The new big bad in Mortal Kombat is named Kronika, and she`s causing a ruckus by messing with time and rewriting history. Characters are getting erased or colliding with their past selves, while alliances are reverting and new ones are being made--it`s the kind of chaos that`s ripe for conflict. Nothing that happened with Mortal Kombat before really matters anymore; the series is giving itself a clean slate, and not just with the lore in the story. Netherrealm`s multifaceted fighting system has been streamlined, and comprehensive tutorials and practice functions are focussed on making sure no matter where you`re coming from, you`re well-equipped to dive deep into Mortal Kombat 11.It`s hard not to get excited about the story mode in a Netherrealm game given the studio`s history of crafting involved narratives, and Mortal Kombat 11 unsurprisingly delivers an entertaining and polished blockbuster-style cinematic experience with its tale of Kronika`s time-bending antics. Combat is woven in with a number of cutscenes, though you`ll probably spend more time watching well-choreographed action rather than participating. But the story is a great primer for some of the series` more popular characters nonetheless, and the joys of Kronika`s time manipulation means that even if you`re a passing fan and aren`t up-to-date with all of the wacky stuff that`s happened in the universe lately, you can still get a kick out of seeing classic versions of familiar faces, who are just as baffled as you about what`s happened to their future selves since.Watching the character interactions between young and old selves are a highlight, and with the exception of a somewhat flat Sonya Blade, the solid performances are endearingly sincere with some unexpected moments of introspection. By the time it ended I was eager for more--more of Johnny Cage being embarrassed by his younger self, more of the bromance between Liu Kang and Kung Lao, the sappy dynamic between parents and children. But the s ...
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