Mortal Kombat 1 online beta was playable 18 to 21 August for those who preordered it. The game got quite the competition, it was not the only fighting game of this year to be released and surely will give trouble to Street Fighter 6
Gameplay and Kameos
Mortal Kombat 1 has a unique rework behind it. Almost every character lost half of his old moveset to be replaced with more stylish combos. They also maintained their old habits from a different timeline. That means the characters’ behaviors didn’t change, just their backgrounds and relationships. For example the comical intro between Johnny Cage and Liu Kang where Johnny asks who he’s gonna flirt with in that timeline. This means Johnny and Sonya aren’t married and Cassie Cage can’t join the roster canonically.
The relevant aspect of the gameplay is the addition of Kameos characters. Mortal Kombat 1 became a tag game where support characters can join the battle helping the lead character. They can’t be spammed, their bar has to be refilled first, and once it is filled, the kameo will help periodically.
The roster is immense, we had the chance to see characters that hadn’t appeared in a long time, like Li Mei, or some newer choices like Kenshi and Reptile and new entries like Ashtar.
About Beta and Aspects to Fix
Mortal Kombat 1 is smoother and faster than Mortal Kombat 11, with some big rework in background.
Other than classic connection problems, the game was quite reliable. With the need of some rebalances to prevent death combos and big damages. I had no lag playing against players with 100 or higher ping.
The only aspect I tend to criticize about the franchise is the excessive amount of high hits, not guaranteeing a good punishment over whiffs.
Last important aspect is the throw, for some players it is really slow, takes a lot of time to execute it and ruins the moment. I didn’t quite get disturbed by this but it could be fixed in no time.
Game is fixed now?
No, but they programmed already to make a big patch in no time. Unbalanced characters like Baraka, with his non functional scaling damage, Raiden with no use of bars to take 40% of the enemy life’s bar and an invincible Mileena’s death combo spammed by one hit only. The game still runs smoothly but not how it should be.
One aspect that should be increased is the movelist of some characters. Johnny is missing a low kick that might save him in the corner, Reptile is slower than ever and makes almost everything unpunishable. Excluding the tier list character, everyone needs to have less high punch and more lows and mid hits. I recommend a good way to fix the big damage of some characters by preventing the double call of the kameo in a single combo, fixing in this way Raiden and others. If not this, also works stopping the kameo from hitting twice with the same move.
I’m not a specialist nor a leaker so anything of this is real, i just see a bright future for the game if maintained like it should be.
Confirmed Playable Roster
Mortal Kombat 1 has 21 confirmed playable characters. Let’s meet both old friends and new characters. And some old glories!
- Liu Kang: The fire God. After gaining control of the Klessidra, Liu Kang restarted the course of history. Having neutralized the previous threats and dangers, he created a New Era in which all living beings could find peace.
- Sub Zero: The Lin Kuei Master. Sub-Zero leads his ancient clan of warriors in defending the Earth Kingdom from outside threats. For centuries, this has been their solemn duty. Under his leadership, Lin Kuei will step out of the shadows and fight for a place in the great nations of Earth.
- Scorpion: Like his beloved father, Scorpion is entirely dedicated to Lin Kuei and the defense of the Earth Kingdom. When his parents died, Scorpion felt empty. But he was proud to know that his brother, Sub-Zero, would succeed him as Grand Master of the Lin Kuei.
- Kitana: Outrealm princess. Kitana has only one goal in life: to protect and help her older sister Mileena, so that she can one day rule the Outworld.
- Johnny Cage: The 21st century action hero. Johnny became addicted to his fame. He came to measure his self-worth by his fans’ adoration and their praise of him on social media. He joins Liu Kang’s Earthrealm champions hoping that it will provide his career and his fame a desperately needed boost.
- Kenshi Takahashi: Takahashi’s were decimated in battle. They lost everything, including the emblem of their power: the revered sword, Sento. Kenshi is raised on the stories of his ancient family’s exploits. Detesting his corrupt Yakuza life, he pines to free the Takahashis from the Yakuza’s grasp and restore their name.
- Kung Lao: Born and raised in the village of Fengjian, Kung Lao has spent his life toiling in the fields. His prayers are answered when he is asked to join the champions of Earthrealm.
- Mileena: Born mere seconds ahead of her twin sister Kitana, Mileena is the rightful heir to Outworld’s throne. But even so, there are those who distrust Mileena’s impulsiveness. They whisper that Kitana should replace Mileena as heir to the throne.
- Raiden: Champion of Earthrealm. In the village of Fengjian, Raiden was known for his kindness and his charity. He was happy to spend his days tending to the fields, as well as to his friends and family.
- Rain: As a student at Outworld’s exclusive Imperial Academy of Sorcery, Rain amazed his peers with his singular aptitude for water magic.
- Smoke: As a boy, Smoke lived to hunt with his family. Having accidentally trespassed onto Lin Kuei lands, they were attacked. Smoke was orphaned. Ashamed by his warriors’ actions, the Lin Kuei’s Grandmaster adopted Smoke. He raised him alongside his sons, Sub Zero and Scorpion.
- Li Mei: As her parents’ first born daughter, Li Mei was claimed by the Umgadi, the warrior priestesses who guard Outworld’s royal family.
- Baraka: Baraka’s life ended when he contracted the dreaded Tarkat plague. Incurable and contagious, Tarkat turned Baraka into a monster. He was cast out and doomed to live out his days in a colony of similarly afflicted Outworlders.
- Tanya: Tanya became one of the order’s most trusted members. She was the obvious choice when it needed to choose a new leader for the royal family’s personal guard.
- Geras: In this New Era, Geras monitors events to make sure that they are faithful to Liu Kang’s vision. When they deviate from their intended path, it is Geras’s responsibility to correct them.
- Reptile: Reptile is Zaterran. Like other reptiles, Zaterrans can camouflage themselves. But Reptile possesses a unique mutation: one which allows him to shift shape to appear human.
- Havik: Havik is sworn to take down its oppressive regime and free his people. When he is brutally punished for a minor crime, he sets out to destroy Seido’s regime and replace it with an anarchist utopia.
- Ashrah: Repentant Demon: As a demon, discovers that using the kriss to destroy evil was purifying her soul. And that if she continued to do so, she could free herself from the Netherrealm.
- Sindel: Empress of Outworld. Sindel fights to protect her family and her empire. She will do whatever it takes to defend her daughters’ birthright.
- General Shao: Years of toil molded Shao into a physical colossus and forged within him an iron will. Shao became the perfect soldier. His brilliant tactics and relentless effort won Outworld many victories and gained him much fame.
- Nitara: Nitara’s race of vampires hails from the dark and desolate realm of Vaeternus. It is Nitara’s solemn obligation to deliver her people from hunger and save her race. Vaeternus must survive.
- Shang Tsung: Shang Tsung was resigned to this hardscrabble life. But then one day a mysterious stranger came, promising to make Shang Tsung a powerful sorcerer. Though suspicious of the offer, it was one he couldn’t refuse.
- Reiko: Reiko was freed during a raid by General Shao. Impressed by the boy’s spirit, General Shao made Reiko his squire. Under his tutelage, Reiko learned the ways of war. He became an exceptional soldier and is now the General’s second-in-command.
Kameo Characters List
Kameo fighters are the big news of Mortal Kombat 1. They can change the tide of a battle with their support abilities. Get some inspiration for potentially unique partnerships and take a look at the fighters you can choose:
- Cyrax
- Darrius
- Frost
- Goro
- Jax Briggs
- Kano
- Kung Lao
- Motaro
- Sareena
- Scorpion
- Sektor
- Shujinko
- Sonya Blade
- Stryker
- Sub-Zero
Mortal Kombat 1 Game Modes
Temporarily leaving aside the Versus section and the one concerning Training Mode, we focus on the Kampaign Mode.
Kampaign mode is divided into 3 macro sections: Story, Invasions and Towers.
Story Mode is divided into 15 chapters across 4 acts. In each you will play as one character from the roster and participate in at least four fights as that character, and up to six, except for the final chapter in the story. This can be played even offline.
Invasions is a free seasonal content playable online. All players can play it. All Invasions have at least two areas, called mesas. Each has its own tabletop-like overworld, where you can travel between nodes. Some nodes contain fights, other treasure, minigames
Invasions it’s more RPG-like systems, you can level up over time, grind out fights, and discover new Relics and Amulets that make your traversal through them easier. The maximum level is 30 and all your fighters level alongside you, so you can freely change anytime. Your level will be reset when a new Invasion comes out.
You can collect Krowns, a currency that can be used to buy things from the Kollector. As well as komponents, used in crafting Amulets and Relics. Through leveling up, you will have the opportunity to assign Stat Points. You can choose to assign these points manually or let the game assign them for you. Each character has their own stat points.
Towers look like those from other MK.
Like the Story Kampaign, you can select your difficulty level, allowing you to complete them much more easily. You only need to complete one of the towers to unlock the cinematic for the character you used to do it.
Playing all game modes, you will earn experience for your Account, Fighter, and Kameo Fighter, including in single-player. Every five Account levels, you will unlock a new Kameo Fighter until level 25. You will also receive new cosmetic drops.
Kombat Pack 1
Kombat Pack 1 was announced at San Diego Comic-Con as the game’s first DLC, and it’ll have 6 fighters. The announced characters are as follows:
- Ermac
- Homelander
- Peacemaker
- Omni-Man
- Quan Chi
- Takeda
The kameos are:
- Tremor
- Johnny Cage
- Khameleon
- Mavado
- Ferra
Storyline
The story is incredible, a piece of art thanks to the reboot. The entry of old characters is what makes the game incredible because almost everyone had a small or big part in this timeline. The game starts with Liu Kang meeting the earthrealm possible champions, Johnny, Raiden, Kenshi and Kung Lao.
After some training the chosen one will fight in the Mortal Kombat tournament. Raiden will be the legend that will also win against the Outer World. In the meantime a mysterious figure is approaching Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, the bad guys of the previous timeline, revealing to them that they were insuperable and living a low life because Liu Kang took away their power.
So the war is near, the protectors of the Earth, Smoke, Sub Zero and Scorpion are ready to face Shang Tsung after he allied with Shao to ruin Sindel’s realm blaming the Earth champions. They succeed and the war begins. In the end Shang Tsung will lose, but will be helped again by this mysterious figure, the Shang Tsung of the old timeline. After the ending of Mortal Kombat 11, two timelines were made, one with Liu Kang’s victory, and the other with Shang Tsung.
So now two timelines collide to let the old Shang ruin Liu Kang’s timeline and steal his power.
He doesn’t succeed thanks to Geras and his plan of asking help from others’ timeline and so the war begins and ends with the character from the roster the player chooses.
