Mortal Kombat from NetherRealm Studios has become one of the most popular fighting game series in the world over the years. While this series has seen its ups and downs, whenever a new Mortal Kombat game drops, there is a lot of buzz in the gaming community. So much so that the reference to the term ‘Fatality’ from the game has even become mainstream. Naturally then, when the Mortal Kombat 1 teaser was released earlier this year, there was a lot of excitement among fans. As it was a cinematic teaser, I was still reluctant to buy into the hype but having played the game’s beta over the past weekend, I can confidently say that this could prove to be the best fighting game to release this year. It’s a bold claim as this is the year when Street Fighter 6 has already been released to critical acclaim (Tekken 8 has been confirmed to launch on January 26th next year, so it doesn’t qualify).
Mortal Kombat 1 beta details
Available characters
- Liu Kang
- Sub-Zero
- Kenshi
- Kitana
- Johnny Cage
- Li Mei
Kameo Characters
- Kano
- Sonya
- Jax
- Frost
Available stages
- The Teahouse
- Johnny Cage’s Mansion
First impressions
Loading up Mortal Kombat 1 for the first time is an experience by itself. The unique presentation style is extremely fluid and dynamic in nature. The transitions are extremely smooth from one screen to the other and as you choose your character and a Kameo character (to assist you within the battle with certain moves), you feel excited to get started with the match. Thankfully, in this beta, NetherRealm Studios made some of the popular characters available, including Sub-Zero and Johnny Cage. For me personally, Sub-Zero has always been the automatic first choice and as soon as I entered my first match, I realised that I was in for a treat.
The game’s fast pace, brilliant graphics, and smooth animations combine to offer you a unique experience unlike any other fighting game in the market right now. The characters have a personality and their moves reflect their individuality well. While playing online matches, I didn’t experience any connection issues and there was no issue with latency as well. Whether it was stage design, fatalities (gruesome ways to finish off the opponent), or the combos, the game had me hooked to such an extent that I didn’t want to put the controller down for hours. Considering that the beta didn’t even include highly anticipated characters such as Homelander, Peacemaker, and Omni-Man, one can only imagine how great the final product will be.
Full release details
Mortal Kombat 1 will be released on September 19th worldwide and will be made available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Microsoft Windows. The game can be pre-ordered from Steam right now for Rs 4,499 (Standard Edition) and Rs 6,099 (Premium Edition). On PlayStation 5, these pre-orders will cost you Rs 4,799 and Rs 6,399, respectively.
