Summary
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains MINOR SPOILERS for Mortal Kombat 1.TheMortal Kombatfranchise has been around for over 30 years now, and as is the case with all long-running video game franchises,Mortal Kombathas undergone several different phases in its lifetime. Of course, the firstMortal Kombatphase was its classic arcade days, wherethe originalMortal Kombattrilogythrived alongside some of the greatest early 1990s arcade titles. Then there was the transition to home consoles in the late 1990s, and the start of the NetherRealm era in 2011, which all culminates in the most recent entry,Mortal Kombat 1.
But right between the transition to home consoles and NetherRealm’s era isMortal Kombat’s more troubled phase, known largely as the 3D era. Beginning withMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliancein 2002, the franchise’s 3D era saw a shift in tone and gameplay that wasn’t very well received at the time, and in the two decades since, much of it has been largely forgotten about by even the most die-hardMortal Kombatfans. But being a celebration of all 30 years of the franchise’s history,Mortal Kombat 1doesn’t shy away from its 3D era and instead makes the impressive decision to embrace it.
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Mortal Kombat 1 Gives the Series' 3D Era the Love it Deserved
Though it certainly has its fans,Mortal Kombat’s 3D era is widely regarded as the series' low point, especially looking back now in the wake of excellent entries likeMortal Kombat2011,MKX, andMortal Kombat 11. Though some of its modes were fun,Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance,Deception, andArmageddonall put an emphasis on quantity over quality, and that was definitely the wrong decision, leading to some extremely clunky and repetitive gameplay that doesn’t hold a candle to even the earliest entries in the series. But that doesn’t mean thatMortal Kombat’s 3D era didn’t have its fair share of good ideas.
For the most part, NetherRealm’sMortal Kombatseries has largely forgotten about the franchise’s 3D era. ThoughMortal Kombat2011 technically begins with the events ofArmageddon, it’s mostly used just as a jumping-off point, and though one or two 3D-era characters have been mentioned, the vast majority have been completely left out of the reboot continuity. ButMortal Kombat 1makes the bold decision to not only reference the series' 3D era, but bring it back in full force.
Mortal Kombat 1brings back a slew of 3D fighters for its main roster, including characters like Ashrah, Havik, Reiko, Nitara, Li Mei, and Tanya.Mortal Kombat 1’s Kameo rosteralso includes a few 3D faces, with Sareena, Darrius, and Shujinko all making appearances in the game. Each one of these characters has been painstakingly remade from the ground up to fit withMortal Kombat 1’s modern aesthetic and visual style, and they’ve all been given brand new movesets that really embrace their unique character qualities.
NetherRealm’s sudden passion for the 3D era of the franchise doesn’t stop there.Mortal Kombat 1’s story modeembraces the 3D era fully, essentially redoing a handful of the games' plots. Without spoiling too much,Mortal Kombat 1’s story mode directly remakes the plot ofMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, and even has a grand final battle like the one inMortal Kombat: Armageddon. To ensure that fans know that these are direct references, NetherRealm has even named these story chapters after their respective inspirations. It’s great to see these ideas and characters get reworked inMortal Kombat 1, and it really helps to cement the feeling that this entry is meant to be a celebration of the franchise’s entire 30-year history, warts and all.
Mortal Kombat 1is available now on PS5, Xbox X, Nintendo Switch and PC.
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