Mortal Kombat

 PlayStation 3
Metascore
84

Generally favorable reviews - based on 60 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 60
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 60
  3. Negative: 0 out of 60
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  1. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    May 17, 2011
    70
    A solid, nostalgic fighter, but lack of depth in the core combat means it's unlikely to hold you attention for long in a crowded genre - and Street Fighter still pummels it into the dirt. [June 2011, p.102]
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  2. Gamekult
    Apr 22, 2011
    70
    Mortal Kombat emphasises both the atmosphere and the gameplay of the famous fighting game serie. It is not perfect, but 2D fans should really give this reboot a chance.
  3. Gamereactor Sweden
    Apr 21, 2011
    70
    Not too bad. Great tacky design and lots of content make this a fighting game worth your buck.
  5. Metro GameCentral
    Apr 19, 2011
    70
    A remake more than a reinvention, but one that retains all the simple gameplay and outrageous gore that made the original games fun.
  6. Edge Magazine
    May 8, 2011
    60
    While fans will revel in the HD sheen of its signature gore, long-standing cynics and newcomers alike will find a game that, just as it did 19 years ago, pales in comparison to its more fluid, graceful peers. [June 2011, p.95]
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  7. games(TM)
    May 13, 2011
    50
    The fact that, in harking back to earlier days, the game feels stuck in the past, the fact the fighting system really isn't deep compared to other modern-day brawlers, the fact the gore is little more than a sideshow and the fact that most of the fan service appeals to fans who have grown up a great deal since the Nineties throws up numerous reasons to criticise, however.

Awards & Rankings

32
#32 Best PS3 Game of 2011
18
#18 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2011
26
#26 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2011

User Reviews

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User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 631 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 530 out of 631
  2. Mixed: 68 out of 631
  3. Negative: 33 out of 631
  1. Grimxii
    Apr 19, 2011
    10
    One of the greatest Mortal Kombat games in the series. This really does take you back to the original games with its 2D gameplay and goryOne of the greatest Mortal Kombat games in the series. This really does take you back to the original games with its 2D gameplay and gory fatalities. If you are a veteran of the series, this is a must have. The levels are greatly detailed, and the character models are pretty cool. Each character has several fatalities, and casual gameplay is rewarded by a point system generated by combos, wins, and fatalities. The game runs smooth, the online is fun, and the fatalities are gruesome. Pick this game up now.… Full Review »
  2. EMelo01
    Apr 20, 2011
    9
    WOW! I love this game. So glad they went back to the 2D fighting and fatalities. It is easy enough to play for a beginner yet still complexWOW! I love this game. So glad they went back to the 2D fighting and fatalities. It is easy enough to play for a beginner yet still complex enough for the Hardcore MK fan. I also love all the original maps remastered in 3D HD. They look great. And KRATOS on the PS3 version is a really amazing idea. Sorry XBox guys, He's all ours!!!! lol… Full Review »
  3. Captiosus
    Apr 24, 2011
    5
    Growing up, I spent tons of quarters - and later dollars - on Mortal Kombat 1 and 2 in the arcade and for consoles. Couldn't get enough of it.Growing up, I spent tons of quarters - and later dollars - on Mortal Kombat 1 and 2 in the arcade and for consoles. Couldn't get enough of it. When Mortal Kombat 3 came out, however, the entire method of the game switched from one of mastering special moves to learning how to cheese with unblockable combo chains, with or without special moves, that would juggle your opponent to the point where they COULDN'T do anything. They spend a quarter and maybe get one button press before they were down and out. I adapted and got pretty decent at it, but I didn't have fun. Not like the past. Afterwards, Mortal Kombat just went on a downhill skid. And that's the biggest problem with the Mortal Kombat reboot - it goes back to the Mortal Kombat 3 style of play, not Mortal Kombat 1 or 2 where timing and skill mattered as opposed to picking a character with the cheesiest juggle combo. And that's all the new MK is about - juggling your opponent(s) into combos that can't be blocked and can't be broken and then unleashing a 9-10 hit string that takes down their life to near dead.

    Sure, giving the beat down is fun (at first), but if you're constantly being beaten on simply because someone chose a specific character, it's not fun. I was hoping for a return to timing and skill, not a return to the MK3 combo cheesefest.

    Story mode is OK, not really the greatest but probably the best in a recent fighting game, however the game loves putting you in 2v1 situations that are disgustingly hard (see combo cheesefest) even on Medium difficulty. The voice over work is some of the worst in recent game memory. X-Ray mode is interesting, but it gets old after the first few times while the characters' signature special moves are less powerful than many of the simple two-button combos themselves. Graphically, the game is OK, but nothing to shout about and looks dated by a few years.

    I'm sure people who only started playing MK when MK3 or UMK3 were out will be in love with this game. But as someone who grew up with MK, who remembers learning the moves, the skill and timing of how to deploy them, this game is an utter disappointment. Just another bland fighter where people are rewarded for learning how to play at the cheesiest, cheapest level.    … Full Review »
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