Is Mortal Kombat 11 Their Best Fighter Yet?

Mortal Kombat, the gaming community’s desire for violence and baddassery continues its triumph over fighting games. Sure, Street Fighter and Tekken have come along way over the years, but none have consistently put out a steady stream of sequels the way NetherRealm studios has. Even the similar knockoff game, Killer Instinct was short-lived in its sequels. A whopping 23 titles and spinoffs later, we’ve come to Mortal Kombat 11.

With an E3 exclusive sale on the Xbox One, we decided to dive back into an old favorite. Mortal Kombat was a game I not only remember kicking ass on the way back in my Super Nintendo days, but it’s also a game we’d button mash and do our best to show off at the local arcades. From Easter eggs to fatalities, we did all we could to unlock the games best-kept secrets. Fast forward to their latest release and gone are the days of button mashing and lucky breaks. With a fighting system based on both simplicity of down, forward, punch to the complex timing and combo moves Mortal Kombat can be enjoyed by players of all skill sets. But if you’re not quick with a controller, maybe playing on hard isn’t for you.

Mortal Kombat 11 brings us up to speed with a storyline that takes us back to our old favorite fighters such as Johnny Cage, Cano, and Liu Kang as well as new fighters like Cetrion, Geras, and Kollector. As well as the series regulars in between. From brutes that pound your face in, to mystics who summon their greatest weapons, Mortal Kombat somehow balances paying tribute to past games as well as introduces new elements to keep fans engaged.

Okay, we know the characters, but how’s the fighting?

With their prior release, Injustice 2 a fighting game based on DC characters, NetherRealm had to find a way to create a new Mortal Kombat while seeming like they didn’t give Injustice 2 a facelift. How can they make a game that had similar concepts and make it different enough to please both fans. While the games are similar with their environmental attacks and special abilities, they stand on their own merit as well. In Injustice 2, special attacks could be used multiple times throughout each match. In Mortal Kombat Fatal Blows are similar attacks but can only be used once in the entirety of the rounds.Making up for that, Fatalities and Brutalities turn the end of the match into cinematic masterpieces of violence. It’s not just defeating your foes in a match of skill, it’s embarrassing them to the point of quitting with violent delights.

Mortal Kombat 11 also introduces us to the Krypt, a “secret” explorable area loaded up with gear, concept art, character skins, and even a couple of puzzles. Using currency acquired through different levels of gameplay, unlike Injustice 2 you won’t have to complete a series of multiverse challenges to unlock new gear. Adding experience with each piece of gear will also allow augments to better your fighting skills. Each slot allows power-ups to be added so you can not only customize the look of your character, you can adjust their skills, luck, and fighting styles.

Yes, Mortal Kombat has come a long way from reading the story at the end credits. From having a gauntlet of characters to run through, to a complex story to fight your way through Mortal Kombat 11 delivers on the games most sought after demands. Fans of the fighting series won’t be disappointed at one of the franchises most beautifully crafted visual effects. Somehow after all these years, they’ve found a way to keep evolving and keeping these games fresh.