Khaos Reigns injects a lot of new content and changes into Mortal Kombat 1. Some modifications alter the game significantly. Let’s see how it looks after the update and whether you should buy the expansion.
- Paid content:
- Free content
- Conclusion
MK1: Khaos Reigns Story
The MK1 story post-credit scene teased the arrival of Havik and his minions. Hence, it’s not a surprise that the new chapter revolves around the cleric of chaos. Unfortunately, it’s not the piece of a great tale. It’s pretty straightforward, without any significant plot twists or jaw-droppers. Havik has the potential to be MK’s the Joker, a villain who wants to watch the world burn. In Khaos Reigns, he only wants to spread chaos across all timelines. Otherworldly, he tries to rule the world like legions of other bland heels before.
Luckily, the story arc involving Sektor, Cyrax, Sub-Zero, and Scorpion is more compelling. It’s still not the best piece of screenwriting you can find in NetherRealm games. There are some ups; for example, Sektor and Cyrax finally have some personalities. Moreover, it makes sense that their gender has been changed, and now they wear robotic armor instead of being turned into cyborgs.
The biggest letdown in the story mode is the lack of variety. You watch cinematics, fight 3-4 fights, and reach another cut scene. I’m not a fan of QTE, but some animations are incredibly long, and some interactive elements would be extremely welcome to make it more immersive. Neither character selection, choices, nor challenging bosses are present. I know it’s a fighting game, a genre where story modes are just an addition. However, guys from NetherRealm have proved multiple times that they can deliver a well-written and enjoyable story mode. And in this case, this is a substantial part of a not-cheap DLC. Thus, players can demand a little more.
Khaos Reigns: New Characters
The Khaos Reigns DLC includes six characters. The guest fighters, Ghostface from the Scream series, T-1000 from Terminator 2, and Conan the Barbarian will be available later. Another trio, Noob Saibot, Cyrax, and Sektor, are playable right away. They are among fan-favorite characters, so no one should complain.
Noob hasn’t been changed much, so he has most of his classic special moves, including the irritating Teleport Slam. Some players may have objections regarding his new default costume, as Bi Han looks like he’s copying Star Wars’ Dark Lady Lumiya style.
Cyrax and Sektor went through a much deeper overhaul. They are no longer cyborgs, so they are more swift. They also get new movie sets that distinguish them from their Kameo counterparts. I would prefer to see a new character; however, classic warriors with an interesting twist is not a bad choice, either. Given that Noob, Sektor, and Cyrax are only half of the playable characters included in MK1 Khais Reigns, the playable warriors make a strong case for buying the DLC.
MK1 Animalities
Let’s move to the free content provided by the Khaos Reigns update. Primarily, all players gain access to new finishing moves. Both regular fighters and Kameos obtain many new Brutalities. Moreover, a new finisher joined the list of possible ways to bid the vanquished adieu. Animalities that debuted in Mortal Kombat 3 appeared only in its enhanced versions, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 and Mortal Kombat Trilogy, are here again.
Previously, to perform an Animality, players had to precede it with Mercy, which could be performed only by a winner of the third round of a fight. Mortal Kombat 1 removes those requirements. As a result, you can unleash your inner animal right after hearing the “Finish Him/Her” command. I must admit that I preferred Friendships added to MK11 by the Aftermath DLC, as they were incredibly creative. Nonetheless, you can deny some of the Animalities a spark of brilliance. My favorites are Ashrah’s unicorn, Liu Kang’s phoenix, and Johnny Cage’s homage to Jaws.
Besides new finishers, all characters got new moves and balance fixes. The list is too long to include here, but you can find it in the official patch notes.
Khaos Reigns: Invasions changes
Upon the base game’s release, the Invasions mode appeared undercooked, but it has improved with each update. Khaos Reigns also brings vital changes. Finally, you can use the map to explore Invasions mesas. No more going back and forth looking for a missing chest!
There are also new types of encounters. For instance, an Ambush is not necessarily a fight. It can be a survival challenge that lets you get additional coins.
MK1 Towers of Time
Towers of time have replaced The Gateway. They look like the towers from MK11, so you don’t have to run from one tower to another with your avatar to check it out.
There are the following towers:
- DLC Trial. Towers that let all players test paid characters.
- Hourly. Six towers of different difficulty and number of fights (3, 5, or 7).
- Legacy. A tower that demands a fee paid in Krowns but lets players get rewards from previous seasons.
- Arcade. Complete it with a character to see their arcade ending.
- Seasonal. Like before, it starts with level 30; players can complete it multifold to get character skins.
Apart from Daily and Weekly Quests, challenges appeared. To complete them, you have to do given actions during fights in Towers of Time (e.g., perform 5 brutalities with Kameo Frost, connect 30 special moves, etc.). Each completed challenge grants you rewards, including the precious Dragon Crystals and points. The more points you have, the better rewards you get at the end of a two-week cycle. As you can see, this is virtually the MK11 Race Against Time. I assume that it may be the most important change provided by the Khaos Reigns update because it gives players the motivation to complete towers. It also lets us earn Dragon Crystals required to buy premium skins, gear, and announcer voices.
Last but not least, you can repeat a lost fight in a tower. Previously, unless you had an item that let you for a rematch, you were kicked back to the map and had to start the tower from the bottom.
MK1: Khaos Reigns Arenas
The new story chapters introduce new arenas placed in Havik’s domain:
- Khaoseum (Main Event/Night)
- Havik’s Citadel (Bedlam/Krimson)
- Night Market (Day/Night)
- The Maze (Night/Day)
All those stages are available even if you don’t have the DLC. The only flaw is that levels in MK1 don’t include any interactive elements, and so far, there are no Stage Fatalities. Although new arenas are just a cosmetic addition, it’s always nice to have more levels to choose from. I only hope that some legacy stage will appear in the future. Mortal Kombat X had The Pit X, and Mortal Kombat 11 had Retrocade with eight arenas from MK 1-3 displayed in the background; hence, I believe that MK1 will eventually get something similar.
Conclusion
All in all, Khaos Reigns is an enjoyable and necessary expansion. Paradoxically, its free content is even better and adds more required changes than the paid part. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have new characters and see another story chapter, even though it may seem lazy. However, instead of buying it now at the full price, you can wait for a discount. In the meantime, have fun performing new finishers and completing Tower of Time!
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