As Dead or Alive 6 indulges in highlighting the sex-appeal of its roster, every cutscene, battle, setting and moveset in MK11 is packed with all manner of visceral, over-the-top displays of violence from Sub-Zero’s spine-breaking introduction, or Kabal’s hook swords cruelly mutilating his opponents, or Jade’s longstaff impaling her decapitated foes like a victory flag to be waved proudly, the gritty detail and cinematic flair in depicting these devastating attacks is exactly what parents in the 1990s imagined Mortal Kombat to look like. However, it’s just not about the flashy moves and tight moment-to-moment fighting gameplay, but the trademark blood and gore style of close-quarters brutality that continues to set Mortal Kombat apart from competitors, for better or worse depending on your view.
A pleasant surprise is the return of the Mercy mechanic, which hasn’t been around since MK3 if you’re a sadist like me and want to revive your defeated opponent for one last chance, only to ruthlessly beat them down again, you’ll especially love using it in competitive online matches.
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Series mainstay mechanics like fatalities and brutalities also return in all of their overly-gory, sickeningly ridiculous glory, with every character possessing at least two of the former and four of the latter, requiring carefully executed button strings to execute at the end of the match. Combined with an offensive and defensive meter which amplifies your regular attacks further and lets you escape or dodge an opponent’s onslaught with skill, and there’s a ton of options at your disposal to brutalise foes and come back from a disaster. Both attacks have flashy animations and cinematic flair showcasing some serious brutality and add a satisfactory level of tension, mind-games and strategy to each fight do you delay Fatal Blow to the last second? Has your foe used their Krushing Blow just yet? It’s an ever-entertaining dichotomy, though both can be prevented and punished with precise timing via the new Flawless Block mechanic. In addition the variation system and customisable abilities (special attacks such as Liu Kang’s iconic Bicycle Kick), each character has access to their own unique Krushing Blows and Fatal Blows the former a higher-damage attack triggered with specific timing or combo strings, and the latter a high-risk, high-reward attack (replacing X-Rays) only is available once health drops below 30% – and deals extraordinary damage if it successfully lands. Victory generally favours a good mix of well-timed combo strings and special attacks in MK 11. Inputting dial-a-combos and regular attack strings require lightning fast input and response time compared to contemporary fighters, but there’s enough beginner-friendly movesets that casuals will enjoy a round or two without intimidation. Grapplers will love Jax’s brutality, close-combat fanatics will relish Shao Kahn’s sheer strength, and pressure-heavy players will be right at home with Kabal and Jade.
Every fighter feels and plays completely different from each other, and every type of playstyle is well accommodated. Mortal Kombat 11 is a 2.5D fighting game with a ton of in-depth mechanics and ever-evolving kombat options that place it firmly in the ‘easy to play, difficult to master’ side of the genre. Thankfully, MK11 continues to deliver and excel on all fronts and is easily one of the best fighting games released this console generation. Seriously, the amount of people invested in Scorpion’s 27-year long quest for closure on the death of his ninja clan has never been higher, and that includes me. Since its reboot in 2011, modern MK entries have consistently pushed graphical boundaries, introduced fun gameplay improvements, and expanded upon the once simple tournament backdrop into a universe-spanning, time-travelling gorefest of epic proportions. Growing up in the fighting game renaissance of the 1990s, Mortal Kombat has always been my favourite in the genre for its East-Asian fantasy mythology, unapologetically crazy character designs (ninjas turned robot assassins!) and, of course, its trademark over-the-top, ultra-violent aesthetic.
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