MK1: Cyrax

My first impression of Cyrax in MK1 is that NetherRealm built a genuinely interesting zoner-plus-pressure character, and then surrounded that character with enough baggage to make the buy-in harder than it should be. Let me unpack that. On pure mechanics, Cyrax has a lot going for her. The toolkit leans into layered bomb setups: sticky bombs for close pressure, follow bombs that chase the opponent, and pop-up bombs for combo extensions. Energy nets pin opponents in place long enough to continue strings, and spinning sawblades cover mid-range space that other characters struggle to control. The Mistwalk smoke-bomb teleport, including a variant that leaves a bomb behind on exit, gives Cyrax an evasive option that doubles as a mix-up threat. Players in the fighting-game community have noted that her setups can be punishing to deal with, particularly when the bomb vortex gets going, and that pairing her with Sub-Zero as a Kameo creates disgusting freeze-into-full-combo situations. The aerial mobility adds a dance-like quality to her aggression that stands out in a roster full of more grounded characters. Her Fatality inputs ("Burst Your Bubble" at mid-range, "Annihilation" at jump distance) are serviceable, though at least one prominent community voice clocked them as ranking among the weaker finishers in the game. The Animality, a hornet transformation that fits the character's black-and-yellow color scheme, came bundled as part of the Khaos Reigns update and is a solid flourish. The controversy around this DLC is impossible to ignore, and it almost certainly explains the 53% Mixed Steam rating more than any gameplay issue does. NetherRealm reimagined Cyrax as a human woman in Liu Kang's new timeline, a significant departure from the original male cyborg. Reactions split hard along franchise-loyalty lines. Long-time fans felt the redesign discarded established legacy for a character who already existed as a Kameo fighter in the base game. Defenders of the new direction point out that the "new era" framing gives the writers room to explore different versions of classic figures, and that on a pure gameplay level, the moveset honors the character's core identity: bombs, missiles, nets, all the signatures are accounted for. Both camps have a point, and where you land probably determines whether you see this as a confident creative choice or an unnecessary substitution. As a standalone content pack, this is a DLC character first and a story vehicle second. If you are already invested in MK1's Kombat Pack 2 and want a technically complex, setup-heavy fighter who rewards time in practice mode, Cyrax delivers. The Kameo pairing system adds another layer: Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Sareena each open different combo routes and create distinct game plans. Casual players who just want to mash will find the bomb timing and net setups fiddly. This is a character for people who enjoy solving a puzzle and then weaponizing the answer. The catch is context. MK1 itself has been a polarizing game since launch, with some players feeling it never reached the competitive or content depth of MK11. Buying a DLC character into a game you are already lukewarm on is a harder sell than it would be on a healthier foundation. If MK1 already has your time and you want a fresh option that plays differently from most of the roster, Cyrax earns her spot. If you are on the fence about the base game, this pack will not be the thing that tips it.

Alex · Scout Team

Catch-all

Be the first to comment on MK1: Cyrax.