Over the past few years, fighting games have seen somewhat of a renaissance. One can make the argument that Mortal Kombat has been one of the few that have been leading the pack of fighting games and how they have evolved. The evolution continues with Mortal Kombat 1 with what many may see as the biggest change in terms of gameplay for the series with the introduction of Kameo fighters, additional fighters that can support the player in a variety of ways depending on the Kameo character being picked and the fighter being used. We got to go hands-on over the weekend to see how this new system changes the series, and by all accounts, the new system has injected new life in the franchise.
The stress test gave us the opportunity to choose between four fighters and three Kameos. The four fighters available consisted of Kitana, Kenshi, Sub-Zero, and Liu Kang. The three Kameo fighters included Sonya Blade, Kano, and Jax. As it is with every fighting game, every fighter feels unique. This time around, because of the new timeline, That feels even more so. Every fighter has something new.
The biggest takeaway from Mortal Kombat 1 is how seamlessly integrated the new Kameo system is to the action. With one button input and a direction, the Kameo has the ability to support the player in a number of ways: up close and personal, from afar, or in the air. They can also be used defensively to break up an opponent’s combo if you get into a situation that requires a reset in the current round. As you may have seen online, players can team up with their respective Kameos to pull off insane combos that can end a fight very quickly.
But it isn’t just the Kameo system that feels fresh. The game as a whole feels great to play. It seems to be a mix of the past few games. You can feel and see the fluidity of Mortal Kombat X with the precision and presentation of Mortal Kombat 11. With these two things, there also seems to be a more simple approach to inputs this time around. In the past games, there were long inputs required to pull off moves, now, because they are shorter, it seems more seamless and fluid, meaning the action never stops. It also gives more power to the player because it provides the freedom to express and showcase how they fight. Instead of being locked in to a varation, players pick and choose the combination of fighter and Kameo they want.
As the September 19 release date nears, it’ll be exciting to see which fighters join the roster, both the main roster and the Kameo roster,in how they are changed for the new chapter in the series and story and how they play because playing Mortal Kombat 1 feels great and figuring out how to use every fighter is every fighting game fan’s dream, and Mortal Kombat always makes that experience play in a very special way.