Mortal Kombat 11 | Xbox One Review

For nearly twenty-seven years, the Mortal Kombat series has entertained the brutal, blood-thirsty urges within gamers for ultimate digital fighting. All these years later, the series keeps going strong with Mortal Kombat 11. WB Games and Netherrealm Studios brings this edition to the masses with its first foray into the true 4K universe. The game boasts an expansive roster and classic tower gameplay along with the continuing epic of Raiden and company’s defense of the Earth realm against forces of Outworld, the Neatherrealm, and other opposers. This edition has plenty to offer those familiar with past and present Mortal Kombat lore and those who casually dip in and out of the fighting game genre.

The Continuing Saga

The story mode continues the ongoing Mortal Kombat saga, leaving off with the defeat of Shinnok at the hands of Cassie Cage. Defeated but defiant, Shinnok is at the feet of Raiden, who has turned to a very dark, vengeful side. He wants to continue to eliminate all opposers of himself and Earth realm. To do this, he rips the amulet from Shinnok to obtain the sorcerer’s control of the darkness. During Shinnok’s execution at the hands of Kotal Kahn, a portal opens introducing the mysterious figure Kronika. This new antagonist can manipulate time. Say what? Yes…manipulate time.

The intertwinings of the Mortal Kombat universe are explored and continued from there, which in the end, can make a different turn or two depending on how you finish. Those obsessed with the use of time manipulation as a plot device may have trouble with the logistics of many actions, but don’t spend too much time focusing on those. Seeing the way things were and how they play out will leave several “a ha” moments that will keep those philosophically overthinking those stories (like myself) drawing their own conclusions.

There are times where you play as two characters, and you choose with whom to fight. Although your choice doesn’t affect the story, the flexibility of a player’s preference is a nice feature. The numerous tongue-in-cheek moments may not have you rolling on the floor, but they will afford an occasional smirk in between blood sheddings.

More of the Same…Plus More

The classic (or should it be….klassic) tower modes are still in play as well. Short towers, long towers, endurance towers; basically any way you want to challenge yourself is at your disposal. Aside from the achievements gained from trying your hand in these challenges, not much reward comes of it other than Kombat Koins and other trinkets that can purchase basic game customizations for your entertainment.

The roster is deep, but not so much that you’re drowning. The original playable cast is present along with fan favorites that have appeared over the years. Those of the latest generation, like Cassie Cage and Jaqi Briggs, are present along with newcomers from Kronika’s army.

Control of the fighters can both be smooth and sluggish depending on the fighter you choose. Quicker fighters have more seamless combination transitions. Heavy hitters make it more difficult to put together an effective combination, but make up for it with more damaging maneuvers.

X Gonna Give It to Ya

Fighting features still include an X-ray maneuver, but is different from previous chapters. Deemed brutal attacks, they will be accompanied by a brief X-ray laying out exactly what your heavy artillery is doing to your opponent. The original X-ray layout is replaced by a “fatal blow”. If and when your fighter is down to 25 percent health, you’ll have the option to execute a fatal blow with a double trigger pull. Unblocked, a cinematic blood flood will ensue from every (and I do mean every) orifice. Blades, bullets, and less-than-sportsmanlike blows will cause blood to spurt out of your opponent. To put it another way, Congress would faint over this brutality compared to the original blood shots back in 1992.

It’s vital to land the maneuver the first time, because you may get only one shot at it. The move can be executed in the same fight again, but about 15-20 seconds of fight time must pass for that to be available. Of course, the game would be nothing without the Fatalities and Brutalities. Like the Fatal Blows’ exponential increase in carnage, the Fatalities match the ramp up in spades.

Finish Him!

Overall, Mortal Kombat 11 provides a great cinematic action feel that can leave gamers feeling cheated if the fight ends with a simple jab or kick. Those with the mindset to mix in the classic special moves will be satisfied with the smoothness of the execution and the beauty of the results. The story will leave the player wondering what happens next…if anything is next, that is.

This review is based on a rented copy of the game for review purposes, and it is also available on PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC.