Mortal Kombat 1 impressions: A massive fighting game with a meaty story

My time spent with Mortal Kombat 1,, I’ve barely scratched the surface — I haven’t battled against a human opponent yet, and I’ve only seen a fraction of its ambitious story mode. But it’s the new Invasions mode that’s stealing most of my time right now, and potentially making me miss my deadline for pre-launch impressions of NetherRealm’s new fighting game.

This is what I meant by saying that Mortal Kombat 1,’s single-player components are extravagant. The campaign — or “Kampaign” — is beefy, in part thanks to well-produced, very expensive-looking cutscenes that play between clusters of actual fights. The storytelling cinematics are often up to 10 minute long, with heroes like Raiden and Kung Lao encountering new allies and enemies in Outworld. There’s an immense amount of exposition and dramatic justification for characters fighting, but little of it feels forced.

It gets better. After over a decade with games featuring a consistent cinematic story style, the tale of Mortal Kombat 1,Feels fresh once again. The game’s narrative is the latest reset of the Mortal Kombat timeline, this time with Liu Kang doing his best to chart the course for a more peaceful version of history. Raiden, a well-known character (who is not a God!) Sub-Zero (not a mortal enemy!) This time, the stories and motives are very different. Mortal Kombat events are new to some characters like Johnny Cage. This can have hilarious effects.

NetherRealm Studios/Warner Bros. Games Image via Polygon

According to my PlayStation 5 save, I’m about halfway through the game’s epic reimagining of Mortal Kombat lore, so I expect the campaign to run about eight to 10 hours. I’m genuinely excited to see where NetherRealm leaves the state of the universe at MK1’s conclusion.

Thanks to single-player Towers, I’ve already seen a second slice of Johnny Cage’s new storyline. Mortal Kombat is known for its stacks of battles, which pit characters against a certain number or even an infinity of enemies. Defeating a Tower’s worth of opponents gives you an arcade game-style ending; I picked Johnny Cage’s and it does not disappoint. (Spoiler alert: He takes part in Mortal Kombat not just to fulfill his destiny, as impressed upon him by Liu Kang, but to use Outworld as inspiration for a new cinematic universe he’s pitching. NetherRealm, as usual, is having tons of fun using Johnny as their main comic relief.

Mortal Kombat 1,’s Invasions mode tells a different type of story altogether: seasonal, multiversal yarns where players, again at the direction of Liu Kang, must defeat a major threat through a series of fights. There’s little exposition here beyond an initial animated intro: The first season is about a very angry and jealous alternate-reality Scorpion who plans to destroy an entire timeline because his dead wife got married to someone else.

NetherRealm/Warner Bros. Games

We’ve already previewed Invasions, a mode that sends players on a board game-like dungeon-crawler, but I’m surprised at how quickly it’s hooked me. Johnny Cage’s hilarious guide will help you understand how the mode works. NetherRealm rewards players after battles. I’ve unlocked a decent amount of in-game currency, skins, weapon variants, fighter color palettes, and other perks in just a few hours with Invasions. The mode has a strong “OK, just One more battle” gravitational pull, and it already seems like the perfect place for players who are shy about playing Mortal Kombat 1, online but still want to get years’ worth of playtime out of the game. (It’s worth noting that there’s no battle pass in Mortal Kombat 1,All you get is cosmetic.

There’s a ton of content to unlock through a variety of means. Koins are earned in different modes, and can be spent at the Shrine where, by pulling a handle on a slot-machine, you unlock stuff in game. My first pull gave me concept art of a royal Edenian carriage and my second unlocked artwork of a guy who works in Madame Bo’s restaurant. Then, I received in-game currency and a Rain palette swap. Other words, expect highs and lowers at Shrine.

The Mastery progress is based on the fighter (and Kameo Fighter) level. I’m currently in the process of leveling up my Sub-Zero, unlocking color palettes, name cards, brutalities, and more as I earn XP in various modes. The content that you unlock is worth it. Mortal Kombat 1,’s Mastery levels applies to the character you’re playing as — you won’t unlock stuff for Li Mei while playing as Scorpion, for example. Premium unlocks are also available. Dragon Krystals can be spent in an online store to purchase fancier weapon and character skins. Dragon Krystals may also be earned within the game. However, they are fewer in number and more difficult to find than any other currency.

NetherRealm Studios/Warner Bros. Games Image via Polygon

For lapsed Mortal Kombat players or newcomers, there’s also plenty of tutorial and training content to dig through. NetherRealm improved its onboarding process with Mortal Kombat 1,Quick lessons explain basic concepts, such as blocking and special moves enhanced, and also more advanced techniques. These include how to interpret frame data and position. And guess what else? You can also earn currency by finishing tutorials.

If you just prefer the single-player side of Mortal Kombat, there’s a deep well of content for non-competitive fans of the franchise to dive into. The story is already shaping up to be one of NetherRealm’s best, with months’ and potentially years’ worth of seasonal content to keep you coming back, unlocking goodies, and maybe even improving at fighting games writ large along the way.

Mortal Kombat 1, Release date is Sept. 19, 2019 for Nintendo Switch. Also, Windows PC and Xbox Series X. Vox Media is affiliated with Warner Bros. The PS5 game reviewed was downloaded using the pre-release code. Vox Media earns commissions on products bought via affiliate links, although this doesn’t influence the editorial content. This is where you can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.