Recently, the newest Mortal Kombat (called Mortal Kombat 1) has been announced and is set to be released in September. However, you can still enjoy the gory series with Mortal Kombat 11 while you wait for Mortal Kombat 1. Here are 10 reasons why Mortal Kombat 11 is good and why you should play it.
10. Tower modes (both Klassic Towers and Towers of Time)
Figure 1 A player picking which tower they are playing in Tower Mode.
As any fighting game should, this game has arcade mode. However, it’s called Towers instead of Arcade Mode. What is nice is that you have options in Tower mode. In Klassic Towers, you can decide if you want to fight in a tower of 5 opponents or more. If you want a classic Mortal Kombat experience and/or just want to play for 10-20 minutes, then Klassic Towers is for you.
If you want to do Towers, but still want something a bit different then you can try out Towers of Time. Each tower has its own set of challenges and new ones will show up and then be replaced by others, so there is much replay value with Towers of Time.
9. Fun to play with other people (both offline and online)
Figure 2 A multiplayer match that has Noob Saibot and Johnny Cage about to fight.
Given that this game has multiplayer, you can play with others whether it’s offline or online. You can bring this game to parties or sleepovers and play with friends and guests. It is also a good game if you wanted to host tournaments (similar to hosting Super Smash Bros tournaments) and there is a tournament option for you to select.
With online, there are ranked matches where your rank can increase as you win match after match. If you want to get some practice against the CPU then you can fight against a bot in multiplayer.
8. Amazing Graphics
Figure 3 Liu Kang and Kung Lao working together in story mode.
Being the most recent release in the Mortal Kombat franchise, Mortal Kombat 11 has the best graphics that the series has so far. The combat and fatalities are incredibly bloody and detailed. The arenas and environments look amazing. The characters especially look amazing and look realistic thanks to the CGI. This game is for you if you want a fighting game where you absolutely kill your opponents in a way brutal way in an amazing-looking environment.
7. Krypt
Figure 4 A player exploring Shang Tsung's island in the Krypt.
Mortal Kombat 11 has the best Krypt yet. The Krypt is basically an in-game store where you unlock coffins or chests (using in-game currency) to get costumes, artwork, and other items. It has been a series staple since Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance.
Mortal Kombat 11’s Krypt has you on Shang Tsung’s island. You can actually run around and explore Shang Tsung’s island as you buy and open up chests for items. You will especially like the Krypt if you played the original Mortal Kombat 1992 game as you will have some nostalgia as you play the Krypt.
6. Fatalities
Figure 5 A shokan ripping through a kombatant's body during Shang Tsung's fatality.
What would Mortal Kombat be without the iconic fatalities? Fatalities in this game are gory and bloodier than ever. You can brutally kill your opponents after defeating them in battle. If you have trouble performing fatalities, the game offers fatality training to help you.
Just to name a few, one of Shang Tsung’s fatalities involves him summoning a shokan from the inside of the opponent’s body; the shokan rips its way out of the opponent’s body. Another one is Cetrion’s fatality where she destroys the opponent’s face by firing powerful water at them, she then burns off their legs with fire and then crushes them with rocks.
5. Gameplay
Figure 6 Scorpion performing a Fatal Blow on Liu Kang.
While fatalities are the cherry on top, the gameplay of this game is phenomenal. The combat is more complex (in a good way) than ever before because there are a lot of options you can do in a fight against someone.
You have many combos you can perform with your character allowing you to be creative with how you fight. X Rays have been changed to Fatal Blows where you can do an x-ray attack on your opponent if you strike them at the right moment. All in all, the fights have become more intense and engaging.
4. Soundtrack
Figure 7 Kotal Kahn at his coliseum; his coliseum has an amazing theme.
If you want a Mortal Kombat game with an amazing cinematic soundtrack, then Mortal Kombat 11 is for you. The soundtrack helps with the immersion of the gameplay. It doesn’t just feel like a video game, but it feels like you are controlling someone in a Hollywood movie. Some notable ones are Kotal’s Koliseum, Shirai Ryu Fire Garden, and Black Market Alley.
3. Character Customization
Figure 8 Scorpion's mask being customized.
Character customization is at its prime in this game. For each character, you can customize how you want your character to look. If you want, you can change completely how they look to where they are unrecognizable. For example, you could make Scorpion look like Reptile if you wanted to. You can make Sub-Zero or other characters look like classic versions of themselves. Throughout playing the game, and the Krypt, you can unlock new costumes for the characters. There are a lot of options in Mortal Kombat 11 for character customization.
2. Cinematic Story
Figure 9 Liu Kang and Shang Tsung's final confrontation in the Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath expansion.
The story in the game is amazing and serves as the conclusion for the current timeline. In the story, a titaness named Kronika begins to threaten Earthrealm due to Raiden’s interference with the timeline after he beheaded Shinnok (in Mortal Kombat X). Throughout the story, characters from the past show up in the current timeline (and even interact with their older selves). After you beat the initial story, there is the Aftermath expansion which continues Mortal Kombat 11’s story.
1. Memorable Roster
Figure 10 Rain and Rambo about to have a match against one another.
Of course, a fighting game must have memorable characters and Mortal Kombat 11 delivers on that. You have classic characters such as Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Raiden; there are also new characters such as Cetrion and the Kollector. Each character is unique in terms of their appearance and moveset, and you can choose a variation of them before a match starts.
The roster did increase through DLC and even has guest characters from movies. You have Rambo, Terminator, and Robocop who were from well-known action movies, and you also have the Joker from Batman. Whether you are a Mortal Kombat fan or someone just getting into the series, you will find a character you like from the diverse roster of characters.
