Mortal Kombat 11: Crafting a 27 year legacy

Mortal Kombat 11

28

Sept

Mortal Kombat 11: Crafting a 27 year legacy -2019 saw the release of Mortal Kombat 11 developed by NetherRealm Studios which is the eleventh installment in the Mortal Kombat franchise. The series has come a long way, taking the gaming world by storm back in 1992. Since then after each installment the games have been getting bigger and better. It is no doubt that fans still hold such a franchise near and dear to their heart with all the in depth combos, blood pumping fights and the impressively detailed fatalities. So how has the eleventh installment improved upon the past titles and how has it been received by the gaming community?

For the first half of 2019, Mortal Kombat 11 has actually received critical acclaim from both fans and critics. Metacritic is an online site that takes the average scores given by reviewers and produces an overall score for the game. On this site Mortal Kombat 11 has scored 82/100 which is considered a good and favourable score. Another site which has given a favourable review is IGN. IGN is an entertainment news site that does game reviews and gives them a score out of 10. Based on this rating system Mortal Kombat received a 9/10 which is considered to be “amazing” according to IGN. The reviewer, Mitchell Saltzman says “It’s a rare fighting game that hits just about every note as strongly as Mortal Kombat 11 does. Everything from its methodical and deep combat to its fantastically absurd story mode and its rock-solid netcode, right down to its extraordinarily comprehensive tutorial is absolutely exceptional. This series continues to prove that there’s real fighting depth beyond its notoriously gory Fatalities, and this one in particular stands out as a spine-ripping good time.”

Many reviewers have also praised the art style of Mortal Kombat 11. They have cited that it is pretty impressive as to how detailed the game is considering that it has been made on an older generation of software which is the Unreal Engine 3. Not only has the game done critically well, but financially as well. Comicbook.com states that “Mortal Kombat 11 has surpassed its competitors to become the best-selling game of 2019.” Mortal Kombat which released on 23rd April, achieved this feat in a couple of months and as of June 2019 it has held this position.
Mortal Kombat 11

The main reason why Mortal Kombat 11 has been so successful is because they have reinvented the fighting system, added new story elements and a wide variety of customisation for characters. The new adjustments to the fighting system have made battles more intense and drawn out. Introductions of Fatal Blows and Krushing Blows incentivize players to learn character specific moves and develop a sense of timing. Battles now require tactical decision making which bring fights down to the wire. On Mortal Kombat’s site, they talk about the change to customization by saying that it “Offers nearly infinite customisation options, giving players more control and providing a deeper and more personalised experience than ever before. Players can customise their fighters with a variety of Skins, Gear, Special Abilities, Intro and Victory Cinemas, Taunts and Brutalities that can be earned via gameplay.”

Mortal Kombat 11 has certainly made a huge impact in 2019 and continues to be one of the best fighting video games in the market. Not only does Mortal Kombat 11 re-invent the franchise but also stays true to its 27 year legacy.

Mortal Kombat 11
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