Mortal Kombat 1 Reviews

Mortal Kombat 1 is ranked in the 91st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
90 / 100
Sep 13, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 refines and improves on its solid foundation to deliver a devastating tag-team blow.

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Oct 12, 2023

Compared to just how expansive MK11 felt even at launch, MK1 feels a bit like Street Fighter V at launch. At least this game has a full-fledged campaign and Arcade style modes with fully voiced endings, but there’s a similar feeling of emptiness about it. That’s a bad vibe to get, especially for the first major fighting game to launch in Street Fighter 6’s shadow. There’s plenty of room for MK1 to expand, but as it stands, Mortal Kombat just tested its might on another reboot and may have broken something unnecessarily in the process.

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Gameblog
KiKiToes
Top Critic
9 / 10
Sep 26, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 is a pure marvel. This reboot offers a news future for the license without altering the original material, quite the contrary. It's one of the most beautiful games of these last years. Fighting has never been so exciting and exhilarating, not to mention the always so gory and skilfully staged fatalities.

Review in French | Read full review

Jordan Minor
Top Critic
Sep 19, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 isn’t the clean narrative reboot that its name implies, but its rich single-player action and new tag-team aerial brawls make for the best fighting system in the history of the franchise.

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Dave Irwin
Top Critic
8 / 10
Sep 21, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 offers smart changes to the series' gameplay, an entertaining story that still threatens to baffle newcomers and veterans alike, an online mode that works well on PC, and tons of gore. While the seasonal Invasions mode is a fascinating idea, it's unclear whether it'll be enough to retain long-term interest. However, this is still a fantastic, horribly gruesome Mortal Kombat game that's well worth your time.

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Atomix
Top Critic
90 / 100
Sep 21, 2023

If you were eagerly awaiting the new installment of the franchise, we tell you in advance that you are going to enjoy it, especially if you are a fan of fighting games. Also, if you want to enter this interesting genre, I think it is a gateway that will make you feel welcome to the most brutal combats.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Sep 19, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 presents one of the best combat systems of the saga, creative, rich in variations, deep and complex.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Jake Su
Top Critic
4 / 5.0
Sep 20, 2023

Whether you are a seasoned combatant or a new one stepping into the arena for the first time, Mortal Kombat 1 has something for you. The Kameo system has revitalized the trusted formula, which has improved with the many welcomed changes made by the team, everything looks great in motion, and the story mode is more engaging than ever before. Invasions might not be for everybody, and online play could do with some work, but there is nothing too major holding this game back from shining brightly. A new era of Mortal Kombat has arrived, and things are looking smashingly good.

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GamePro
Top Critic
90 / 100
Sep 18, 2023

Fantastic sequel that outshines its predecessors in terms of gameplay and scope.

Review in German | Read full review

83 / 100
Sep 17, 2023

The new installment of Mortal Kombat 1 does almost everything right and opens the door to a new era of the most brutal tournament between the worlds. With modes that promise, completely new mechanics for the franchise and many characters and content to come, the latest version of the saga of NetherRealm Studios will not find any difficulty in making a place in the hearts of fans and also those who take advantage of the reboot to start knowing the IP. It's never too late for someone to arrive for the first time in Mortal Kombat, especially for an edition that can be considered, perhaps, the best of the IP.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Oct 18, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 brings the idea of a whole new universe into light with an amazing, but really fast-paced, story mode. However, the rest of the game feels like Mortal Kombat as a franchise has stagnated in terms of gameplay with nothing really innovating things outside of the cameo fighter system. Then we have the impending microtransaction additions that you know are coming, and I hate those with a passion.

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9.3 / 10.0
Sep 28, 2023

Violence has never looked as vivid, gorgeous, and wild as it is in Mortal Kombat 1. Its fighting mechanics remain just as approachable and appealing as prior entries, with one key difference: It's the best-feeling Mortal Kombat I've played thus far. There're some minor quirks that are still being ironed out at the time of writing, but I'm excited, legitimately excited, to see what Netherrealm chooses to add to this game.

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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

90%
Sep 20, 2023

Outdoing previous Mortal Kombats in the gore stakes, and boasting a slew of meaningful and genuinely exciting single-player content, alongside the usual online offerings, Mortal Kombat 1 outstrips previous efforts, delivering one of the finest fighting games money can buy.

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Unscored
Sep 13, 2023

Because of the extremely limited time to play, I’ve spent practically all available time within story mode. It’s a mixed bag.

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9.5 / 10.0
Sep 14, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 is a joyful reinvention of a series that is continually hitting its stride. A strong and varied roster is bolstered by an ingenious Kameo system that offers up a great degree of player flexibility unlike anything else. While it's a bit off an odd choice to not have crossplay at launch and the approach to gear is bound to be divisive, Mortal Kombat 1 feels like the most complete Mortal Kombat experience so far. And perhaps even one of the best fighting games I've ever played.

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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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9 / 10.0
Sep 18, 2023

With its largely satisfying story mode, an intriguing new mode in Invasions, a better progression system for both playable and Kameo characters, and robust online modes, Mortal Kombat 1 delivers the best Mortal Kombat experience ever.

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8.5 / 10.0
Sep 18, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 evolves the series in every aspect, resulting both fresh for new users and familiar and satisfying for returning players.

Review in Italian | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Sep 13, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 is an excellent entry point for new comers and returning fans. It outshines every previous Mortal Kombat in almost every way, with intuitive controls and interesting modes. NetherRealm cranks the gore up to 11 and I cant wait to see what else they have in store for us.

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