Summary
It’s been a good few years since the lastMortal Kombatentry, and fans were desperate to jump back into that gruesome world of bloody fatalities and heart-stopping combos. After a brief stint in early access,Mortal Kombat 1is now out and available for everyone, and there’s quite a bit for new players to dive into. A full-length story mode, anew Invasion single-player mode, a ton of challenge towers, and a handful of online Versus modes,Mortal Kombat 1will have players hooked for at least a little while.
Though the franchise’s quality definitely dipped in the mid-2000s with its3D era,Mortal Kombathas largely received pretty favorable reviews ever since the 2011 reboot. And over a decade later,Mortal Kombat 1is no exception to that trend, receiving critical acclaim across the board. ButMortal Kombat 1isn’t perfect, and in the mind of some critics, there are certain things past entries have done a little better.
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How Mortal Kombat 1’s Reviews Compare to Past Entries
Mortal Kombat 1was only announced back in May of this year, meaning that it’s only been around four months from reveal to release. But in that time,Mortal Kombat 1started to garner quite a bit of hype from its audience, with critic previews a few months ago only stoking the flames higher. The general consensus even a month or so before its release was thatMortal Kombat 1was going to be an excellent entry in the long-running fighting game franchise, and that sentiment seems to have carried over to the game’s final release.
Though review codes seemed to have been handed out a little later than usual,Mortal Kombat 1now has a total of 34 critic reviews on Metacritic for its PS5 version, and the vast majority of those are extremely favorable.Mortal Kombat 1is currently sitting at an 86 on Metacritic, with its two lowest critic scores both still giving it a 70.Mortal Kombat 1is also sitting pretty with three 100 scores, and a total of 29 scores coming between 80 and 95. The general consensus seems to be thatMortal Kombat 1’s single-playerofferings are truly some of the best the franchise has ever seen, and though its multiplayer is lacking in alternate modes, its mechanics are still top-tier.
Mortal Kombat 1currently has the highest Metacritic score of any NetherRealm game in the franchise.Mortal Kombat2011’s Komplete Edition is currently sitting at an 81 on Metacritic, whileMortal Kombat Xis at an 83, andMortal Kombat 11is an 82. WhileMortal Kombat 11technically received more 90s thanMK1, it also received many more 70s, and even a handful of 60s and 50s, with many critics condemning the game’s grind-y gear system, which thankfully has been removed this time around.
With only 34 critic reviews currently available on Metacritic, it’s very likely thatMortal Kombat 1’s overall critical scoremight change quite a bit over the coming weeks, withMortal Kombat 11andMortal Kombat Xhaving over 80 critic reviews each on the platform. Of course,Mortal Kombat 1is also suffering a pretty dismal Nintendo Switch release, but that isn’t factored into these scores. Generally speaking, though, it seems as though both critics and fans are really enjoying thisMortal Kombatentry, and the current review scores for the game are showcasing that pretty well. Though its lack of additional multiplayer modes might hinderMortal Kombat 1in the long run, right now, it’s an excellent fighting game that’s definitely worth playing, and a true love letter to the franchise’s 30-year-long history.
Mortal Kombat 1is available now for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
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