Summary
Mortal Kombat1was released last month, rebooting the franchise once more. While the most noticeable change was the beginning of a new story, NetherRealm also took the reboot as a chance to overhaul gameplay.Mortal Kombat 1features a new assist system in the form of Kameo Fighters, setting it apart from this year’s other major fighting game,Street Fighter 6. Another shift in philosophy is also apparent through the new Invasion mode:Mortal Kombatgames have fully leaped into being live service titles with seasonal content. While in-game stores are nothing new for the franchise, a recent major update made it clear that what is being sold this time around has changed.
The most substantial part ofMortal Kombat 1’s first major updatewas its various quality of life and balance changes. The impact these changes will have on the meta remains to be fully seen, but the new Kameo System was majorly nerfed and many characters damage scaling was adjusted. The update also added new content to the game in the form of stages, skins, and the ability to unlock a new fatality. The added content consists of:
RELATED:Mortal Kombat 1: How to Perform Every Fatality (& What They Look Like)
Mortal Kombat’s First Paid Fatality is Expensive
Mortal Kombat 1’s first paid fatalitywas added to the in-game store with the recent update. A seasonally-themed fatality for Halloween is the perfect fit for aMortal Kombattitle;MKhas always been a bit spooky and resembles many of the horror films that people watch around the time of Halloween, after all. Despite the move being a great addition to the game, the price tag has proven controversial with fans, and rightfully so.Mortal Kombatis a $70 game, and the new fatality is roughly $10. The pricing of the move is extremely high, especially when previous games have added fatalities for free and as a part of other substantial content additions.
Unfortunately, this trend is far from unique toMortal Kombat.Street Fighter 6receivedTMNTskinsthat cost $15 a piece just a few months ago. Live service competitive games are expensive to maintain, but both theTMNTcostumes and Halloween fatality set a poor example of monetization. Prohibitively expensive DLC reeks of greed and is off-putting to many fans.Mortal Kombat 1has been the focus of less excitement than previous entries in the series. Coupling a controversial balance patch with the series' first paid fatality and other expensive skins has further decreased the goodwill around the game.
Mortal Kombat 2 Can Do Better In a Few Ways
Mortal Kombat 2needs to improve on this first entry in the new timeline in several ways. One thing that will surely help is more experience for the developers.Kameo Fightersare a new addition in this time, and the existence of assists changes the game’s balance. ShouldMK2keep Kameos in the game, it will benefit from the developer’s new experience tuning them. The other big thing thatMortal Kombat 2can do is limit microtransactions. Instead of exclusively selling the seasonal fatalities and skins,Mortal Kombatcould instead allow players to unlock them via gameplay as well. Even with a big grind, it would be better than only allowing players to obtain it by paying a fee.
Free to Play Could Be A Strong Fit for Mortal Kombat
The other choice thatMortal Kombat 2could make to lessen the blow of these expensive add-ons is to go free to play. In the free-to-play market, charging almost $10 for a single microtransaction is more accepted. Given the live-service nature of fighting games likeMortal Kombat, a free-to-play model might be something developers could pull off, though it could come at the cost of the series' beloved story modes. Rather than redesign the series around expensive microtransactions, NetherRealm and WB Games should try to makeMK1and its sequel’s future microtransactions unlockable via other methods.
Mortal Kombat 1
WHERE TO PLAY
Welcome to a new era of Kombat. NetherRealm Studios ushers in a new era of the iconic fighting franchise with a total reset that changes the entire world as we know it. Following the thrilling climax of Mortal Kombat 11, the all-powerful Fire God Liu Kang has created a New Era in the hope of bringing peace to Earthrealm and beyond. Through the series' most cinematic story mode yet, you’ll be reintroduced to a cast of legendary warriors as you’ve never seen them before. Expect twists on classic friendships and rivalries, as well as new backstories that will change everything you think you know about your favorite Kombatants. Discover a host of new offline and online game modes as you master a revitalized fighting system that boasts bone-crunching Fatal Blows, defensive Breakers and the most creatively vicious Fatalities yet.
MORE:Why Scorpion and Sub-Zero Should Take Center Stage in ‘Mortal Kombat 2’
