Mortal Kombat 11

Mortal Kombat 11 is a continuation of the series of brutal fighting games known for their deadly finishing moves and bloody fatalities. Players will be pleased with the new high-class graphics engine that showcases all the most epic moments in detail, while the classic side view and 2.5D stylistics remain intact. The game has the most interesting storyline in over 25 years of the series.

The events of the Mortal Kombat series unfold in an alternate reality where 6 main realms exist — Earthrealm, Netherrealm (the Abyss), Outworld, Orderrealm, Chaosrealm, and Edenia. Above them are the Elder Gods, who devised the Mortal Kombat tournament, allowing the inhabitants of one realm to conquer another.

Thanks to the developed lore, battles take place in various and sometimes unexpected locations, with players typically visiting 15-20 unique locations in Earthrealm, as well as traveling to other realms. In competitive mode, special arenas are predominantly used.

The protector of Earthrealm is the young God of Thunder, Raiden. For many years, the main antagonist of the series was Shao Kahn — a cruel despot and tyrant who sought to conquer all realms and become the emperor of the multiverse. Other characters, of which there are more than 100, could either side with good or evil or pursue their own desires without obeying anyone.

At the end of Mortal Kombat X , Raiden had to absorb the corrupted demonic energy of the fallen God, after which he changed. From that moment on, he does not just protect Earth — he seeks to eliminate any threat to Earthrealm, which he informs Liu Kang and Kitana, who have become the new rulers of the Netherrealm.

The events of Mortal Kombat 11 begin immediately after this. An enraged Raiden kills Shinnok, his oldest enemy, and travels back in time for his next target — Shao Kahn. However, this murder disrupts the balance in the realms, and at that moment, a new main antagonist appears.

Tired of endless wars, the goddess Kronika intervenes in the events, capable of manipulating time. Moreover, all the events that have occurred over 25 gaming years were her design. Now she has come to restore order... by any means, even crossing timelines.

This elegant solution confronts the aged heroes with their younger selves. Thus, battle-hardened and experienced Johnny Cage will meet his young and arrogant "version" from the past. Raiden from previous games in the series will face the tyrant he has become in the future and will try to defeat him.

Each iconic character, from Scorpion to Kitana, has several alter egos, leading to unexpected encounters with interesting dialogues throughout the campaign. Players can appreciate how certain characters have changed over time, especially after MKX. Some storyline missions can be completed with two different characters.

The screenwriters have thoughtfully crafted the plot, filling it with moral dilemmas and the message that "bad guys" have their own justified dreams and goals. This is uncharacteristic for fighting games, where the story is usually used to connect all the brutal fights.

The storyline of MK11 will take 7-10 hours depending on the difficulty, making it the longest in the series' history. The script concludes the storyline started in previous games, and the ending opens the door for a complete reboot.

At launch, Mortal Kombat 11 will offer fans 25 characters, including Raiden, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Sonya Blade, Baraka, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Scarlet, the master of sand and time Geras, Shao Kahn, Noob Saibot, and others. Kronika will also be a playable character, but not in the campaign, only in single-player and online modes.

The game largely retains the gameplay concept based on simple attacking strikes and defensive blocks that combine into a series of moves and activate combos. At the end of a fight, a barely alive opponent can be finished off with a fatality—a particularly powerful move.

The most noticeable innovation is the two energy bars. The first is for attacks, while the second is for defense. With it, for example, you can use the Breakaway ability (formerly Breaker) to escape from a long combo.

The X-Ray attack function has been replaced with Fatal Blow. This is a powerful attack capable of inflicting irreparable damage on the opponent. It can be activated when the fighter has less than 30% health. It can be used only once per round.

Another new mechanic is the Crushing Blow, a special attack similar in complexity and effectiveness to brutalities in MKX.

The gameplay dynamics remain at the same level as in MKX. However, the fights look more spectacular, as the developers have increased the number of slow-motion scenes, improved the animation, and increased the number of objects in the arena. Now brains spill out of skulls, eyes pop out of eye sockets, there are splashes of blood everywhere, and severed limbs.