It was a difficult decision whether or not to use Fatal Blow on my opponent. We were both at low health, but it was still the first round. Should I risk not being able to use it the next round, or should I save it for a more desperate moment? These little decisions are what gives Mortal Kombat 11 a sense of rush and excitement. That moment when you’re just waiting for your opponent to make a mistake.
From a glance, Mortal Kombat 11 can look like any other fighting game. But from my experience, the gameplay is a bit stiff compared to other games of its genre. Playing the beta, I wasn’t allowed a variety of options. And only three modes were unlocked for me: Klassic Tower, Online, and Character. Even practice wasn’t available. As a newcomer, I wasn’t able to get a feel of the characters at my own pace. As such, I found it a bit difficult to adapt to the game’s fighting rhythm.
Mortal Kombat 11 doesn’t pull any illusions over your eyes. It knows it wants to be a brutal, violent game and displays itself as such. As the game progress, the arena you’re fighting in can be covered in blood as is your characters. It really goes to show how much effort NetherRealm Studios put into the game. Each character has a unique dialogue option with another. It makes the game feel much more alive. Even though I only had access to five characters, I was nevertheless impressed by how they interacted with each other.
I mentioned before the Mortal Kombat 11 felt stiff. And that’s because I come from fighting games like Tekken and Blazblue. Chaining combos are quite difficult in this game. And it definitely isn’t about juggling opponents midair either. It feels more like looking for openings to dish out brutal attacks whilst memorizing combos. Perhaps it’s because I didn’t have access to practice mode that I couldn’t quite get a good feel of the game. But this is the beta version, so my mileage may vary.
I invested a few hours into the beta itself, and I have to say it feels like a decent fighting game. Takes some getting used to. But it’s intense when played with other players. That one moment where a single strike can end it all is where I feel the most anxious.
Mortal Kombat 11 does have a Fatal Blow, where your health drops somewhere below 30% it grants you access to one time super move per match. Once it’s used however it’s gone for good. So there’s a level of discretion to be had for those who are desperate enough to use it.
And yes, Fatalities do make a return. Even from a newcomer, I still recognize Mortal Kombat for its most infamous feature. Beat an opponent, and you’ll have the chance to skewer them inside out all in modern day graphics. It’s easy and simple to execute as well. So as long as you memorize the combination input, you’ll be humiliating opponents left and right.
I was surprised at the amount of content character customization had. The capability of choosing one’s mask and outfit as well as their equipped moveset really adds some variety. It stops one character from being boring too quickly. These items also have augmented equipable but I’m not quite capable of giving out exact details as it is locked in the beta version of the game.
All in all, I think Mortal Kombat 11 is a fantastic game to look forward to. I wish I could’ve tested out more characters. But as it stands, only five are available for me. Stay tuned for the game this April 23rd!