Mortal Kombat 1 review — a near flawless victory for PS5 fighter

In this Mortal Kombat 1 review, I'll bring you my honest thoughts and feelings on the newest fighter from NetherRealm after 30 hours of play on PS5.

Sean Lawson

Published 14 Oct 2023

The Mortal Kombat 1 trophies have been one hell of a fun time to work through, just like the game itself. This Mortal Kombat 1 review will walk you through the game's story, the combat, trophies, and other little shenanigans that unfolded during my time with what may be one of the best fighting games on PS5 I've played since Tekken 7.

A Mortal Kombat 1 review code was provided by Warner Bros. Games for PS5.

Mortal Kombat 1 is the sexiest fighting game on PS5 right now

Right off the bat as I loaded into the main menu of MK1, I was blown away by the visuals. The game is stunning — this is easily one of the most beautiful fighting games I have ever seen. Before I had even started up the story, I was hooked by the graphics alone. Before you venture into the great wide world of MK1, there is a comprehensive tutorial to teach you the new mechanics. This gives you insight into how to beat people up for fun, but also the new Kameos (which are characters that pop into fights to deal some damage for you) and the combat that feels incredibly satisfying when you smack your foes in the face.

I spotted Arcade mode, which throws you into some random fights as you climb a tower and try to earn a character's ending. So I fought a couple of towers with some of my previous Mortal Kombat mains — Mileena and Kitana — to get a feel for a more intense fight than the tutorial. Both characters looked incredible and their new designs for MK1 fit the series lineage nicely.

Why do I mention this? Because a tutorial and a few rounds are all it takes for Mortal Kombat 1 to tell you: "Get over here!" One hour is all it took despite my rusty skills. It gave me a thirst for more blood, action, and over-the-top fatalities and wouldn't let me go without satiating me. There is no bedding in process with MK1, it is immediately gratifying and fiendishly addictive and so it continues for the rest of your time with it. It is a phenomenal fighter.

Mortal Kombat 1

Mortal Kombat 1 has a near-perfect story

Mortal Kombat 1's story follows Liu Kang's ending from the Aftermath DLC of Mortal Kombat 11. Liu Kang has, in essence, reset the Mortal Kombat timeline. This has helped Earth recover from endless fights to the death and stopped our world from being overwhelmed by evil forces. Unfortunately, someone is trying to undo all that hard work.

I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole story, waiting to see all the twists and turns. I surprisingly didn't see the big twist coming and it was honestly phenomenal. This might be the best Mortal Kombat story I have ever experienced. Most importantly, MK 1 rectifies the Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath ending. The Aftermath DLC was a massive disappointment for me, as it pretty much undid all of the positives the original story MK11 produced — namely all the good that characters do is undone almost instantly.

Mortal Kombat 1

However, despite my frustrations with MK11, I am happy to see that MK1 still manages to keep everything that happened in MK 11 as canon for those who did enjoy its story. Mortal Kombat 1 really fleshed out its characters, as well as gave us an entirely new world and lore to fall in love with. It's absolutely amazing.

An example of narrative improvements is some of the refreshing character choices NetherRealm has made. The relationship between Mileena and her sister Kitana is totally flipped on its head from the old games. That feels rewarding for old-time fans like me who want to see character growth. To the eyes of fresh players, it'd be just a well-written and compelling story thread. There is so much character growth for a bunch of people: Li Mei, Tanya, and Reptile. It's satisfying and beautiful to see.

Mortal Kombat 1

Mortal Kombat 1 roster — interesting characters made difficult to find

If there is one thing NetherRealm never fails on, it's the combat. As I mentioned earlier, combat in Mortal Kombat 1 is fantastic: it's smooth, brutish, and makes me feel like an absolute badass. My attacks feel real — yes, even when I'm shooting magical energy beams. It's as if every punch and kick I throw is connecting with my foes and it's incredibly satisfying. That touch of realism helps draw you into the game even more than previous entries.

However, I find it annoying that the Mortal Kombat series overhauls its roster nearly every game. Just when I find my main in MK11, Jade, she is quickly booted out and I am left attempting to figure out which character matches my playstyle best. In MK 9 it was Jade, in MK X it was Mileena, in MK 11 it was Jade, and now in MK 1 it's Tanya — I think. It's not a problem for newbies, but if you love Mortal Kombat it does mean you keep losing all the effort you put into previous games and, instead of enjoying the new stuff, have to spend time realising you have lost progress.

Mortal Kombat 1

I chose Tanya as my main as she has some similarities to Jade (like her magical staff) and had a bounty of quick and heavy-hitting combos that were incredibly satisfying to pull off. Her attacks felt vicious and weighted and it felt like I was doing real damage when I walloped someone over the head. However, the same could be said for all the characters I tried, everyone had great gimmicks and mechanics that were a lot of fun to learn, which suggests that Mortal Kombat 1 combat is on another level — even characters I dislike (Shao Khan) can be fun to play with.

The Kameo fighter Sareena makes for some slick and stylish combos. Sareena has a move that works a bit like a boomerang and if it catches players it stuns them and leaves them open for a punishing combo — if I can pull it off. Kameo fighters are a nice addition to Mortal Kombat 1, allowing you to add a whole new level of strategy to your battles. Some Kameo fighters work best at providing you with defense, others help set you up for brutal combos, and some (like Sareena) are good for reaching players just out of your reach. I'm a big fan of the new feature and hope NetherRealm continues to use it in future Mortal Kombat titles.

Mortal Kombat 1

Mortal Kombat impresses with Invasions and Arcade game modes

Aside from the story mode and online multiplayer, Mortal Kombat 1 features two other game modes that long-time Mortal Kombat fans will recognize. Arcade mode is a staple of the franchise and something we discussed earlier in this review. It's one of my favorite game modes, just because it allows me to get to know some of the characters that didn't get enough screen time in the main story. You would expect to see Arcade mode in every Mortal Kombat game.

Next up is the super addictive Invasion mode that plays a bit like an RPG, only instead of turn-based combat, you beat your opponents up to a bloody pulp in real-time. You'll be maneuvering around different maps, spending skill points, and leveling up your chosen character. Invasions is a great change of pace for those wanting something different than your usual Arcade tower or online play. It adds some great value and replayability to Mortal Kombat 1, which should keep players entertained for months to come.

Mortal Kombat 1

The last game mode (if you can call it that) is The Shrine, which has essentially replaced The Krypt from MKX and MK 11. I loved The Krypt which saw you traverse a large open-world-esque map filled with puzzles, traps, and secrets. It added an extra element of fun to something that could be quite boring, which is unfortunately exactly what NetherRealm has done in MK 1.

The Shrine sees you click a button and watch as a statue of a dragon melts your gold to reveal a prize — usually a piece of concept art. The actual action takes around 20 seconds to do, which slowly adds up if you have a fair amount of coins to spend. It's a real letdown in comparison to the Krypt of the previous game and I would be disappointed to see it in the next game.

Mortal Kombat 1

Mortal Kombat 1 — Trophy Tactics

The Mortal Kombat trophies are a lot of fun, though I find it annoying that I have to wait for a specific event to happen to be able to earn the platinum. Besides one week a month, the Mortal Kombat 1 platinum is unobtainable, which is a bit of a kick in the gut for me as a trophy hunter. I have managed to snatch up 41 out of the 51 trophies on offer, giving me a total of 80% out of 100%, so far. The biggest issues for me are going to be the trophies 'Rollin' With My Krew' and 'King Slayer,' one is a huge grind, while the other requires me to play PvP matches.

'Rollin' With My Krew' asks you to earn mastery with five different Kameo fighters, something that will take a considerably long time. Mastery for Kameo fighters maxes out at level 15. 'King Slayer' asks you to dethrone a king in a King of the Hill match. This isn't necessarily hard, especially if you luck out and face someone less skilled than yourself. However, it does mean you have to interact with other players who might be quite toxic for no real reason — like a lot of games that feature multiplayer. If you can overcome these trophies then you should earn that platinum with ease.

Summary

Mortal Kombat 1 is an exemplary fighter filled with charm and lots of gore. The story is exceptional and the combat is action-packed and incredibly satisfying, making this an absolute must-play for fighting enthusiasts. While the game is almost perfect, the smaller character roster and lack of a Krypt stop me from giving this a perfect 10. That is a small blight on an otherwise superb entry into the series from Nether Realm. Mortal Kombat 1 is without a doubt one of the best fighters I have player in recent years and a worthwhile game for any fighting game aficionado!

* Sean played Mortal Kombat 1 for over 30 hours, where he battled against Shang Tsung's evil forces and earned 41 of the 51 trophies on offer. Sean is still planning on earning the platinum, once he builds up the courage to face multiplayer again.

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PlayStation 5

Written by Sean Lawson

Staff Writer Sean focuses on the geekiest Sony news. He specializes in PlayStation trophies, the best PS Plus games, RPGs, and fighting games. Sean uses his years of experience to cover Dragon Age The Veilguard for PS5, all while he dives into his favorite game series like Mass Effect, Tomb Raider, and Persona.