Mortal Kombat 1 is a fresh, wildly fun reboot of an iconic fighting game

How do you make the blood-soaked battles of Mortal Kombat even more over the top? The ability to control two fighters at once for even more wild, spine-crunching combos isn’t a bad way to start. Mortal Kombat 1 promises just that, rebooting the iconic fighting game franchise with a fresh, creative approach to combat, stunning visuals and, of course, a whole litany of hilariously disgusting fatalities.

I got to play 30 minutes of NetherRealm Studios’ new brawler ahead of its September release, and left itching to spend more time experimenting with the game’s wildly fun and open-ended battle system. Here’s what I think after taking a handful of characters through many, many bloody brawls.

Double the fighters, double the fun

Mortal Kombat 1 is technically the 12th game in the famed fighting series, serving as a reboot of sorts after series star Liu Kang basically became god of the universe and decided to start the whole thing over (I’d need a few hours to explain it better than that). This allows for a fresh take on the long-running franchise, one that features younger versions of beloved characters like Sub-Zero and Scorpion and a dynamic combat system that both streamlines the somewhat dense mechanics of Mortal Kombat 11 while also blowing things open with creative new possibilities.

Mortal Kombat 1’s core gameplay will feel familiar to anyone who’s touched the series before, with two punches, two kicks, the trusty block button and powerful special movies that let you freeze, burn and dismember your opponents in all kinds of comically grotesque ways. My demo offered series stalwarts Liu Kang, Sub-Zero, Kenshi and Kitana as playable characters, all of whom had most of their signature moves alongside a ton of new attacks and abilities.

MK1 feels a bit faster and more streamlined than Mortal Kombat 11, which is a game I love, but one that was polarizing amongst the competitive community due to its relatively slow gameplay and controversial combo-breaking mechanics. Whereas the last few Mortal Kombat entries offered multiple variations of each fighter that had distinct special moves and play styles, MK1 keeps things simple — Liu Kang is always going to play like Liu Kang. If Mortal Kombat 9 was your main jam, this is especially the game for you.

But just because some things have been simplified doesn’t mean MK1 isn’t brimming with creative combo possibilities. The game’s marquee new feature is the addition of Kameo Fighters, who can pop into battle to assist you à la Marvel vs. Capcom. This blows a typical Mortal Kombat match wide open, as you can use your partner to extend combos, catch your opponent off guard or keep them at a distance with powerful ranged attacks. Your Kameo Fighter will even join you every time you land a tide-turning Fatal Blow attack, resulting in a variety of cool cinematic team-up sequences that show your duo doling out serious damage.

We’ve seen hints of this system before — Mortal Kombat 9 had a tag-team mode, and MKX and MK11 featured assists in certain single-player missions — but now it’s a vital part of how you play the game. The demo I played offered franchise favorites Jax, Sonya Blade and Kano as Kameo Fighters (all in their retro MK gear, no less), each of whom could be summoned to do their signature throws and projectiles in unison with my main character. There’s no exact word on which Kameo Fighters will also be playable as main fighters (Sub-Zero would be both, for example), but it would certainly be a bummer if series staples like Sonya and Kano were only part of the supporting cast.

The Kameo system is complemented by a big focus on air combos, as characters can now perform entire attack strings and aerial special moves after launching their opponents upward. This is my single favorite thing about Mortal Kombat 1 so far — as a fan of over-the-top brawlers like the aforementioned Marvel vs. Capcom series, beating up my opponent in midair just felt so good, and opened up a ton of neat options for inventive combos. I was able to come up with some pretty stylish attack sequences with my trusty Sub-Zero by the end of my session, and I was barely scratching the surface of what you can do in this game. NetherRealm says that MK1 is designed to give players plenty of tools to play creatively, and after getting just a taste of what’s possible with Kameo Fighters and air combos, my head is already spinning with possibilities.

Next-gen kombat

The Mortal Kombat series has set the standard for presentation and visuals in fighting games as of late, and that streak looks to continue with MK1. As the first game designed for the PS5 and Xbox Series X generation from day one, Mortal Kombat 1 is stunning — characters like Sub-Zero and Liu Kang practically look photorealistic, and it was easy to get distracted by all of the background detail when duking it out in Johnny Cage’s gorgeously rendered Malibu home. Despite its gory gameplay, MK1 has a bright and colorful aesthetic that brings the early arcade games to mind — and is a refreshing change from the dank darkness of the last few installments.

When you pick your fighters in versus mode, they’ll face each other, exchange some dialogue and then seamlessly transition into the actual match. It’s one of the coolest, quickest and most seamless transitions I’ve ever seen between character selection and gameplay in fighting games, getting you right into the action without a single loading screen in sight.

Of course, you can’t talk about Mortal Kombat without talking about the fatalities, and MK1 looks to have some of the series’ most disgusting and ridiculous finishers yet. You’ll see swords drilled down throats, bodies contorted and ripped in half and entire characters churned into a bloody dust by spinning fans — and that’s just based on what we’ve seen so far. Your mileage may vary when it comes to Mortal Kombat gore — I personally find these sequences to be more slapstick than disturbingly realistic, but as with any MK title, this game is not for the squeamish.

It’s worth noting that Mortal Kombat 1 is also coming to Nintendo Switch, but you shouldn’t expect it to look nearly as good as it does in the current trailers (my demo took place on PS5). The Switch version of Mortal Kombat 11 manages to run at a smooth 60 frames per second but makes some serious sacrifices in visual fidelity to get there. We’ll have to see how the Switch version of the new game shakes out, but If you have access to a PS5, Xbox Series X/Series S or gaming PC, I’d recommend playing there.

The takeaway

My half hour with Mortal Kombat 1 was filled with raucous hollering as I traded blows with a friend, satisfying “aha” moments as I came up with increasingly cool combos and no shortage of winced laughing at the game’s ridiculous fatalities. In short: I absolutely can’t wait to play more.

Based on my brief time with it so far, MK1 feels like both a natural next step for the franchise and a return to basics — and a more creative fighting style — for folks who may have been put off by MK11. And we haven’t even gotten to touch the story mode, which has long been a highlight of the Mortal Kombat series and looks more cinematic than ever for this reboot. I have plenty of questions surrounding the Kameo Fighter roster and how the Switch version is going to run, but MK1 could very well be one of the best games of the year, and another big win for fighting game fans after this month’s excellent Street Fighter 6.

Mortal Kombat 1 is up for preorder now, and reserving your copy will grant you access to a special beta that’ll let you fight online ahead of the game’s Sept. 19 release date. I’ll certainly be getting back in the arena to craft even more inventive, disgusting combos as soon as possible, so stay tuned for more.