It is known that veterancy suits Mortal Kombat, which has been savoring the honeys of excellence for several episodes. Is it the case of the eleventh chapter? Boon and his team have managed to continue evolving a game system that does not stop providing surprises among its kombatientes. What do we think? We tell you about it in our Mortal Kombat 11 analysis.
Netherrealm’s future is anything but uncertain. In the analysis of Injustice 2 I explained to you why it seemed to me that Ed Boon was one of the great developers in the history of the genre, and Mortal Kombat 11 does nothing more than answer my not so risky statement with facts. The Chicago firm has become one of the queens of fighting , capable of creating round products that satisfy all fighting players regardless of their experience in the genre. Are you one of those who enjoys history? You’re welcome. One of those who like to collect and unlock items? You’re going to love it. A fighting expert and aspiring to the SonicFox throne ? Sit down, we need to talk.
Being a genre that I enjoy so much, it is inevitable for me to see that many developers are not able to speak from you to you to all the users to whom they sell their work. Not the case with Netherrealm, which has turned its ability to create a product for all types of players into a house brand. I think that the team is not recognized enough for their efforts in the present field, and although Mortal Kombat XI does not entertain me as much as Tekken 7 , Dragon Ball FighterZ or the one that for me is the king of the genre in the present generation, Guilty Gear Xrd , denying it its benefits as an entertainment product would be an insulting mistake towards Boon and his artists.
Born from the ashes of Midway, Warner’s move to rescue the creators of the Mortal Kombat franchise has been one of the most celebrated resurrections in the video game industry, and I refer to the contemporary hits of the fatality and Injustice saga. Speaking of fatality … Will they stop surprising us at some point with their fatalities? When it seemed that Mortal Kombat X had peaked in the Fatalities section, Cassie Cage kicks in the crotch of our convictions to recreate what are, surely, some of the best auctions of the franchise. However, leaving aside the rest of the elements that make Mortal Kombat 11 an excellent product, How is the section more focused on the fight? Is Netherrealm stalling in its games as some network spokesmen have suggested?
Video Analysis
Devastating fatalities and blows. Mortal Kombat 11 Video Analysis
Mortal Kombat 11, Come over here!I don’t think it would be fair to blame Netherrealm games for said stagnation in mechanics, since their evolution has been constant since the release of the forgettable Mortal Kombat VS. DC Universe. The pace of releases between Mortal Kombat and Injustice does not leave great respite between the two franchises, which can certainly feed that false feeling of playing similar titles so often. The reality is very different: the new chapter of the Mortal Kombat saga has managed to evolve its mechanics in a very intelligent way, offering enough differences to stand out from Mortal Kombat 9 and Mortal Kombat X. The main decision, in my opinion, is in the new defense and attack bars.
The arrival of heroes and villains from the past will bring some other surprise among the protagonists of the present.
The first change in Mortal Kombat 11 is that the bars are not filled with the damage done or received, as is usual in other references of the genre: it has been chosen to fill it with cooling time, similar to what we see in League of Legends or other MOBAs. Time will tell if the solution has been successful or not, but I think it helps to balance combat in a different way than usual and it seems like an appropriate change. Beyond the way the energy is refilled, the new offensive barIt allows to improve the special movements with continuations or changes of properties, avoiding the usual EX execution of the saga. Coupled with the disappearance of the career bar, I think it represents another major change in the gameplay of Mortal Kombat.
The character template is varied and very complete. What does Netherrealm reserve for the DLCs?
Mortal Kombat 11’s visual work remains as sublime as Injustice 2’sThe attack bar, represented horizontally in the lower corners of the screen, is joined by a vertical defense, which allows the user to execute new defensive movements during the fight. For example, by spending a bar, you can escape after a fall backward or forward, but also by getting up with an attack in exchange for spending a bar from each counter. The possibilities of getting up attacking are summarized in two: one that repels the opponent with a simple but immune movement and another that positions the rival in air combo movement but that can be countered by the enemy. The last defensive tool allows you to cancel an opposing air attack in exchange for the two defensive tanks.
The customization system is not bad, but it is well below what was seen in Injustice 2.
The appearance of the Devastating Blow has also been interesting , which allows the player to improve the punishment inflicted on the opponent. Although most of them are executed when we do a Counter and keep the attack button pressed during its execution, there are also different Devastating Strikes that are invoked if different circumstances occur during the battle. Since there are different movements with the present ability for each protagonist, it is interesting to discover what the properties of each fighter are to improve their possibilities and abilities in combat. Of course, the Fatal Blow has been maintained, which is already a basic feature of Netherrealm games. Mortal Kombat 11 has been limited to life, not the energy bar.
Your soul is Mine!I am not exaggerating if I say that Netherrealm is the only studio that has been able to mix the story of a fighting game with cinematic scenes successfully, and I think that the maturity of its creation has been confirmed with Injustice 2 and Mortal Kombat 11. In the past games still dragged a kind of complex that prevented him from focusing on the fight and the videos to dress the plot with some insipid mini-games that did not contribute anything in the narrative or playable. He doesn’t care: video, fight, video, fight and video, fight. Very linear? Well, they have achieved a lot with a genre as closed as fighting. It must be difficult to replicate Ed Boon and his team when no other studio has been able to copy it successfully, and Capcom’s failed attempts with Street Fighter V, Bandai Namco with Tekken 7 and Team Ninja with Dead or Alive 6 I refer .
Frost is back! Sub-Zero’s disciple in Mortal Kombat V: Deadly Alliance has switched sides, and in what way!
It’s funny, but it is inevitable to think of the original idea of Injustice as the main inspiration for the Mortal Kombat 11 story . Kronika, the sovereign of time, she will not hesitate to summon warriors from the past to unite her army and face Raiden’s warriors in order to balance the good and evil of the universe, broken after the defeat of Shinnok in Mortal Kombat X. than a silly excuse, but enough to bring back some fallen heroes in the last chapters of the story, which ends up translating into fan-service and dream matches that would have been impossible without the temporal ruse. Unfortunately, my feeling at the controls has been that the story was deflating as we reached the conclusion of it, but everything played has been very satisfactory.
Very varied in scenarios, Mortal Kombat XI visits new places, but also many already known to fans.
Its abrupt ending aside, the denouement of Mortal Kombat X I did like. I also highlighted in its day the inclusion of the new generation of heroes that, I thought, would wear the mantle of the saga in future installments. In the end I missed, and only half of them have survived the cut. Kung-Jin and Takeshi Takeda disappear in the eleventh installment to star Jacqui Briggs and Cassie Cage. The union of classic characters to the main duo helps to create unexpected synergies and the occasional memorable moment for them. I think Netherrealm wanted to close the circle of the current trilogy in some coherent way, and although in the ways we may disagree, I think it has been an optimal solution to guarantee the future of the series.
Netherrealm is the only studio that has been able to mix the story of a fighting game with cinematic scenes successfullyAs for the rest of the offline modes , the classic towers and the time towers remain, one being the typical arcade mode and the other the temporary challenges that are solved with special rewards to spend in the Kripta . Since its implementation in Deadly Alliance (and with the different variations that have been made in the mode from the fifth installment to today, including the occasional absence), I have never been a big fan of the crypt. I’m not passionate about spending time unlocking items, especially when there is such a huge amount as Mortal Kombat XI. In favor of the new Kripta, I would highlight the curious representation of the island of Shang Tsung, a virtual tour of the legendary scene of the original Mortal Kombat, but I think that it does not justify all the time that must be spent there.
Beyond time and spaceSpeaking of the Nintendo Switch version , I think it is not being entirely fair to it. Shiver, the studio in charge of the video game port, has managed to bring the software to the hybrid console, sacrificing the visual to maintain all the playable benefits and the content that makes the eleventh installment of the tournament great. Compared to the versions of PS4 Pro, Xbox One X or a competent computer it loses, but I think that the versatility of the Unreal Engine 3 used by Netherrealm is beyond doubt. As we explained in the analysis of these platforms, the engine may not give for more, but that a Nintendo machine receives a new installment of Mortal Kombat after more than a decade of absence is, without a doubt, good news.
This is what Mortal Kombat 11 looks like on Switch. You can see a comparison between the versions in our video analysis.
In the sound section, there is little negative to say, although there are a couple of nuances that do not lead to excellence. Mortal Kombat 11’s visual work is still as sublime as Injustice 2’s, capable of doing a lot with little. It is remarkable that Netherrealm is still working with its enhanced edition of Unreal Engine 3 at this point, but the results are entirely enviable. It is true, however, that the engine may not give for more, since the evolution between the two deliveries, although palpable, is somewhat modest. Blame the tools? It might be more of an artistic circumstance – watching Injustice 2, it seems like Ed Boon’s workers have come of age with the present style and are comfortable here. Little to criticize.
The same thing happens in the sound section, there is little negative to say, although there are a couple of nuances that do not lead to excellence. The first is in the dubbing: as happened with Injustice 2, Warner Bros. has opted for English in the voices and Spanish subtitles . The performance, in any case, is magnificent. Its only asterisk? That of Ronda Rousey, who voices Sonya Blade. As he has already shown in WWE, his thing is not to act, and his role in the game is forced and out of place. I can’t say the same about the music and effects: the blows, attacks or the handmade sounds of the fatalities of MK11 are at the height of the new melodies, which are pure Mortal Kombat.
The Krypt has one of lime and one of sand: a magnificent representation of the island of Shang Tsung, but a slow way to unlock new items.He has known how to evolve his mechanics in a very intelligent wayMortal Kombat 11 is an excellent video game in practically all its sections. A new reference of the fight designed so that all players (adults) can enjoy its history, viscerality and gore madness , but that does not neglect users willing to know what awaits the warriors of earth in their umpteenth battle against rivals from all over the planet, both on-line and off-line. What will come in the future? Injustice 3 is the obvious step, and as the Batman and Superman game ends, I feel like nothing more. I get the feeling that the eleventh installment intends to become a software that will endure the pull of the kombatientes for the next few years. Now you just have to train.
“Magnificent”
Mortal Kombat 11
Mortal Kombat 11 lives up to everything that is expected of a saga with more than 25 years behind it, and that is not little. A very complete product capable of satisfying all levels of fighting game fans, regardless of their experience in the genre or depth. The new character customization system adds more variety to the battles and each protagonist has been nurtured with dozens of unlockable skins and aesthetic elements. All playable add-ons are deep enough to withstand the pull for years to come.
- One of the most complete fighting games of the generation
- Different layers to enjoy it: any user can find their place in MK 11
- Various playable add-ons are key to ensuring years of competitive play
- The recreation of the island of Shang Tsung is, almost, a museum of Mortal Kombat
- The Krypt is not the most agile way to unlock content
- Despite the dozens of skins, mimicking Injustice 2’s accessory system would have been optimal
- Ronda Rousey is a great fighter, but a lousy actress
