Mortal Kombat 1 Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs

Even the biggest fans of MK11 couldn't defend the relentless grinding. The reward system in The Towers of Time was so random, players could play for hours on end before attaining the item they desired. The Krypt had some entertaining moments, but it didn't change the fact it was a heavily imbalanced loot system.

The grinding has been dialled back in MK1, but it's still present. Every time a kombatant levels up their Rank, they'll receive a gift, such as a new garment, Fatality, Brutality, Intro, or Outro.

As straightforward as that sounds, it's still tedious. There are 35 bonuses to unlock this way, meaning each character must reach Rank 35 to procure them all. To unlock every goody for each kombatant, players have to level up 770 times.

If that sounds excessive, that's not including the Kameo fighters' Ranks. Although they only level up 15 times, it's still tiresome to endure the rigmarole, just to win a trivial trinket.

Also, let's not forget about the other unlockables. Certain accolades can only be attained by taking part in the Story, Towers, and Invasions. The shop is more balanced than its predecessor, but players will still find themselves performing tasks just to get Koins, rather than out of enjoyment. Because the shop is constantly updating, obtaining everything is pretty much unfeasible.

Okay, now the cons for Mortal Kombat 1's are out of the way, let's look at the good stuff.