Mortal Kombat 11 was released on April 23, 2019, for PlayStation 4, Windows, XBOX, and Nintendo Switch. Mortal Kombat has been my fighting game of choice since it first came out on the SNES back in 1992. Even though I am a fan, the series does have some terrible games in its catalog, which has caused me to stop playing the series for a while and took me a week after release to purchase a copy of this newest installment.
The game though is a welcoming surprise, as I put the game in my PS4 the learning curve was minimal. Yes, it’s a fighting game, but the controls are just as easy to pick up as they were back on the SNES. In fact, I think some of the combos and fatalities are much easier to pull off in this latest installment then in previous titles. Maybe I grew up and I am more patient, or maybe evolution has made this game better than ever. Anyone who has played a Mortal Kombat game should have no issue grabbing a controller and getting started right away.
The controls are great, but the story mode in this game is what makes it worth the $60 price tag (previously $80). The story mode plays like a movie where the player gets to control the action scenes. Each time there is a battle, the player takes control of a playable character on screen and plays out the fight. Occasionally, the player gets the choice of choosing between 2 characters, which gives the story mode a little bit of replay value as different voice lines are used depending on which character is chosen. Ultimately though, the end of the game remains the same. Without spoiling anything, early fanboys will enjoy the game seeing some players in their original form while new players are able to pick up and follow along with no problem.
Other than Story Mode, the only other game mode I played was Online Battle. I called up one of my friends and we had a good hour of play time. This is where I thought the game was going to have its issues. I have played many fighting games online and have experienced many problems with them. Anyone who has played Smash Brothers online will know exactly what I am talking about. Mortal Kombat excels at online play and it feels like your friend is sitting next to you playing on the same console. There is zero lag as long as both internet connections are up to par (so no dial-up). Even the controls feel as if both of you are sitting side by side.
The only downfall I see with the game so far is the character selection for head-to-head play. The game has 23 playable characters to start but is missing some nostalgia characters from the past. While the favorites are still there, like Scorpion and Sub-Zero, others are not, like Smoke and Melina. DLC is slated to bring in some characters back. Currently, according to VG247.com the “leaked” list of DLC characters to come is as follows:
- Shang Tsung
- Joker
- Nightwilf
- Terminator
- Sindel
- Spawn
- Ash
- Fujin
- Sheeva
In the end, Mortal Kombat 11 is quickly becoming my favorite game in the series and as long as the publishers keep up with creating the games in this style then I am on board for the next 10 in the series. If you liked Mortal Kombat in the past but are on the fence about picking up a copy, I say pull the trigger. With the price drop to $60 it’s worth it.
