NetherRealm announced MK1 Khaos Reigns. The DLC will expand the story, add six new characters, and bring back a finisher from the 2D era. The upcoming content looks promising but it raises some doubts too.
MK1 Khaos Reigns
Like MK11 Aftermath, Khaos Reigns includes free and paid content. Players deciding to reach for their wallets will get six playable characters and a story expansion that continues the events of Mortal Kombat 1. It revolves around Havik and his desire to plunge the realms into anarchy. The premise seems intriguing, and I count that the developers use this chance to show some more bizarre stuff from the Chaosrealm. It would also make a perfect opportunity for warriors from Seido, the Orderrealm, to appear. Darrius is already in MK1 as a kameo character, but we haven’t seen Dairou and Hotaru since MK Armageddon. As of now, we know that new versions of Sektor and Cyrax will play a significant role, as well as Noob Saibot.
MK1 Animality
All MK1 players will enjoy a new finishing move. Animality returns after nearly 30 years. It debuted in Mortal Kombat 3 in 1995 and was present in its enhanced versions: Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and Mortal Kombat Trilogy. To perform it, players have to finish the match with the Mercy movie, giving the beaten opponent a chance to turn the tide. Only then, Animality can be performed. Some were really funny, but many weren’t particularly creative. For instance, Jax, Sub-Zero, Kung Lao, and Nightwolf had the same animation of morphing into a lion, polar bear, cheetah, and wolf, respectively, knocking the opponent over and eating them.
Also, the choice of some animals is questionable. For instance, Scorpion turns into a penguin, laying an explosive egg. I understand that Sheeva had previously taken the scorpion morph, but it’s still an odd selection. The same goes for Reptile, who shifts into a monkey instead of an actual reptile. Furthermore, the developers apparently had a change of heart about this finisher. As a result, the original Animalities allow the winning character to turn into a glowing spirit animal. However, those added in UMK3 and MKT use cartoon animals instead. I’m sure that MK1 won’t replicate this mass. Friendships, added to MK11 by the Aftermath DLC, are incredibly entertaining, funny, and creative. I hope that Animalities can live up to such a high bar.
MK1 Kombat Pack 2
The other part of the paid content is Kombat Pack 2. It includes six new warriors: three classic MK characters and three guests:
- Noob Saibot,
- Cyrax,
- Sektor,
- Ghostface (Scream),
- T-1000 (Terminator 2: Judgment Day),
- Conan the Barbarian.
I’m very surprised that Kombat Pack 2 doesn’t include any kameo characters. The first one gave us Tremor, Mavado, Janet Cage, Ferra, and Khameleon.
Noob Saibot, Cyrax, and Sektor will be available immediately. The other three will be released sometime later. The return of cybernetic ninjas is an answer to the fans’ callings. However, there’s a twist: both warriors are female now.
“It’s like, bring characters back that players want to see, but also don’t just repeat the same things with them,” Ed Boon explained in an interview with GameSpot.
Many players point out that gender-swapping is a lazy move. They would prefer to get the classic versions of cyborgs and a brand new or returning female warrior. I’ve got mixed feelings. On the one hand, we already have Cyrax and Sektor as kameos. Hence, adding their exact copies to the main rosters wouldn’t be a bright idea. I also got that SP2 needed female characters to avoid adding six male kombatants. But Netherealm could have brought back universally liked characters like Sonya and Jade or picked someone unobvious, such as Kira. I would also love to see a new face.
By the way, female characters are particularly needed in the guest department. Including MK1, the series has had 16 warriors from other franchises. None of them is female. There are plenty of interesting heroines to which Netherrealm can have access. We already have Homelander. Let him fight Starlight, Kimiko, Stormfront, Queen Maeve, or Firecracker. Give us Sarah Connor or Cindy Campbell, the ultimate final girl with the superpower of not dying.
Release date and price
MK1 Khaos Reigns will come out on September 24, 2024, on all platforms. Here are the official prices:
- PC: $49.99
- PlayStation 5: $49.99
- Xbox Series S|X: $49.99
- Nintendo Switch: $39.99
As usual, you can get it at a discount on GAMIVO.
Conclusion
I can’t wait to get Khaos Reigns, but I’m not a fan of the price. I believe that paying the cost of a new game for only a story expansion and six new characters is pretty expensive. I also hope that the free part will include something more than Animalities. Don’t get me wrong, I love the comeback of another finisher, but MK11 Aftermath, besides Friendships, gave us Stage Fatalities and four new stages.
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