Yes, there are still enough blood and guts to more than justify that M rating, but the kills feel more thematic and sometimes even comical. While Mortal Kombat X’s fatalities mostly varied from tediously gruesome to disturbing revelry, Mortal Kombat 11 brings back some of that early MK pulp spirit. And of course returning are fatalities, arguably the trademark of Mortal Kombat. Joining them are longtime favorites like Liu Kang and Johnny Cage, in both their modern and retro versions. Geras is a time-bending brawler who has some cool potential for timer-related antics, Cetrion brings some nature-based power, and the Kollector is so weird that I’m excited to see what players can do with his bizarre move list. A lot of returning faces means fan favorites are here, with a few new folks to add some variety. The fighting itself will feel familiar to anyone with Kombat experience. And the performances rise to the occasion, with former UFC fighter and current WWE wrestler Ronda Rousey’s stint as Sonya Blade being the rare low point. NetherRealm has led the charge of storytelling in fighting games, and with a blend of campy fun, strong cutscene work, and seamless transitions into fights, MK11 keeps the bar high.
Liu Kang and Raiden still drive the story, but Cassie Cage, Kitana, and Scorpion all have compelling threads to follow. There are genuinely poignant story beats, like an early death of a character and Jax coping with lingering scars from his time as an evil revenant. The tale excels with smaller moments, too. The mashup of past and present makes for fun moments between characters, and a lot of “wait, what?” takes as past fighters learn of what’s to come for them. The story takes pleasure in forcing its stars to interact across the generational gap. All the retro characters get a splash of modern redesign while keeping their original vibe. Now, years later, as Raiden turns from peaceful defender to preemptive aggressor, Kronika, the keeper of time, has decided to step in and correct things with one simple change: a do-over of all history without Raiden.ĭespite being above even the Elder Gods, Kronika still needs lackeys to do her bidding, so she opens tears in time to bring forward the cast of Mortal Kombat 2. In that game, Raiden altered the doomed timeline, which had ripple effects throughout the MK universe. Mortal Kombat 11 is the resolution of the ongoing story threads stemming out from 2011’s Mortal Kombat, aka Mortal Kombat 9, which rebooted the franchise. Though it’s weighed down by a stifling stack of feature creep and currencies, the core of Mortal Kombat is thriving in its eleventh installment. It might be one of the best onboarding platforms for fighting game newcomers.
Combat is punchy, responsive, and engaging. It’s nostalgic, pulpy, and mercifully self-aware.
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