Fighting games can be difficult to get into since they require a hefty amount of knowledge of the player character, as well as the characters opponents play. On top of that, it's important to grasp the game's mechanics that make it different from other games, and how that should affect a player's playstyle, especially in Mortal Kombat 11.
Mortal Kombat 11 is a beginner-friendly option with dial-in combos, character variations for different play styles, and simple command inputs that don't take too much practice to get the hang of. There are definitely hardcore fans of the series, but it doesn't take too much to be able to put up a good fight.
Updated on May 4th, 2023 by Hodey Johns: Mortal Kombat 11 remains the go-to fighting game for veterans of the genre. The issue here is that any newer players will be going up against gamers who have been perfecting their skills for years. That's not fun for anybody; even experienced players don't enjoy getting mismatched. Rookies may feel like the gap is too large, however with just a few tips and a couple of hours of practice, any gamer should be at least competitive. This list has been filled up with even more tips that should get new players ready to go against others, giving themselves at least a chance to win and an opportunity to learn to be the best as quickly as possible.
17 Set AI To Take On The Towers Of Time
Players can't be expected to play the game all the time. But they can be farming as they work or focus on other things. Grab one of the most powerful fighters in the game, program the AI to fight, and have the computer take on the computer in the Towers of Time.
This will give players currencies and other goodies. With enough, gamers can buy any important pieces for characters that they need. If watching the AI fight gets boring, feel free to step in and grind for it. Just remember that a well-programmed AI can beat just about any challenge more consistently than a human player.
16 Clear Out The Krypt
The Krypt is more than just a cosmetics dump. Players will unlock new moves and items that affect the combos of their favorite characters. The value of the Krypt can't be understated as it only costs Koins and Hearts, two currencies that players can farm up rather quickly.
It's easy to get lost in the Krypt, so consider bringing a guide. There are puzzles and areas to unlock that may be confusing. But stick with it. Keep coming back until the Krypt is empty, ensuring gamers that they are playing with every possible advantage. To keep track of what still needs to be unlocked, try downloading one of the game's excellent mods.
15 Do The Dailies
If players are going to be gaming anyhow, then they should be gaming with a purpose. Look at the daily missions and make a point to get those done. The extra currency goes a long way in the Krypt and helps players afford anything they're still wanting.
It must be stressed that equipment is not purely there for cosmetic upgrades on combatants that wouldn't realistically survive for more than five minutes. Some of these pieces can alter the stats for the character slightly, helping players customize a fighter to do what they like.
14 Fight Through The Story Mode Once
The Story Mode is on the same level as the Krypt when it comes to Koins and unlocks. This is one of the hardest fighting games around, so the story mode will help new players understand what kind of fights they need to expect.
Players that can beat the story mode are doing to at least be decent at the other modes in the game. While it's tempting to jump right into the other modes or play with friends, the story mode gives players the most balanced path to go from a new to an established player.
13 Pick A Beginner-Friendly Character
While Mortal Kombat 11 has a sizable roster of characters that each have their own playstyles, as is the case with nearly every fighting game in existence, fighters range in their ease of use. Choosing one out of the many iconic characters is a tall order and players might just choose one that looks neat.
Even if someone is incredibly fond of a particular character, when jumping into a new game, it’s best for them to learn the mechanics of the easiest-to-play fighters on the roster first. Then, they can transition to their character of choice after they grow comfortable with the gameplay and systems Mortal Kombat has to offer. This prevents a new player from getting bogged down with a more complex character's intricacies.
12 Manage The Meter
One integral but often overlooked element of getting better in many fighting games is remembering to manage the meter. In Mortal Kombat 11, while the Super Meter can allow a player to utilize highly damaging crushing blows, it can also be used to augment a character’s special moves, improving them in a variety of ways.
Depending on the move, the Super Meter may allow a given move to increase its number of hits, become faster, less punishable, or improve a move’s combo potential. As cool as Krushing Blows are, being conscious of how much meter a player has can determine if they could potentially win a game with augmented special moves, which is often a safer plan than putting all of a player’s eggs in the basket of a Krushing Blow. Likewise, as each player has access to the same information on the screen, it’s important to be aware of how much Super Meter an opponent has in store, so gamers can predict and play around if they may be fishing for a Krushing Blow.
11 Post A String To The Screen
Mortal Kombat 11 has great resources for learning that other fighting games are still catching up to, like the ability to post moves on the screen during training and single-player modes. This makes it easy to learn a character quickly by having their moves right there, instead of switching between menus if forgotten.
To do this, players simply have to open the command list, and press Y or Triangle to display the move during a match or training. Exploiting this is a great start to finding out if a character fits the player's style or not. If no character fits, maybe come back later as more horror movie villains are on the horizon.
10 Find Out What's Safe
The worst feeling in a fighting game is trying to land that string, only for it to be blocked and then punished with a ton of damage. Mortal Kombat 11 has resources built into the game that tell players if their moves are punishable in terms of frame data. If a move is more than -7, most characters have a way of punishing it.
Keeping things safe goes a long way for new players because it keeps them alive longer against their opponents who might make less informed mistakes. Pay attention to the frame data in the command list just to learn what moves might be leading to death. Enjoying urban fantasy games is easier to do when using skills that don't allow time for reprisal attacks.
9 Speed Is Everything
There are games out there that reward charging-up abilities and heavy attacks. Bad news for those who like the slow and powerful, Mortal Kombat 11 is all about the speed of execution. It's tempting to try and unleash a burst of damage, but it's not wise.
The most devastating combos in the game are quick and efficient. Strung together, the damage is better than the slower hits. More importantly, they're easier to pull off and keep the character safe. Those who try and use their slow and strong moves are in for a rude awakening when they get to the online play. With the way NetherRealm Studios is going, using only the skills with the quickest execution is going to remain important.
8 Time Out Krushing Blows
It's obviously tempting to use a Krushing Blow as soon as it becomes available. It stands to reason that getting it off of cooldown is wise so that the meter can begin charging again. But this logic is flawed for a couple of different reasons, the first is that getting two off in a match is about impossible.
The next reason is that if players can pull off two Krushing Blows in a match, they're likely getting destroyed since it charges based on taking damage. The smart thing to do is to save it for close to the end of a round, then use it if things get close. Don't feel at all bad saving it for the next round and using it at the end of that one.
7 Understanding Lows, Mids, And Highs
Each attack in Mortal Kombat 11 has a level of height that they make contact with an opponent. Lows have to be blocked with a crouch block, mids can be blocked standing or crouching, and high attacks can be crouched under. This concept is a bit more complex but extremely crucial for understanding how certain mix-ups work. Once understood, players will be prepared for any fight, even if the series changes game engines.
To put it simply, players should always try to crouch under high attacks because they can counter them with a launcher, which leads to big damage. The danger of crouching without blocking is that it opens players up to overhead attacks that are designed to hit crouching opponents. The best time to aim for a crouching counter is right after the opponent does something that's barely safe since high attacks are some of the fastest and most damaging moves in the game.
6 Master Air Combos
If there were one single piece of the game that sets veterans away from newcomers, it is the ability to keep a flailing foe in the air with combos. With the right character and combos, a professional can take somebody at full health and kill them before they hit the ground.
This requires a lot of practice. The best fighters can pull it off a little more easily, but each character has some degree of ability as far as keeping a faltered opponent airborne with hits. This process of "juggling" a character is key to success in high-tier play. Those who find this too difficult may understand why Capcom and Bandai Namco are leaving this series in the dust.
5 Use Breakaways On Defense
Mortal Kombat 11 offers a variety of things that players can do while they're blocking or even getting hit that go a long way toward surviving into more rounds. There's a meter in the bottom corner of each player's side that displays what options are available. For beginners, there isn't too much to be concerned about because it can be overwhelming.
The biggest option to focus on for beginners is the breakaway function. Breakaways are done by pressing the block button and down at the same time while being juggled in the air. If the opponent is performing a long combo that has the potential to do lots of damage, breaking away might just swing the momentum the other way if timed correctly. The breakaway stops the character from being hit any further and effectively can reset the match. This can be an effective means of escape against a recent antagonist who may be featured in the next game.
4 Complete The Tutorial
Once players have a general feel for the game, it's always a good idea to see what the tutorial has to say. Netherrealms has done a fantastic job of breaking down the game's core mechanics, as well as what players should look out for, for each character.
The tutorial has lessons for beginner players as well as people who are more seasoned in the franchise and fighting games. Almost everything for improving gameplay can be found here, and more. This is one of the better tutorials in fighting games out there and there is plenty to re-discover in the single-player experience.
3 Check Tournament Results
With so many patches and updates, it's impossible to try and deduce who the best characters are at any given moment. Everybody seems to take a turn at the top. So when deciding on a few characters to practice with, take a peek at global, national, and local tournament results.
Usually, one to three characters will have their usage and win rates at sky-high numbers. It's safe to say that this is no accident. Use the combatants that the pros use to gain assurance that the results will have the highest ceiling possible.
2 Know The Character Counters
In conjunction with knowing who the best characters are, knowing how to counter them is huge. As of this writing, the consensus is that Cetrion is the best hero and her stats among professionals reflect that truth. She's also hard-countered by Jacqui Briggs, also a truth that shows up on the scoreboards.
The hero selection process is like an intricate game of rock-paper-scissors. By knowing which characters counter which, players can gain an upper hand in every fight where they pick second. Memorize these picks while waiting for the return of the Deadly Alliance.
1 Don't Forget Environmental Damage
Games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate have stage maps that are obviously different. In Mortal Kombat 11, they appear to be mostly flat and similar in size. but each map has projectiles and traps that can be latched onto and hurled at the opponent.
Powerful combatants in the lore and in practice can hit hard but an environmental strike deals more damage than most single blows in the game. Even if players don't feel like using these tools, it's handy to know about them and prepare to block or dodge them when opponents are in a position to use one.
Mortal Kombat 11 is available now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.