Platform: Playstation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC
Release Date: April 23, 2019
Publisher: Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment
Developer: NetherRealm Studios
ESRB: Mature
Mortal Kombat 11 – Introduction
Since 1992, Midway Games had been making the Mortal Kombat series and catering to fans who wish to see more. With over-the top characters, intense fighting, and even more brutal fatalities, they’d kept up the MK story and characters until Mortal Kombat Armageddon, which was supposed to be the end for the series. However, in 2008, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe released, where the characters would perform fatalities on DC heroes, but with less-decapitations. This was Midway’s final game until NetherRealm Studios took over and partnered with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and the original Director, Ed Boon, taking lead. This continuation resulted in 2011’s Mortal Kombat 9.
Since the success of MK 9, it’s been clear that NetherRealm Studios is competent in making the best fighting game they can. They proved it further in MK 10 by improving the graphics, tightening up the gameplay, and creating a more compelling story mode. Now it’s 2019, and Mortal Kombat 11 has it all: a cinematic story, fully-tuned gameplay, and plenty of Fatalities.
Mortal Kombat 11 – Kombat Brings More Techniques
Mortal Kombat 11’s gameplay has drastically improved from the previous titles, with faster-paced combat and some new features that make the gameplay more balanced while encouraging strategic fights. The X-Ray mechanic has split into Fatal and Crushing Blows. Normally, at low health, the player will be able to perform a Fatal Blow, which does massive amounts of damage in a short cinematic scene. Crushing Blows work differently, as they are basically mini Fatal Blows that can be used once per round depending on the move. These blows now offer a bit more strategy in fights while looking stylish.
Since the Fatal Blow bar is separate from the special bar on the bottom left of the screen, players can amp up one of their specials for added damage. This gives a lot more freedom to either mix up special attacks or dodge a move. While the input for these moves may be a little too specific at times, they do add some depth to all fights.
If that wasn’t enough, MK 11 features one of the most detailed tutorials seen in a fighting game. It even has a tutorial to help players understand frame data and hit boxes.
Mortal Kombat 11 – Visuals and Audio
Using a modified version of Unreal Engine 3, Mortal Kombat 11 plays perfectly with 60 FPS for every fight. This way players can see blood splatter, arms break, and colons sliced during battle. Though, when it comes to Fatal and Crushing Blows, it will be at 30 FPS. Ed Boon explained they did it “so we can do cooler visuals with the crazy olympic blood and the cool-lit and higher resolution models with the characters.”
While the 30 FPS during Fatal Blows makes the hits have a huge impact, the frame-rate also counts towards the story mode’s cut-scenes. While this makes the story more enjoyable to watch with the higher-resolution models, its definitely odd to see the frame rate go from 30 FPS to 60 FPS during the cut-scene to fight transitions. This is especially noticeable since the models for fighting are clearly different from the models in the story cut-scenes. Other than that, the game will always run at 60 FPS on consoles with no stutters or lag.
The sound design is also terrific for the most part. The music in the stages and sounds of each hit during fights are so satisfying to witness. Better yet is the characters’ voice acting, which includes hundreds of lines of dialogue between all the characters at the start of all matches. The voice lines both add a lot of personality to MK’s fighters and gives players a sense of immersion when they fight.
Mortal Kombat 11 – Brutal Story
The story is one of the most enjoyable cinematic experiences in a fighting game. After the events of Mortal Kombat X, a mysterious being named Kronika endangers the lives of both Earthrealm and Outworld inhabitants as she plans on keeping the timeline balanced in her favor. It’s because of her that characters from the past and present must work against and with each other to stop her.
For the most part, the story is great and possibly goes above and beyond making cut-scenes for fighting games. The animations for each character are akin to Injustice 2’s cut-scenes where the facial animations are fantastic. Not only that, the interactions between characters will resonate with fans of the Mortal Kombat series. Unfortunately, some of the voice acting can be pretty jarring to hear for some characters.
The only real problem with everything going on is the story’s fighting scenarios. They make almost no sense when a character decides to let the other live after a fight. They will make players wonder why Cassie Cage let Liu Kang live when he’s obviously a huge threat. Same goes for how the Revenant characters in-game are constantly losing fights but nobody really cares in the end. While the story can be enjoyable for the character interaction, it’s hard to take the story seriously.
Mortal Kombat 11 – The Krypt
The Krypt this time around is a third-person puzzle-adventure mode where the goal is to unlock chests that contain unlockables for character customization. Fans play as an unnamed character whose only goal is to seemingly explore Shang Tsung’s Island for its riches. Gamers will open chests, bust through walls, and solve some puzzles to fully unlock all the Krypt’s secrets.
It’s an interesting mode that basically lets the player take a tour around Shang Tsung’s Island, which houses many of the stages throughout Mortal Kombat’s history, such as the spike-filled Pit and Goro’s Lair. While the Krypt is expansive and has so much to explore, it mostly serves as a dedicated Island where players can unlock loot chests filled with goodies.
The chests contain random items ranging from rare outfits to some character artwork. Because of the randomness, it can be hard to unlock items for someone’s favorite character, which is a shame since certain Brutalities and Fatalities are locked behind the Krypt.
When not unlocking chests players can visit the Forge to craft character equipment. Though, more likely than not, players will have to open chests anyway to even gain these forging ingredients in the end. Also, if players decide to donate to the Shrine, they can get some goodies as well, though, they’re better off opening random chests as the rewards are generally the same unless donating lots of money.
Mortal Kombat 11 – Troublesome Towers
The towers are two separate modes with their own familiar set of challenges. The Klassic Tower acts as traditional arcade/short story mode where players go through a set number of fights with any character depending on what Klassic Tower they choose. After beating the tower’s boss, players are rewarded with a character ending, a decent number of Koins, and character equipment.
The Towers of Time offer a different challenge. Depending on what tower is chosen, the player will engage in combat with various modifiers for each fight. These modifiers include homing missiles, increased elemental damage with a character, or accomplishing a certain amount of hits in a round. Unfortunately, fights can be unreasonably hard due to these modifiers. At times it would seem enemies would have too much health without any indication, and other times the opponent would simply spam the same move.
Not only that, there’s also the fact the character-specific Time Towers require 20,000 Koins to unlock just to do their own challenge. Even though the Towers and modifiers change every hour or so, they could use some serious re-balancing.
Mortal Kombat 11 – Never Change Online Kombat
Finally, there’s Mortal Kombat’s online features. The amount of Online Modes MK 11 has is amazing. Starting off with the casual modes are the normal versus modes, where players can challenge other players through matchmaking.
In King of the Hill, a player enters a lobby full of people who want to beat the current King of the lobby. Up to six people can watch while the king and his challenger fights, then it moves on to whoever is next in line. While it’s a fun gameplay mode, it’s nothing special, there is a bit of fun in performing Fatalities in front of a small audience.
Then there are the ranked modes which require players to use the Tournament Versions of the character variations. This is understandable since NetherRealm doesn’t want players with mixed move-sets to plague online ranked. It’s a first to three full match wins so players should bring their A-game. The net-code between matches is perfect here and there are no stutters.
If fighting random players isn’t appealing, then private fights are also an option, creating Kustom Lobbies and engaging in practice matches with friends online. This is a great feature as players were never able to properly practice with each-other online in the past.
Next up are the Rooms where users can create or join a lobby of up to 100 players. Gamers can choose from a huge list of potential challengers. It shows all of the information about the players in the lobby, including win/loss ratio, winning odds, and the opponent’s connection.
NetherRealm Studios has also brought back a mode from the previous Injustice game, AI Battle Mode. In AI Battle players can send a group of three AI-controlled characters that fight differently depending on how many points put into them in the customization screen. Players can put points into a character’s chance of grappling, use of rushdown mechanics, reversals, zoning mechanics, and using runaway tactics.
After customizing their AI, players can set up a team of three to defend their placement. This means players will be able to choose their defending team to fight. Afterwards, gamers can choose to attack a player’s defending team. The matches can be fast-forwarded to save time. Additionally, the AI can be sent against the Towers if gamers don’t feel like playing against a heavily modified opponent.
AI-only matches are also available, where players choose their characters with customized AI and watch them fight instead. Players can also fast-forward these fights and they will still get the full rewards. It’s an interesting way to learn different combos for each character and earn money, but it requires more watching than actual playing.
Mortal Kombat 11 – Final Verdict
Mortal Kombat 11 is a fan-pleaser that aims to improve from the past in every way possible. While MK 9’s gameplay was enjoyable and MK 10 improved over its predecessor, they didn’t have enough depth to keep someone’s attention for extended stretches. MK 11 is definitely a game players can put down and pick back up later for months of enjoyment. There’s so much content to see and so many Kustomizations to unlock that it will take up so much time out of anybody’s day. Unfortunately, the grind to get those unlocks can be a bit much.
For fans of the series, Mortal Kombat 11 is probably the best they’re going to get for a while, as it certainly ends the current storyline NetherRealm started in MK 9. Save from many missing characters, fans will be pleased to see how much time and care NetherRealm Studios put into the game and will have some great time with it. It’s unfortunate some of the modes require way too much skill to beat.
