Mortal Kombat 1 Reviews

Mortal Kombat 1 is ranked in the 91st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9 / 10.0
Sep 15, 2023

NetherRealm has really managed to make an exceptionally high quality title that is great story-wise and handles the brand boldly, yet with honour. Mortal Kombat 1 may very well be the best fighting game in this busy year, and it ranks among the best that this well-known franchise has ever delivered.

Review in Slovak | Read full review

85 / 100
Sep 18, 2023

With Mortal Kombat 1, Ed Boon and NetherRealm Studios continue their steadfast path, delivering a solid and highly entertaining fighting game, regardless of skill level. The lavish story mode, enhanced by top-tier direction and production, is accompanied by familiar and thrilling gameplay. New elements like Kameo fighters and the Invasions mode shake things up, though the latter's seasonal nature raises future uncertainties. These uncertainties prevent the game from achieving full excellence, but Mortal Kombat 1 still loudly proclaims its desire to reach the fighting game Olympus.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8.8 / 10.0
Sep 21, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 marks an important point in the history of the franchise. Setting aside many of the ideas and features of the previous chapters, the new installment of the NetherRealm fighting game revolutionizes its ludic layout while still respecting its more established tradition. The resulting product is, in all likelihood, the best in the series for fun, depth and layering thanks to the renewed flow of fights as well as the importance of the Kameo characters (whose balance will have to be evaluated over the distance). At the same time, it is surprising to see some levity in the refinement of the product, between well-witted but somewhat repetitive modes and scattered lapses in the multiplayer options. Despite these défaillance, Mortal Kombat also rightfully jumps on the 2023 triumphant bandwagon.

Review in Italian | Read full review

81%
Oct 1, 2023

Great gameplay, beautiful graphics and rich content but also lack of polish. A great choice but it needs a couple of patches.

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8.4 / 10.0
Sep 17, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 is exactly what we expected it to be. A title which, despite starting a new era, is based on the solid foundations that characterized Mk Nonetheless, Netherrealm Studios was able to renew the gameplay thanks to the addition of the Kameo Fighters, which are much more than simple assist-men. The invasion mode itself represents a good idea even if its implementation could have been better, especially with regards to repetitiveness. However, alongside all this we find a dizzying technical sector. If this isn't a flawless victory, we're close.

Review in Italian | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Oct 1, 2023

Overall, Mortal Kombat 1 is exactly what I wanted from the next step in the franchise. It takes the story in a fresh new direction and opens up the MK universe even further and its Kameo system completely changes up the fighting gameplay, whether you play just solo or competitively online. I really liked seeing fresh takes on many of the series’ most iconic characters and am looking forward to jumping back into the game each season to play through the new Invasion, beat new bosses and collect new gear.

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9 / 10
Sep 18, 2023

Garnering a justifiable near-perfect score, "Mortal Kombat 1" is poised to redefine the fighting game landscape once again. Read More: https://www.svg.com/1396264/mortal-kombat-1-review/

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9 / 10.0
Sep 25, 2023

Fun, bloody and challenging if you want it to be. Mortal Kombat is back in style with a cinematic story and a revamped gameplay that will appeal to every fan of the genre, though alienating more than a few with its DLC character policies.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Nov 9, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 is not a revolutionary title in the fighting genre. Still, by making a series of small changes to make the gameplay more integrated and attractive, adding Kameos or helpers, an exciting story section, and impressive and eye-catching graphics, it is an excellent game. and can keep old fans satisfied while attracting new people to this deep-rooted collection.

Review in Persian | Read full review

Recommended
Nov 2, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 ultimately serves as an outstanding soft reboot of an iconic franchise, bringing a fresh perspective while still honouring its rich, three-decade-long history. This instalment also places a pronounced emphasis on storytelling, providing depth and context to the characters’ backstories. Invasion mode increases replayability, whereas the all new Kameo system opens new avenues of play; whilst the thorough tutorial systems keep new players from feeling overwhelmed. Despite feeling somewhat similar to previous entries in the franchise, Mortal Kombat 1 stands out for its commitment to delivering an engaging narrative, consistent performance, and visceral, detailed graphics. Overall, it serves as both a nod to long-time fans and a refreshing take on the classic fighting game.

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4.5 / 5.0
Aug 16, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 is a triumphant return to form for the franchise, and it’s the most innovative the series has felt in well over a decade.

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Eren Eroğlu
Top Critic
88 / 100
Oct 2, 2023

Carrying the weight of a decades-old franchise on its shoulders, Mortal Kombat 1 managed to appeal to both new players and loyal fans at the same time.

Review in Turkish | Read full review

9.5 / 10.0
Sep 18, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 represents the highest point of the saga developed by NetherRealm. The story is worthy of an animated feature film, with a good cinematic level that manages to project the gamer inside a real movie. The gameplay is dynamic, fun with a combo system that has undergone a real modernization (although we are not yet faced with the work accomplished by Street Fighter 6), making them much more accessible and intuitable. Unfortunately, the sound compartment fails to keep up with the corresponding video group and, after the end of the story, you have little to do with the Invasions and Towers modes.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Sep 28, 2023

A truly next gen gruesome, bloody and gorish sequel with astonishing graphics and a great presentation with a welcome feature in kameo but that falls short on the technical side on PC and underdelivers content in the Online Mode.

Review in Arabic | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Sep 22, 2023

Gameplay as usual is what you can expect from 'Mortal Kombat 1'. Add to that a sharp quality and again some minor adjustments to the well-known rules and you have a top fighter. The blood will flow over your screen again.

Review in Dutch | Read full review

XGN.nl
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Sep 25, 2023

The iconic Mortal Kombat franchises spans more than 30 years already, but stills knows how to deliver a solid fighting game. They proof that with the soft reboot that is Mortal Kombat 1. Story mode and some new, intuitive fighting mechanics carry this installment, even though as a whole it's not as 'meaty' as its predecessor.

Review in Dutch | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Oct 17, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 adds new systems, tells a new story, and introduces a new game mode while still being exactly what you know and love.

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2 / 5
Oct 16, 2023

If you’re a masochist or enjoy glitch-fests, you might find something salvageable about in the Switch version of Mortal Kombat 1, but I strongly implore you to reconsider, and to warn your friends. Buy a new console if you must, but do not spend your hard-earned money on this travesty.

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Recommended
Oct 5, 2023

After Mortal Kombat 11 raised the bar for one of the most beloved arcade fighting sagas in history, Mortal Kombat 1 hits the reset button without compromising on quality.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

9.5 / 10.0
Sep 22, 2023

Mortal Kombat 1 was perhaps one of the best games, if not the best fighting game I've ever played. The path that NetherRealm decided to create, gave rise to a world of possibilities. This aspect, combined with the huge cast of characters in the universe, means that the innovation and paths that the Mortal Kombat story can take from now on are endless. The combat is perfect, the Kameos bring more innovation and add something that we would never have imagined would work so well. The Invasions mode left me a little hesitant the first time I saw it, but it was undoubtedly a huge surprise and perhaps the best aspect of this game. Mortal Kombat 1 is a great starting point for new players but it's also a great game for older fans.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review