Summary
Having been out for almost a week now, and even longer if fans bought the Premium Edition for early access, it’s likely that many players have sunk a good few hours intoMortal Kombat 1and all of its various modes. But with so much content to dive into, it’s also pretty likely that many fans have only scratched the surface of whatMortal Kombat 1offers. And whileMortal Kombat 1’s story modecan technically be beaten in just 5-6 hours, it might take a few playthroughs for fans to pick out every difference in this rebooted timeline.
Taking place after the events ofMortal Kombat 11Aftermath,Mortal Kombat 1’s story mode sees Fire God Liu Kang restart the universe, changing a plethora of details along the way, both big and small. But while the changes to every character’s origin are by far the most interesting facets ofthis newMortal Kombatuniverse, they aren’t the only big changes to the timeline, with each Realm also looking quite a bit different this time around.
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Mortal Kombat 1’s Earthrealm
TheMortal Kombatuniverse is split into multiple different dimensions, known as Realms, with each one appearing in its own separate plane of existence. While most of the Realms know about one another and can largely travel freely between them using portals, the same can’t be said for Earthrealm, whose inhabitants are almost all completely oblivious to the existence of other dimensions.
InMortal Kombat 1, Earthrealm remains fairly unchanged from its previous timeline iterations, essentially acting as a standard representation of Earth’s modern-day society. The big change regarding Earthrealm this time around is that Raiden is no longer the god protecting the Realm, but a simple farmer. Instead,Fire God Liu Kang is Earthrealm’s protector, and for eons, he has ensured that the other Realms do not attempt to invade by participating in a fighting tournament that shows his Realm’s strength.
Mortal Kombat 1’s Outworld
Inthe originalMortal Kombatcontinuity, Outworld is the biggest Realm of the bunch, being an amalgamation of a few Realms that have all been invaded and merged. InMortal Kombat 1, Outworld is still the largest Realm, and it still features sub-Realms like Edenia and Tarkata, but these have always been a part of Outworld in this timeline, as opposed to being won through conquest.Mortal Kombat 1’s Outworld is a much more peaceful place than it has been in previous timelines, with Empress Sindel being a much more benevolent leader than Shao Kahn, who has been demoted to general here. However, there are still issues bubbling beneath Outworld’s surface, with the new Tarkat disease threatening to turn the population into monstrous shadows of their former selves.
Mortal Kombat 1’s Orderrealm
Though it isn’t seen much inMortal Kombat 1’s main story, it seems as though Orderrealm remains largely unchanged from previous timeline iterations. Also known as Seido, Orderrealm is the ideal utopian society, where structure and justice rule over all else. ButMortal Kombat 1’s Orderrealm might be in imminent danger. DuringMortal Kombat 1’s story mode, an Orderrealm citizen by the name of Dairou aids Quan Chi and the rest of the Deadly Alliance in a bid to wreak havoc on Orderrealm. Becomingthe Kombatant Havik, Dairou’s wish comes true as he floods Seido, ushering in a new age of chaos.
Mortal Kombat 1’s Netherrealm
Essentially this world’s hell, the Netherrealm isn’t seen directly inMortal Kombat 1, but its existence is confirmed multiple times, with several antagonists originating there. Quan Chi and the rest of his Brotherhood of Shadows comes from the Netherrealm, along with fighters like Sareena. Ashrah was also originally from the Netherrealm, beginning her life as a demon, but eventually choosing to turn to the side of good.
Mortal Kombat 1is available now for PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X/S.
