Mortal Kombat 1 Reviews

Mortal Kombat 1 is ranked in the 93rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Guardian
Top Critic
Sep 26, 2023

Fans of the fighting game's cast of lunatics will enjoy this nostalgic reboot, but its combat fundamentals have remained largely unchanged

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3 / 5
Sep 21, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 envisions an exciting future with fluid combat, a fantastic story mode, and superb visuals - but receding features, underbaked mechanics, and a dated online experience keep it in the past.

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70 / 100
Sep 29, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 is a solid 2d fighting game offering with lovely assist-based Kameo gameplay that allows for fun competitive expression and kreativity. While it's not up to snuff to past titles like MKX and MK11 in terms of packed single-player kontent, it could have been much more paltry and barebones.

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7 / 10.0
Sep 21, 2023

Unfortunately, Mortal Kombat 1 is not the reboot the brand deserves, but it is a pretty enjoyable next installment in the series. If you've played the MK series for the past 10 years, then this installment will probably appeal to you, if you haven't already become tired of the formula. The ending of MK1, however, gives me a positive outlook for the future, if this direction will be continued.

Review in Polish | Read full review

3.5 / 5.0
Sep 18, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 is a paradox—a game that manages to be both exhilarating and underwhelming. It opens up the fighting arena to newcomers without alienating its core fanbase, yet falls short of fully realizing its most innovative ideas.

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Sep 13, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 reboots the series for the second time in 30 years, and while the fighting is good it's clear everyone is unsure how to move forward.

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Saudi Gamer
Top Critic
7 / 10
Sep 24, 2023

The fighting is solid and so are the graphics and story mode, but as a new start this entry is lacking in modes or ground breaking features to compete with the best.

Review in Arabic | Read full review

3.5 / 5.0
Sep 20, 2023

Unmatched cinematic story mode and core fighting gameplay mechanics marred by baffling content and feature exclusions.

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3.5 / 5.0
Sep 19, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 was pitched as the start of a new era for Mortal Kombat, where NetherRealm Studios had complete freedom to craft the universe they wanted, mostly free from the previous two eras.

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Sep 19, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1's creative Kameo system helps reinvent the classic fighting series, but poor single-player offerings feel like a step back.

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7 / 10
Sep 16, 2023

Like we said in the beginning, Mortal Kombat 1 is the best and most refreshing entry in the series since Mortal Kombat (2011), but it falls directly into the same traps as those prior entries. The core fighting is great thanks to the excellent Kameo Fighter system and increased pace (as well as ditching the styles and gear-specific moves), and the return of PS2-era fighters is fantastic. But sadly, the selection of modes and character-specific training options feel extremely dated – especially compared to Street Fighter 6.

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70 / 100
Sep 21, 2023

There's the skeleton of a good Mortal Kombat here, but it's lacking in meat. Low on personality and half-baked in its attempt to reboot the story, it feels fated to be remembered as the least interesting of the modern MK games.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 18, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 is a safe sequel without surprises. Unless someone is surprised by a well-crafted storyline, brutality and lots of single-player content. This is "just" another Mortal Kombat with all the good and the bad.

Review in Polish | Read full review

75 / 100
Sep 15, 2023

Mortal Kombat doesn’t need to and probably shouldn’t “grow up.” Eternal adolescence is the point. But to stay young, it just needs to shed the old.

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7.8 / 10.0
Sep 25, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 can be seen as a worthy addition to the legendary series. Its cinematic campaign and introduction of Kameos in fights contribute significantly to its success. However, the game's relatively unchanged overall structure makes us lean more towards an upgraded version of Mortal Kombat 11 rather than an entirely new iteration. We hope that NetherRealm Studios will consider implementing more substantial changes in future releases for this beloved series.

Review in Persian | Read full review

Sep 27, 2023

If, like me, you’re a Mortal Kombat fan then Mortal Kombat 1 is a no-brainer – it’s as fun as ever with a great roster and an excellent new Kameo system. However, if you’ve found yourself tiring of the MK formula over the past few games and were hoping the timeline reboot would herald a big new change, then MK1 isn’t going to change your mind. It’s a very safe release, and considering how incredibly popular the modern Mortal Kombat games are it’s understandable that Netherealm don’t want to change the formula too much lest it all end in a brutal Fatality.

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Sep 21, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 has proven itself to be continually compelling throughout its early access and launch period, a remarkably refined and confident instalment of a series that had already secured its identity long ago. The story campaign is an entertaining rollercoaster ride, its foundational fighting mechanics remain strong, and the game’s focus on wide-ranging approachability in service of broadening the fighting game community must be applauded.

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8 / 10.0
Sep 26, 2023

its gameplay is one of the best we've seen in a Mortal Kombat title, changing the rules again, with the addition of additional tools for special maneuvers in battles

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8 / 10.0
Sep 23, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 offers a beautiful experience for fans of the series with excellent story and events, thanks to the game engine Unreal Engine 5, the visual effects and details of the game were wonderful and kept in pace with the developments of the story and was able to satisfy all of the fans of the series. Unfortunately, it is suffers from the lack of game modes and some technical problems.

Review in Arabic | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Sep 16, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 is another great fighting game that released in 2023. While it exhibits some of the same faults previous entries did, the Kameo system adds a new depth to the main mechanics.

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