For decades this series has embraced its love of brainless ultraviolence and childish storytelling.
If Mortal Kombat 1 can be praised for anything, it is unwavering kommitment to the bit.
First off, don’t flip out.
The fighting itself is still decent.
In true 2D fighter form it encourages a versatility of violence with a limited palette.
And Mortal Kombat 1 still delivers in this regard.
Whether it delivers that sensation as finely as its predecessor is another matter.
The idea isn’t new to fighting games, but it is at least well-implemented here.
Online fights are still the purest distillation of the game’s juice.
In short: I lost a lot, yet did not stop.
Even for me there were noticeable stutters every few seconds during story cinematics, alongside a certain fuzziness.
This is PC gaming after all.
Consider this a friendly caution.
In any case, that’s the least of the singleplayer story’s problems.
Liu Kang is now a god and he has reinvented the universe.
But not that much.
Kase in point:
“I never thought that-”
“That’s your problem, Mileena!
You never think!”
He doesn’t need to make a weak quip in every scene.
Less a reboot, more a pseudoboot.
“Two timelines…” worries one of the heroes.
“Never in a billion lifetimes have I seen this.”
Unfortunately, anyone who has been to the cinema in the last ten years cannot say the same.
But look at me, getting upset about a fighting game’s story mode.
That it takes nothing seriously is both a weakness and a strength.
It means the dialogue and characterisation isn’t very thoughtful, sure.
(Warning: here be spoilers).
There are other things I admire about this installment.
The background environments are vibrant and filled with detail, for example.
There’s a tea house where seated bystanders scuttle away when the fight comes close to them.
Treasure vaults filled with gleaming gold.
A laboratory with a wretched experimental fleshdude, who watches you sadly as you fight.
In short: good fightin', rushed writin'.
A totally acceptable (akkceptable?)
follow-up, provided the online kombatants follow through.
This review is based on a review build of the game provided by publishers Warner Bros Games.
