Highlights

  • Mortal Kombat 1 has had a successful launch and is a step forward for the franchise after Mortal Kombat 11, with new mechanics and remade characters settling into the game.
  • The game will have a long life ahead with upcoming patches, the addition of new characters, and planned seasons. However, lessons from the past should be learned to keep the game up to standard.
  • The removal of the Krypt mode was controversial, and Mortal Kombat 2 should bring it back in a new form. Introducing new combatants is also important to keep the game feeling fresh, and zoning characters' projectiles should not become overpowered. Animation keyframes should be revised to improve visuals.

Mortal Kombat is in a good state right now. With the release of Mortal Kombat 1, the American fighting game franchise has opened the next chapter of its life. Players are coming to grips with the game's new mechanics as the remade characters themselves settle into Fire God Liu Kang's universe. It hasn't been a perfect launch, but Mortal Kombat 1 as a whole proved to be a good step forward after the apparent finale that was Mortal Kombat 11.

Fixes and features are slowly rolling in with patches, and soon Mortal Kombat 1 will have its first Kombat Pack character Omni-Man. With Kombat Pack 1's roadmap stretching out for almost a year, and more Invasions seasons planned to rotate in the meantime, Mortal Kombat 1 should have a long life ahead of it. However, it still had to learn some harsh lessons along the way like the need to keep all its skews up to snuff, and both it and many of NetherRealm Studios’ past titles still have much to teach the next Mortal Kombat.

RELATED: One Problem Makes Mortal Kombat 1's Story End With a Whimper Instead of a Bang

A Krypt Is Mandatory

Mortal Kombat 11 Krypt

One of the most controversial decisions made with Mortal Kombat 1 was the removal of the Krypt mode that players once used to unlock new content. This was a fan-favorite feature, and Mortal Kombat X and 11 both had clever adventure game spins on the concept. A similar function is present in MK1's Invasions mode, which is like MK11's Krypt fused with its seasonal Living Towers, but it lacks the style and substance of past Krypt modes. Mortal Kombat 2 should defer to MK’s best practices here and bring the Krypt back in a new form.

Add Compelling New Combatants

A fighting game’s success depends on how well it sells its roster, and nowhere is that more important than with said roster’s newest members. Mortal Kombat 1 took an odd stance here, as it prioritized remaking old characters rather than introducing any new ones. It did well in that respect, but newcomers are vital to keep new games feeling fresh, and MK has struggled to top its existing characters since the 90s. Mortal Kombat 4 and the following 3D trilogy are remembered for producing many forgettable fighters, but even the best and worst parts of the Mortal Kombat 9 trilogy are currently represented in MK1 by little more than Geras and a downloadable Takeda. New blood needs to flow in the next Mortal Kombat.

Projectiles Can’t Be Overpowered

mortal-kombat-1-rain-injustice-2-doctor-fate

Zoner characters in fighting games tend to come with some inherent frustrations, but there was a time in NRS games where they got out of hand. While Injustice 1 was arguably where it started, Injustice 2 and Mortal Kombat 11 had a surplus of zoners that slowed matches to a crawl. Some characters like Doctor Fate and Cetrion were such a chore to approach that it killed the games’ enjoyment for some players. Zoning in Mortal Kombat 1 isn't as oppressive, but NetherRealm Studios needs to continue paying close attention to just how strong its characters' projectiles get.

Revise Animation Keyframes

Mortal Kombat 1 Bad Animation

Time and time again, a couple consistent complaints have arisen from other fighting game fans about Mortal Kombat. A block button is too deeply ingrained to remove at this point, but many are still waiting for NetherRealm Studios to do something about Mortal Kombat's legacy keyframes. Based on the era of digitized actors, these awkward and soft-feeling animations keep popping up in every NRS game. Other animations, like the throws and intro/outro poses, and even MK's signature Fatalities, feel like they've been overcompensating since Mortal Kombat 9 to divert attention from this issue. If a theoretical Mortal Kombat 2 can spread Mortal Kombat 1’s excellent visuals across its battles, then it could be one of the best-looking fighting games ever made.