Just beat the story mode and did a couple other things, going to go back to do some arcade/more invasions/deepen my understanding of the mechanics.

Loose observations:
-Story mode is great. Continues whatever was happening in 11, but since I didn't play 11 nor remember 9/10 very much, I felt like this was a fine jumping on point. "Liu Kang became the time god in 11 which means he's the Raiden of the series now, he did a restart of the universe to try to make everything more chill, and someone is un-chilling it." With my spotty knowledge of MK lore, I was more than fine to fully enjoy the story. The whole back third is AMAZING, and I think they did a really good job in the early moments focusing on making you care about the new old characters.

-The 20 minutes I've spent with Invasions makes it seem fine but really I just want the tower from MK9 and the Krypt back. Invasions seem like a worse version of the story mode from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

-Abandoning scene interactions in favor of the Kameos was a great decision. The Kameos (ie assist characters) are great fun and give you new options to build your mains out that don't require messing with customizations. I wish there were a few more Kameos though. This is probably the most I've jived with a Netherrealm Studios game since MK9.

-Looks great, sounds great

-I don't know if easier fatalities is an MK1 or 11 thing but I think that's a great decision.

I paid $27.99 for it in a recent PSN sale. Feels like the right price! Fun game.

in my continuing journey to get into fighting games i picked up Mortal Kombat 1 next

Mortal Kombat is on of those properties that i know a ton about, not because i've actually played it, but because i've pored over wiki pages and youtube lore videos. it's such a great aesthetic, 70s kung fu movies through grindhouse gore and 90s sci-fi

the story mode is a ton of fun and i quite like the soft reboot with Raiden and Liu Kang switching roles (this is completely unrelated to the fact that i would pay $1,000 for Liu Kang to spit on me)

there are a lot of fun interactions between characters and interesting fights

the story does go off the rails at the end, kind of working back on its initial setup, and it loses focus on the ground-level characters who it started off with

still havent gotten into the online modes because i'm a chicken but i know i have to get into it to get better

I've been recently thinking about fighting games franchises lately (horrible I know this is a cry for help) and upon remembering that MK is still a somewhat annual franchise I came to a really odd conclusion

I don't think mortal kombat has any actual identity anymore aside from liveleak gore videos and incredibly lacklustre mechanical design, Now I know this is a bit harsh and I'm not exactly speaking from a position of objectivity despite how much i think objectivity is a meme but really think about it.

With how much every other fighting game franchise has adapted and changed to meet the times whether its tekken, street fighter or even KOF I cannot think of a single reason for MK to still exist beyond nostalgia value as an IP and really over the top liveleak-esque gore.

For one NRS cannot design characters for shit every one of their games i feel has always had that one character that one badly designed character that just completely ignores the fundamentals and destroys whatever is in its path whether its NRS adherence to the policy of never designing good zoners or completely batshit overpowered DLC characters (which to give credit many companies are also guilty of) I cannot think of a single reason to continue playing a single NRS fighting game past its launch window when everyone has figured out all the broken tediously designed characters.

Now I don't think anyone is willing to defend NRS character design but if they are just remember they were okay with injustice's base roster.

Another point of contention I feel is NRS's insistence on always following the worst monetization plans in the industry now typically I am one to ignore this kind of thing as if it isn't directly affecting the flow of gameplay it is of minor concern to me but when the last 3 or so NRS games have had the worst monetization on cosmetics possible its something you eventually notice and take into account when viewing these games fucking holiday exclusive fatalities that are paid only? wtf is this company smoking? To give some slack however it isn't like other companies have followed suit people seem to give shit to trend setters but never the people to then follow those trends Tekken 8's awful monetization scheme deserves a special mention as it was a catalyst for a review shitstorm on top of contributing to what seems like them ignoring blights on the current balance but that's a story for another day.

Now despite all this musing over how much of a failure I feel MK is as a brand it will still sells like hotcakes because unfortunately nostalgia IP's like MK will sell well regardless of quality because MK's audience of edgy teenagers and boomers aren't ones to typically question quality after all who care's if the net coding has been terrible since day one and highly requested community fixes for matchmaking aren't implemented look its peacemaker from that show you like! and look its homelander you guy's like homelander right from that show you like on streaming right guys? be sure to keep buying time crystals so you can buy skins that used to be free in older titles!

Sarcasm aside I think ultimately ed boon should be hunted with an harpoon gun at sea but that's just me.

This in itself is a tentative review for the campaign with a very early scan of the Invasion Single Player mode, as I have no interest in fighter game multiplayer.

Unfortunately, while the concept of using MK11's primary plot device to reboot the franchise is very sound, it causes MK1 to start very dry in its first half to really develop the new Earthrealm/Outrealm, with very little to progress its prior system and a lot to devolve from it.

It's genuinely a doubled-edged sword from MK11, as no one has even remotely the kind of power to necessitate the development during the tournament saga and, ultimately, the game doesn't find its gameplay stride until the end of it.

That being said, once it hits its major plot point it really does hone in and make a lot of that slog worth it, as soon as a very IMPORTANT event warrants it, leading to a very refreshing and user-intensive conclusion.

I'm not a fan of the Krypt being officially replaced but I've spent an hour so far playing the invasion post-game and I love it, but need more time to see if it is as comprehensive and physically customisable as it promises to be. Expect my review to either lower. improve or stay the same as I believe this mode to be important value past the initial campaign.

A campanha do MK1, de fato é uma das campanhas já feitas kkkkkkkk

Ela progride bem até mais da metade, e de repente da um 180 e o bagulho vira LITERALMENTE vingadores ultimato kakakaka

Sensacional, simplesmente cinema!

on one hand, there's a corporate scrubbing here that is of a very particular kind: gameplay has been smoothed over to appeal to a core group of competitive players. ultimately, this is fine, if a little odd and occasionally awkward. the roughness of mk's combat, in how it still benefited best from getting together with your buddies and a pack of beers on the weekends to marvel at how goofy it was, served as one of the biggest appeals of mortal kombat to me.

i worried that a plotline seemingly plucked from marvel's the avengers might bog down the game as a whole. while it definitely feels like it's meant to have a wider appeal (understandable; this is a reboot, in execution), the characters retain a lot of the appeal they've always had. some of these reworkings are pulled off so well-- johnny cage comes to mind immediately, but so does reptile. baraka's rework is inspired, and sindel is a treat to witness after two decades of the same thing. because of this, the marvel movie style plotline clicks into place: no doubt this is thanks t the charismatic performances put forth by the cast. the core four this go-around (johnny, kenshi, kung lao, raiden) just work together well. it's fun when it needs to be.

in comparison to previous entries in the franchise, there's a lack of Kontent in this entry. it's fluffed out by dlc, but this package is definitely a little slimmer than it usually is. while some of it has gotten better, other aspects still need work, and probably won't see it until MK2.

but honestly? i can't complain too much about the over polished gameplay. after all, you put it down like new york city, i never sleep, wild like los angeles, my fantasy, hotter than miami, i feel the heat, oh oh oh oh, it's international love