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When Mortal Kombat first entered the fighting scene in 1992, it immediately grabbed an audience with its memorable roster of characters, engaging narrative, and brutal Fatalities. Since then, the series has continued to grow in popularity and scale, from the many sequels and spin-offs to other forms of entertainment like movies, comic books, and more.

Related: Mortal Kombat 1: The New Timeline, Explained

Mortal Kombat 11 concluded an epic story told across three games. With a blank canvas, NetherRealm Studios was ready for something new. The latest chapter of the beloved fighting series is available now, and whether you've played every game since the beginning or want to jump in for the first time, this guide will help you decide if Mortal Kombat 1 is worth checking out.

Updated on September 19, 2023, by Kyle Chamaillard: We have updated this article to include the pricing for Shang Tsung, the Kombat Pack, and other add-ons.

Review

After four years of anticipation, Mortal Kombat is finally back with a bloody new entry that throws away most of the series' lore in exchange for a new beginning. Many of the most well-known relationships and established tropes - Sub-Zero and Scorpions rivalry, the Tarkatan species - are unrecognizable from previous iterations in the best ways possible. It's an excellent entry point for anyone looking to join the fray and keeps longtime fans wondering what will happen next.

In George Foster's piece, "Mortal Kombat 1 Review - A Bloody Promising New Timeline," he praises the fantastic story mode, the new Kameo Fighter system, and how great it feels to play. Fights go by much faster than they did in Mortal Kombat 11 without sacrificing the joy and satisfaction of landing a combo or special attack.

I wasn’t a fan of Mortal Kombat 11’s slower pace and time-wasting mechanics like Krushing Blows, but MK1 is much, much faster this time around, rivalling the speed of Mortal Kombat X at times.

Not only are matches more fluid, but they also require an extra layer of strategy thanks to Kameo Fighters - characters that can be called in to perform special movies, Fatalities, or block an opponent's combo. Foster mentions in his review, "I was sceptical about this new mechanic when it was revealed, but having to consider your fighter, your backup, your opponent, and who they might be calling in for help all at once makes matches a lot more interesting."

After seeing a ton of familiar faces in the last trilogy of games, Mortal Kombat 1 removes classic fighters like Sonya Blade and Jade to bring back 3D-era fighters like Nitara and Reiko. With a stellar combination of fan favorites and lesser-known characters, Foster feels that Mortal Kombat 1 has "...the best launch roster and most toe-curling Fatalities in the series so far."

There are many people who only play the Mortal Kombat games for their cinematic campaigns. This latest chapter contains the series' best visuals and an absorbing soundtrack, which make the adventure beautifully vicious. Foster thought that "...the campaign is one of the series’ best, mostly thanks to its fantastic characters. Many are similar to their past selves like Johnny Cage and Kenshi, but they’re more humanised and given more depth and personality than they ever had in the past."

Without going into spoilers, the second half of the story mode has been divisive within the community. While the first few chapters do a superb job establishing each character's relationships and motivations, some of that is lost during an ambitious second half that is still full of spectacle, just less heart.

One of the newest additions to Mortal Kombat 1 is the seasonal-based mode Invasions. Fusing elements from the Towers of Time and the Krypt, you travel across a board fighting different variations of characters to level up your fighter and unlock new cosmetics. It's similar to the World of Light campaign from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate without a narrative or new characters to unlock.

Invasions has some potential, but it doesn't come close to being as fun as Mortal Kombat 1's other modes. In Foster's review, he states "I had fun turning my brain off and getting into fights for some neat cosmetics, but Invasions is like a mode after a Scorpion Fatality - stripped of its flesh and left with just a broken skeleton."

This mode also highlights one of the game's biggest weaknesses: the progression system. Each character and Kameo fighter can be leveled up to unlock new Brutalities and color palettes, but it takes a long time to unlock the best content - Fatalities.

Foster makes note of his experience, saying "I stuck with Liu Kang for almost my entire time playing Invasion and some of the online modes, and in around three hours, I just barely reached Level 14 to unlock his second Fatality. Times all that work by 22, and it’s likely that most players will only ever see a fraction of these iconic moves everyone loves so much."

Related: Mortal Kombat 1: Beginner's Tips

Time Expenditure

There is a lot to do in Mortal Kombat 1, and depending on which modes you engage with, the amount of time you spend with the game can vary. Between local matches and online tournaments, it's easy to put dozens of hours into it just by playing against other people. If you want to dabble in the single-player content as well, that can easily rack up even more time in this continuously entertaining fighting game.

The story mode is one of the longest in the series, but you can still beat it in around five hours if you don't have much difficulty getting past the fights. Depending on how early you start it, it's not impossible to complete the campaign in one sitting, and it's so compelling that you just might want to.

The other single-player modes - Invasions and Towers - can go as long as you want them to. Playing either one is a great way to level up both standard characters and Kameo Fighters while unlocking new cosmetics and character endings. Between these options and the versus mode, don't be surprised if you accidentally clock in hundreds of hours into Mortal Kombat 1, especially as more content arrives through DLC.

Cost

The standard edition of Mortal Kombat 1 is currently available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC for $69.99. There is also a Premium Edition of the game that allows consumers to play the full game five days early, as well as early access to Shang Tsung, a Jean-Claude Van Damme Skin for Johnny Cage, and more for $109.99. You can purchase Shang Tsung individually for $7.99

For the biggest Mortal Kombat fans, there is also a Kollector's Edition available for $249.99. This includes all the content from the Premium Edition and some extra goodies like a Liu Kang sculpture, art prints, and an exclusive steelbook case.

As expected, Mortal Kombat 1 plans on introducing more playable characters that you can purchase individually or as a bundle through the Kombat Pack. It's already been confirmed that Ermac, Quan Chi, Takeda Takahashi, Homelander, Peacemaker, and Omni-Man will be arriving in Spring 2024 alongside a handful of new Kameo Fighters like Khameleon, Ferra, and Johnny Cage. The Kombat Pack costs $39.99

There is also an add-on bundle called the One-Time Dragon Pack that provides you with an exclusive Scorpion palette with alternate colors and 850 Dragon Krystals, one of Mortal Kombat 1's many currencies. This will cost you $4.99 to access these items.

Related: Mortal Kombat 1: Kameo System, Explained

What People Are Saying

A Promising New Beginning - Axel Bosso

When it was first shown, I wasn't sold in Kameos. Apart from the personal preference of one-on-one battles, there were questions about how the system would work and if the whole deal would make sense. After fighting for hours, I'm glad to say that, initially, this seems to be a bold, fun, and exciting new direction for the Mortal Kombat series. As it happens with FGs, this could easily change as more players find out what you can do, but so far, it's a feature that makes battles more deep, interesting, and ridiculous.

Blood, Guts, Kombat - Kyle Chamaillard

Mortal Kombat 1 is a bold step in the right direction for the series. After Mortal Kombat 11's epic finale, it's refreshing to see a more focused narrative with a humbler cast of characters. The new Invasion mode isn't perfect, but it's a great way to experiment with different fighters until you figure out which one is right for you. With a large amount of content to shift through in the base game and a steady amount of DLC on the horizon, Mortal Kombat is the perfect fighting game for anyone who likes to play alone or against a group of friends.

An Engaging Game That Will Leave You Wanting More - Garrett Garcia

The thing I'm most impressed about with Mortal Kombat 1 is its excellent fighting system. The game does a great job of showing you the strings you can perform, while providing the freedom to use special cancels and incorporate your Kameo characters. If you're looking for something in-depth that'll test your skills for hours on end, you'll fall in love with this game! It has a character for any playstyle.

Next: Mortal Kombat 1 Knows That Some Of Us Have No Friends