Mortal Kombat is recognized as one of the best franchises in gaming history. Not only did it change the fighting genre, it changed the video game industry as a whole. Mortal Kombat haas had its ups and downs over the years. MK (2011) is definitely an up.
Mortal Kombat (2011) is a reboot of the original trilogy. A reboot done perfectly. The story retells the events of the first three games, in a new timeline where Raiden receives a message from himself in the prime future after the Battle of Armageddon has happened and Shao Kahn became the supreme leader of all the realms. Because of this plot, characters and scenarios present are the classic ones, bringing the old to new and starting a new conflict.
For those who grew up playing the original trilogy, this game will give you a big rush of nostalgia. For newcomers, this game will suck you in and leave you wanting more.
The battle system in this game is arguably the most user-friendly in MK history. Many new things are added to the system such as a power bar which lets you do various things such as enhanced super moves, breakers, and a new move known as the X-Ray. The fighting system does take some time to get used to but luckily there's a tutorial that shows you how to play the game. For players who have a hard time executing fatalities, there's a tutorial for that too. About damn time! What took them so long? Tag battles have also been added which only doubles the fun!
Speaking of fatalities, they're back in their wonderful, gory fashion. Every character has new fatalities as well as some old ones from the klassic days. Some fatalities aren't that extravagant but some are so amazing they'll make you cringe. Babalities have also returned and they're as hilarious as ever. However friendships and animalities are absent. Hara-Kiris from Deception are absent as well. If Babalities were gonna be added, the developers could've added at least one of the three as well.
The characters are the same as they've ever been and they each shine in their own special way. There are even some new faces added to the mix! Exclusive to the PS3 version is Kratos from the God of War franchise. Skarlet, a female ninja created by Shao Khan, is also a new face. But the best (in my opinion) is Freddy Krueger from the Nightmare on Elm Street films. All of the characters (and costumes along with other DLC) are unlocked from the start which definitely is excellent for players who don't want to waste money on DLC.
If you're sick of fighting, there are many other things to do. There are four mini-games: The all-time klassic Test Your Might, Test Your Sight from Deadly Alliance, and the newbies Test Your Luck and Test Your Strike. They are each very fun and addictive and you may find yourself lost for hours playing them. Unfortunately they're tied to a LOOOOOOOOOONG mode known as Challenge Tower. Ugh. While some may like it, I find the tower to be a bit unnecessary and frustrating. To make things worse, if you wanna unlock other stages in the aforementioned mini-games, they have to be completed in the Challenge Tower. Really? That just makes things even more frustrating.
Another complaint that I have about the game is that there's no versus mode for 1 Player. Wow. That's one of the most basic modes for a fighting game! Why it isn't there I have no idea. Oh well.
Mortal Kombat (2011) is a great entry to the franchise and seems to be the start of something amazing. Regardless of whether you're a fan of the franchise or not, this game will satisfy all of your fighting needs despite its minor flaws. This game is a must-play!