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MK1 customization is set to be awesome! Indeed, Netherrealm Studios' all-new take on what a Mortal Kombat game is about has left us expectedly impressed and excited about the game's September 19 release date. Now that the hype has settled down a bit, however, it's time to get analytical! To do so, we've singled out all the important new Mortal Kombat 1 features: both the mid-match goodies and menu features and whatnot.
As you'd expect out of a large-scale re-envisioning of a whole franchise, Netherrealm is getting ready for big, wide-sweeping changes. There are more new combat options thrown in than you probably expect, and with customization seemingly being a huge deal, we believe Mortal Kombat 1 will be sticking around for a good long while.
No dawdling, then: let's see what we've got!
READ MORE: What Could a Reboot of Mortal Kombat Focus On?
MK1 Customization and All New Features We've Seen So Far
It is worth pointing out, of course, that all these changes aren't happening in a vacuum. It just so happens that two of Mortal Kombat's biggest rival franchises also have big things in store for their players. Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 are both champing at the bits to be the fighting game of this generation. It's kind of poetic, then, that all three big IPs are now getting ready to kick things around in renewed, upgraded format.
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New Kombat Mechanics
Being a full-fledged reboot (of sorts), Mortal Kombat is naturally introducing many exciting new combat features. The ones we've seen so far certainly have promise, and you'll find them listed below! From what we can tell, the game's meta will differ entirely from what veterans may be used to. Some crossover is to be expected, yes, but not as much as one might think!
Bone Krusher Finisher
This move is, basically, an alternative X-Ray Attack, except that it focuses specifically on breaking as many bones as possible rather than going after soft tissue.
Krushing Blow
A special move that can be performed when the enemy combatant is at a certain health threshold: specifics are still rather slim.
Armor Breaker
Another new special move, this one built specifically to whittle down your enemy's armor.
Flawless Block
It seems that pulling off a perfect block will allow players to block damage completely. Seeing how this is balanced in the game's meta will be interesting, to say the least.
Revealed Fighters
A fighting game's fighter roster is, easily, its most important feature. This being a reboot in more ways than one, it's a given that Mortal Kombat 1's fighter roster will be smaller and more streamlined than we last saw in Mortal Kombat 11. Only ten unique characters have been confirmed so far, them being the following:
- Fire God Liu Kang
- Scorpion
- Sub-Zero
- Raiden
- Kung Lao
- Kitana
- Mileena
- Shang Tsung
- Johnny Cage
- Sonya Blade
There are rumors, however, of Cassie Cage, Jacqui Briggs, Kotal Khan, D'Vorah, and Kano also making an appearance. Naturally, the full roster will have over a dozen characters, it's just that Netherreralm has been keeping its cards close to the chest so far.
Now, the other thing worth keeping in mind here is that there will be DLC characters, too. Those who pre-order the Premium Edition of Mortal Kombat 1 gain access to 6 post-launch Kombatants and 5 new Kameo characters. Who these might be, we do not currently know!
Kameo Fighters
If you're confused about the concept of Kameo characters, this is a potentially awesome new concept to keep things fresh in Mortal Kombat 1. There will ostensibly be two different character rosters in MK1: Kombatants and Kameos. Kombatants are your bread-and-butter fighters - the people you control in combat. Kameos, on the other hand, are essentially assistants, providing you with new fighting opportunities in some capacity.
The specifics, again, are currently kept secret. From what we can tell so far, though, Kameos will be personable optional upgrades to your Kombatant, helping them out in fights via some manner of tag-team activity. Should be interesting, but we'll need to wait and see how far the concept goes!
Will Mortal Kombat 1 Have Customization?
Yes! Mortal Kombat 1 does have character customization! Players can equip different skins, items, and assorted bonuses (like taunts) to every Kombatant, and even change out specific pieces of gear used in combat. It's not as in-depth as it was in Mortal Kombat 11, however.
In fact, from what we've seen so far, character customization will be a big deal in Mortal Kombat 1. Pre-order editions of the game already include unique character skins for Kombatants - most notably the Jean-Claude Van Damme skin for Johnny Cage - and it's a given that plenty of these will be available via in-game challenges and post-launch DLC.
Perhaps more important is the fact that character movesets should also be customizable to some extent. We'll need to wait and see, however, whether this means just switching between different Kombatant stances (as seen in previous MK titles) or something new.
Offline Mode
In this day and age, with even dedicated single-player games forcing players into online functionality for no reason whatsoever, it's good to hear that a new release will have an offline mode. Indeed, according to Netherrealm's official website, Mortal Kombat 1 will have a true offline single-player mode for those who wish to play the game that way.
This should make MK1's campaign, arcade, and other solo modes a joy to play - as strange as it may be that the ability to play offline is something we don't take for granted in 2023!
Rollback Netcode
On the opposite side of the equation from offline gameplay is Mortal Kombat 1's network connectivity. Quite simply, fighting games need extremely quick server solutions to keep matches crisp and satisfying - latency is absolutely unacceptable when you're a fraction of a second from defeat! Thankfully, we now know that Mortal Kombat 1 will use rollback netcode from day one.
Rollback netcode is a unique solution to input discrepancies over long distances. Basically, the game treats both players as if they're local combatants, attempting to predict what their next move might be. If the input doesn't get translated over the Internet in time, netcode accommodates for the issue by correcting for latency and shifting the networked player into a state that "makes sense" for the netcode. It's not a perfect solution, of course, but it does work wonderfully well in practice, and it should make Mortal Kombat 1's online modes a joy to play.
Stay Tuned!
This, of course, is just the start of the pre-release hype for Mortal Kombat 1. Though the franchise has had its fair share of reboots already (MK9, notably), this feels like the first time Netherrealm is truly spreading its proverbial wings. We've got some really high hopes, and we'll keep a close eye on the press releases as they drop in.
Again, Mortal Kombat 1 is due to launch on September 19, 2023. We've got a few months to go, but it won't be a very long wait at all until we finally get to play the bugger. In the time interim, do stay tuned! And remember: you've got a pre-release discount ready to go, right here at 2Game.
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