Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns Review – Recognize Me, Little Brother?

It’s been roughly a year since Mortal Kombat 1 was released. NetherRealm Studios have since then done an appreciable job supporting the game with seasonal and roster updates every now and then, albeit with a few bumps along the way, such as the outrageous microtransactions through the in-game store. I had a great time playing Mortal Kombat 1 last year and have often returned to it multiple times ever since. The game features perhaps the best roster in the series backed by up some of the most engaging fighting mechanics in the genre. So, its expansion Khaos Reigns is here. Surely players should expect all of the above and then some more, right?

The central attraction of Khaos Reigns is undoubtedly its story expansion focusing on Havik. Without delving too deep into spoiler territory, Havik and his team of maniacs have invaded the in-game timeline to forcibly conquer all existing ones using Kamidogu, a set of powerful ancient relics, and time crystals by capturing Geras. As expected, this results in an uneasy alliance between the good and bad guys, as the main characters infiltrate Havik’s timeline to put a stop to his evil plans. It’s the usual over-the-top stuff that one expects from a Mortal Kombat campaign with excellently directed cutscenes and strong voice acting performances.

"Khaos Reigns suffers from pacing issues, where the player is stuck with a single playable character for extended periods of time."

New to the campaign are fan favourites Cyrax and Sektor, whose chemistry, if you recall, was rather complicated in the original timeline. Unfortunately, their debut in the current timeline through Khaos Reigns is a largely disappointing affair. Sektor and Cyrax, though well designed in terms of their armor and move sets, feature a rather undercooked backstory where their struggles and complexities aren’t well explained. In the previous timeline, it was established through detailed storytelling that Cyrax despised Sektor for his allegiance to the bad guys, which resulted in a split between the two ninjas. In Khaos Reigns, Cryrax changes her orientation towards the good guys in a matter of seconds. It’s rather jarring and feels rushed, that such a pivotal plot point between the Lin Kuei and the Shirai Ryu clans is given not much importance in the new timeline. This matter was not helped one bit by the game’s shoddy writing, which made me laughed in disbelief on more than one occasion.

Khaos Reigns also suffers from pacing issues, where the player is stuck with a single playable character for extended periods of time. If you are unaware, ever since the series rebooted in 2011, the campaigns have featured a chapter-based structure, with each chapter focusing on a single character. Previous campaigns balanced the pacing through multiple chapters focusing on different characters, but Khaos Reigns unfortunately focuses too much of its runtime on a chosen few. Now, I understand they want to develop a certain character’s role in the lore, but most of them felt like they had overstayed their welcome by the end.

Beyond my disappointment over the lack of in-depth relation dynamics between Sektor and Cyrax, the stars of the show are undoubtedly Havik and Noob Saibot. The actor behind Havik has done a terrific job of displaying the character’s madness and bizarre behaviour throughout the campaign. The way Havik dismembers his own body and throws out witty remarks every now and then kept me interested in the eventual fate of this madman. Noob Saibot, too, has a strong character arc, thanks to his surprising shift in alliances towards the conclusion of the game. I am eager to see how NetherRealm Studios will build his character going forward, as it’s clear that Noob Saibot is set to play a larger role in the future.

"This is the Noob Saibot you know and love: fast, brutal, and evil."

Unfortunately, Khaos Reigns ends a bit too quickly. Clocking in at around two to three hours, there isn’t much to do with the main campaign once you are done with it. Unlike the base game’s final chapter, which can be replayed with different characters, here, there is no such incentive. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Khaos Reigns’ campaign. I think it is genuinely setting the series in exciting new directions, but the occasionally shoddy writing and the lack of emotional dynamics between Sektor and Cyrax, make this a decent albeit one of the weakest campaigns in the series.

Khaos Reigns also brings along six new characters to the playable roster. As mentioned previously, Sektor, Cyrax, and Noob Saibot are now playable, but in the future Ghostface, T‑1000, and Conan the Barbarian will also be added. Sektor and Cyrax have a totally different moveset compared to their respective previous timeline’s counterparts. This is perhaps due to the fact that they are not actually cyborgs this time around, resulting in movesets that are much more grounded now.

Noob Saibot, on the other hand, is a complete showstopper with his shadow-based moves and a list of Fatalities that will put a smile on your face. This is the Noob Saibot you know and love: fast, brutal, and evil. I have nothing to add about the guest characters, of course, given that they’re not available yet, but given the developer’s history of doing some great things with past guest DLC additions, there’s every reason to believe Khaos Reigns’ upcoming characters will turn out to be exciting new additions to the roster.

"To pack it up, Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns continues the intense drama of the base game."

Whilst not a part of the expansion, Animalities have also returned to the series after almost three decades, with their last appearance being all the way back in Mortal Kombat Trilogy. They are very easy to pull off, and as expected, they are visceral and brutally gory. General Shao can turn into a bear and rip you apart, whereas Geras can transform into a Hippopotamus and crush you into pieces. One of the coolest Animalities belongs to Noob Saibot, wherein he transforms himself into two alligators ripping his foe in half. As someone who has been a fan of the series since the early days, it was great to see all these transformations adapted for modern hardware. This could have been easily gated behind microtransactions, too, so it’s a pleasure to see that all Animalities are just free downloadable content for all players.

To pack it up, Mortal Kombat 1: Khaos Reigns continues the intense drama of the base game. The story will be enjoyed by most hardcore fans, although it’s not the best in the series. Havik and Noob Saibot are easily the best of the new bunch and it will be interesting to see the latter’s fate in future content drops. Animalties are back and free, and serve as an excellent addition to an already engaging combat system. At the end of the day, Mortal Kombat: Khaos Reigns is more Mortal Kombat. Bloody, visceral, and a fun-filled gore fest; what more could you ask for?

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.