Revitalizing Mortal Kombat 1: Lessons from MKX and MK11

NetherRealm Studios' fanbase was caught off guard when Mortal Kombat 1 suddenly emerged after years of silence. Despite the anticipation for Mortal Kombat 12, the reboot nature of MK1 was expected given the conclusion of Mortal Kombat 11 and its Aftermath story expansion. With Fire God Liu Kang's ascension, a new Mortal Kombat timeline was inevitable. However, while fans are aware of one of MK1's core concepts, details on the game remain scarce. The first gameplay demonstration at the 2023 Summer Game Fest will provide a clearer picture and alleviate any concerns fans may have. Drawing from the strengths and weaknesses of its predecessors, Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 11, MK1 has the potential to surpass them both.

Mortal Kombat 1 Shouldn't Go Crazy With Currencies

One of Mortal Kombat 11's major missteps was its attempt to incorporate live-service features. While this isn't uncommon in fighting games, the implementation in MK11 was particularly clumsy. The game offered an excessive amount of currencies, most of which were unrelated to premium items. Furthermore, some premium items could even be earned through gameplay. If Mortal Kombat 11 simplifies its currency system, it could potentially adopt a similar approach with better success.

Players Love Options in Mortal Kombat

One of the factors contributing to the confusion surrounding MK11's currency system is the abundance of obtainable items. With skins, which now include color palettes, and specific pieces of armor available for customization, players have a plethora of options for personalizing their characters. This is an expansion of the Variation system, which has been upgraded from the three variations in MKX to potentially numerous customized ones. While developer statements suggest that Variations may not be present in MK1, players should still be able to modify the appearance of their fighters and Kameo partners, and possibly even more.

Keep Alternate Finishers Around in MK1

Mortal Kombat's Fatalities have always been a major attraction, but the game offers more than just finishing moves. With Brutalities, Stage Brutalities, Stage Fatalities, Quitalities, Faction Kills in MKX, and Friendships in MK11, the game provides a range of options for players to keep things interesting. These additional features offer alternative gameplay goals for players to achieve, rewards for online participation, and even consequences for bad behavior. It's clear that the game cannot regress to basic Fatalities, and expanding to include finishers like Animalities and Kameo Fatalities could add even more variety to the game.

Do Something Interesting With Mortal Kombat's Krypt

Another noteworthy feature of Mortal Kombat is the Krypt, which allows players to unlock content using resources obtained elsewhere. Both MKX and MK11 had ambitious Krypts, with MKX featuring a first-person adventure mode and MK11 offering a 3D action-adventure set on Shang Tsung's Island. However, the use of quick time events in MKX and repopulating random rewards in MK11 caused these modes to lose momentum.

With the upcoming release of Mortal Kombat 1, fans are eagerly anticipating what NetherRealm Studios has in store for the Krypt. While it's difficult to predict what the future holds, there is hope that the studio will introduce fresh and thrilling content, while also taking into account the missteps of previous installments. If NetherRealm Studios incorporates these considerations, Mortal Kombat 1 has the potential to be a truly exceptional addition to the franchise. Don't miss out on the action when it drops on September 19 for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.