83, and 82 respectively. While MK11 has more higher scores in terms of individual reviews, it also has several more low scores, bringing the average down.
- The single-player offerings have been heavily praised and the removal of the grind-y gear system from Mortal Kombat 11 is seen as a positive improvement in Mortal Kombat 1, and overall, critics and fans are enjoying the game.
It's been a good few years since the last Mortal Kombat entry, and fans were desperate to jump back into that gruesome world of bloody fatalities and heart-stopping combos. After a brief stint in early access, Mortal Kombat 1 is now out and available for everyone, and there's quite a bit for new players to dive into. A full-length story mode, a new Invasion single-player mode, a ton of challenge towers, and a handful of online Versus modes, Mortal Kombat 1 will have players hooked for at least a little while.
Though the franchise's quality definitely dipped in the mid-2000s with its 3D era, Mortal Kombat has largely received pretty favorable reviews ever since the 2011 reboot. And over a decade later, Mortal Kombat 1 is no exception to that trend, receiving critical acclaim across the board. But Mortal Kombat 1 isn't perfect, and in the mind of some critics, there are certain things past entries have done a little better.
How Mortal Kombat 1's Reviews Compare to Past Entries
Mortal Kombat 1 was only announced back in May of this year, meaning that it's only been around four months from reveal to release. But in that time, Mortal Kombat 1 started to garner quite a bit of hype from its audience, with critic previews a few months ago only stoking the flames higher. The general consensus even a month or so before its release was that Mortal Kombat 1 was going to be an excellent entry in the long-running fighting game franchise, and that sentiment seems to have carried over to the game's final release.
Though review codes seemed to have been handed out a little later than usual, Mortal Kombat 1 now has a total of 34 critic reviews on Metacritic for its PS5 version, and the vast majority of those are extremely favorable. Mortal Kombat 1 is currently sitting at an 86 on Metacritic, with its two lowest critic scores both still giving it a 70. Mortal Kombat 1 is also sitting pretty with three 100 scores, and a total of 29 scores coming between 80 and 95. The general consensus seems to be that Mortal Kombat 1's single-player offerings are truly some of the best the franchise has ever seen, and though its multiplayer is lacking in alternate modes, its mechanics are still top-tier.
Mortal Kombat 1 currently has the highest Metacritic score of any NetherRealm game in the franchise. Mortal Kombat 2011's Komplete Edition is currently sitting at an 81 on Metacritic, while Mortal Kombat X is at an 83, and Mortal Kombat 11 is an 82. While Mortal Kombat 11 technically received more 90s than MK1, it also received many more 70s, and even a handful of 60s and 50s, with many critics condemning the game's grind-y gear system, which thankfully has been removed this time around.
With only 34 critic reviews currently available on Metacritic, it's very likely that Mortal Kombat 1's overall critical score might change quite a bit over the coming weeks, with Mortal Kombat 11 and Mortal Kombat X having over 80 critic reviews each on the platform. Of course, Mortal Kombat 1 is also suffering a pretty dismal Nintendo Switch release, but that isn't factored into these scores. Generally speaking, though, it seems as though both critics and fans are really enjoying this Mortal Kombat entry, and the current review scores for the game are showcasing that pretty well. Though its lack of additional multiplayer modes might hinder Mortal Kombat 1 in the long run, right now, it's an excellent fighting game that's definitely worth playing, and a true love letter to the franchise's 30-year-long history.
Mortal Kombat 1 is available now for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
