After four years of anticipation, the Mortal Kombat franchise returned with a new release on April 23, 2009.
Mortal Kombat’s brutal and gruesome nature has kept the attention of fans, with a steady fanbase that grows over generations. The fighting-game franchise is known for its overt expression of gore in it’s finishers; there’s no question that Mortal Kombat 11 would include such a style.
My worry revolved around whether MK 11 would simply be a regurgitation of the Injustice franchise. While the two share their stylistic similarities and were built on similar fighting experiences, the games stays true to its roots.
As an artist, I can’t imagine the excruciating hours that went into the game’s execution. Mortal Kombat 11’s graphics are stellar, easily the most crisp of its predecessors.
Through each cut-scene featured in the playable storyline, we get a sense of characters that we can empathize with through every blink, frown, and grimace. Not only should the character design
be commended for their vibrant and polished finishes, but also the details that what would otherwise be mundane. “For instance, we could almost believe that the textures of skin or, to get even more specific, the tears that run down Cassie Cage’s face are real.”
Watching the interactions between several different combinations of characters is sure to excite you, or even induce a chuckle, especially when your character meets their doppelgänger.
Never designed for the faint of heart, Mortal Kombat’s attention to gruesome detail has always been its signature. Something about Mortal Kombat 11’s hyperrealistic sensitivity makes the gore 11 times more spine-chilling than ever before. To top it all off, the reputable Krypt is back, yet more atmospheric than we remember. Not only is exploring the Krypt ironically uninviting, but now exists with jump scares, almost as if to deter us from further advancing. The cherry on top are the shrieking victims that can be seen hanging from sky-high nooses almost as soon as you first enter the Krypt.
While the Krypt is nothing MK fans haven’t experienced before, your character’s mobility has been enhanced to feel less stiff, and more realistic through its third-person point of view. Even as someone who is accustomed to third-person play, moving through the Krypt occasionally feels clumsy. However, such a statement shouldn’t undermine its leap from its previous version in MK X.
The game is slower-paced, designed for smarter gaming. With several game modes that were also featured in MK X, such as online combat and the Towers, the MK 11 is overall a delightful slow burn.
The playable storyline picks up where MK X, left off, a pleasant transition for those who have heavily awaited the next chapters. To play this mode is to sit in a movie where you are hands-on; an adrenaline ride where you are the star.
A personal favorite feature of mine are the “Klassic Towers”, which are yet more challenging than I remembered them to be. However. The “Towers of Time” mode requires necessary tweaking, which we should be getting a revamp soon.
Mid-combat, you can prompt short scenes of detailed, gruesome fighting moves. Rather than feeling like the game features them solely for shock value, there’s something about them that makes it all
to easy to wince, but too difficult to look away. For lovers of gore, these moments are gratifying; simply tasteful features that hype up the intensity. Whether you’re button- mashing or learning carefully, nothing prepares you for these moments in between blows.
Like Injustice, lethal attacks are featured, but instead of being tied to a meter, they become available during the end of your health bar. This creates is a more tense gameplay, where every move before your impending death matters. This ability gives the losing party a second chance to redeem themselves in the blink of an eye.
The game features timely, contemporary characters, as well as klassic staples we’ve grown to love. The contrast of modern
and traditional characters gives us a pallet to pick from, whether we’re looking for someone empowering and relatable, or anomalous and intimidating.
Gamers will be pleased with the customization feature, which includes a plethora of skins and weapons to choose from. The designs of these characters
have taken a rather renaissance style, far different from MK X’s medieval renditions.
A moment of applause for MK 11 is well deserved, as this game is a worthy adaption of the franchise that we’ve grown alongside. The photo-realistic renovation that came with its graphics are just as superb as it’s storyline, both equally promising. MK 11 is a killer; a sinister slayer for anyone who gets their hands on it.
Alma Tovar
Features Editor