Mortal Kombat (Komplete Edition)

Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition is NetherRealm's full-fat release of their 2011 series reboot, landing on PC with every piece of DLC content bundled in. The setup is classic time-loop drama: Raiden receives a cryptic message from a future version of himself just before Shao Khan delivers the killing blow, and the whole story mode plays out as Raiden tries to rewrite a catastrophic timeline. It sounds corny, and it kind of is, but NetherRealm's story mode genuinely plays like a fighting game that grew up. Cutscenes are well-produced, the pacing keeps you moving, and you rotate through a wide roster of fighters instead of grinding one character through forty identical matches. The fighting itself is the 2D-plane, four-button layout that defined the modern MK template. Each character has a signature set of special moves, and the X-Ray system lets you cash in a full super meter for a bone-crunching cinematic combo that does serious damage. The roster covers all the franchise staples: Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Kung Lao, Kitana, Raiden, Johnny Cage, and a full slate of DLC characters including Freddy Krueger and Kenshi, all unlocked out of the box. Fatalities are as ridiculous as you remember. The gore dial is cranked to eleven and it never pretends otherwise. For solo players there is a lot here beyond story mode. The Challenge Tower stacks 300 missions with specific objectives that force you to use characters and mechanics you might otherwise skip. Arcade ladder, survival, and tag-team modes pad the offline hours considerably. Online PvP supports cross-platform multiplayer and split-screen, which is a better local setup than most modern fighters bother to offer. Expect the online player population to be thin this long after release, though the offline content more than compensates. On the rough side: this is a 2011 game running on a 2023 PC re-release, and the visuals show their age against NetherRealm's current output. The netcode is functional but not the rollback standard modern fighting game players expect. If you come from Mortal Kombat 11 or 1, the slower pace and older systems will feel like a step back technically, even if the roster and story hold up. The Komplete Edition makes most sense as a history lesson for players who want to understand the storyline that feeds into MK9's sequels, or as a nostalgia hit for anyone who put hours into it on console back in the day. It is also a genuinely solid introduction to the franchise for someone who has never touched the series. The story mode alone is worth the time, and 300 challenge tower missions will keep you busy long after you finish it. Alex, Scout Team