Mortal Kombat 1 Review (PS5) | Push Square

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Mortal Kombat 1 represents a new era for the fighting game series. However, it also marks the first time in a while that a new Mortal Kombat title has been released where worthy competitors have been present. Games like Guilty Gear Strive and Street Fighter 6 have raised the bar for fighting games significantly since Mortal Kombat 11 released, and it’s on Mortal Kombat 1 to keep up.

Lets get it out the way first, this is the best Mortal Kombat game since Mortal Kombat (2011). Mortal Kombat X took things too far with the three character styles and bringing back Mortal Kombat 3’s terrible run system. Meanwhile, Mortal Kombat 11 went too far in the other direction by making a slower game where zoners like Jacqui ruled online, while still locking moves behind different sets of gear.

This time the game features a cast of 23 fighters, which is the smallest the series has had in the rebooted era, although this is made up for by the inclusion of 15 Kameo fighters. These work like Assists in Marvel Vs Capcom, where you can call these fighters in to perform moves, which can extend your combos or get you out of a jam.

While we love that this game has finally brought back some of the more esoteric characters from the series’ history like Reiko, Havik, and Ashrah, there are no newcomers in Mortal Kombat 1, resulting in a roster that is mostly made up of the usual suspects.

The Fatalities return in all their gooey glory. While we think the series also went a bit far with these in past titles (just look at Kenshi’s puppet fatality from Mortal Kombat X), Mortal Kombat 1 takes things back to the goofy tone of the original entries. While there are some that are hard to watch (Reiko’s are both gnarly) the Fatalities are a lot sillier this