
Once the story is completed, Towers of Time serves as the main single-player focus alongside a robust online suite of modes.
#Mortal kombat 11 review Patch
It’s worth noting that NetherRealm has released a post-launch patch that lessens the more grind-y aspects of Mortal Kombat 11 as well as tweak and refine the unfair difficulty spikes seen in the Towers of Time mode. Initially it all seems a bit much, especially when coupled with a progressions system to unlock skins and even items needed for Towers of Time being, well, a severely unbalanced and initially confusing grind. From the stylised and wonderfully detailed Krypt that has you explore Shang Tsung’s island, to the Towers of Time that offers more arcade-like single-player progression with added modifiers and sometimes random events that fundamentally changes combat flow.
#Mortal kombat 11 review full
And one still full of crazy outlandish characters.Įverything outside of the story mode though is built around currencies, items, and character load-outs that quickly veers off, to use some Mortal Kombat parlance, into the Realm of overload. Each of the new interactive environments or stages represent key locations in a multi-hour multi-realm over-the-top narrative – which all adds up to giving Mortal Kombat 11 the feeling of a singular cohesive world. Or, become the crescendo in a symphonic explosion of blood and gore. Not in the sense that it offers mechanics or interaction outside of the core 1-v-1 encounters peppered between cut-scenes, but in how each character is given their moment to shine. From evil corrupted Liu Kang facing off against his younger self to Sub Zero, Scorpion, Shao Khan, and faces both new and old popping up at regular intervals the story mode is not only lively but perhaps the most intricately designed campaign seen in a fighter. With a time-bending story mode that offers hours of inventive cinematic encounters weaving together a huge cast with nods to the lore’s complete reboot in 2011 and the franchise’s 1990s roots. Where the experience shines brightest though, outside of the inventive and borderline sadistic fatalities of course, is how Mortal Kombat 11 serves as a greatest hits collection. One that thankfully also offers newcomers or lapsed players detailed and intuitive tutorials to learn everything from basic combos to advanced counters across a suite of lessons – with everything from using the environment and stringing together defensive and offensive moves covered.
#Mortal kombat 11 review series
Throw in the ability to block or counter the Fatal Blow, as well as being able to pull it off mid-combo, then something as simple as pressing a few buttons becomes complex and strategic.Īs the eleventh entry in the series Mortal Kombat 11 presents perhaps its most polished fighting engine to date with some of the best animation in the series decades long history – although some of it still looks robotic. But it only becomes available once a character’s health is low and can only be used once per match-up. Triggering the sequence of superbly gruesome hits, stabs, slices, bone-breaks, and whatever else the designers could think up simply requires pressing two buttons. Where the fun and violent aspects of Mortal Kombat still serve as the main drawcard for most of the potential audience, with the depth of Mortal Kombat 11’s fighting mechanics serving up skill-driven spectacle no matter someone’s ability.Ĭase in point, the super or ultimate ability each fighter has. The complexity and nuance came later, across a rather sizable number of sequels spanning from the early parts of the 1990s right up to today.Īnd throughout it’s many hits, missteps, and sometimes complete misfires, the Mortal Kombat name has survived and thrived thanks to series creator Ed Boon and the veteran development team at NetherRealm. The Mortal Kombat series, has always been a little different in the sense that it began as a fun and violent riff on traditional martial arts, fantasy, and the formula originally laid out by Street Fighter II.

Where classic side-by-side 1-v-1 competition sees established franchises tweak and refine a formula over multiple decades. The fighting genre has it roots, and arguably still does for the most part, in the arcade scene.
