NetherRealm Studios is doing quite a few things differently when it comes to Mortal Kombat 1, and that’s far from a bad thing. From refreshing Mortal Kombat 1 characters and their origins to the new Mortal Kombat 1 Kameos system, this is going to feel fresh. However, it’s also going to be oh-so bloody and one way you’ll be able to experience that is through Mortal Kombat 1 Invasion, a new single-player mode. For a while, we were in the dark when it came to Invasion mode in MK1, but now we know what it’s going to look like – and it sort of looks like Mario Party.
We know this might be hard to believe, but we’re not kidding you. Mortal Kombat 1 is bringing board games to bloody kombat with Invasions, and it actually looks like a fantastic improvement on MK11’s Krypt. Described as “a love letter to the entirety of Mortal Kombat” in this PlayStation Blog, Invasion mode will let you “explore a board game-like map” in which you continue to take on “hordes of enemies” (and enjoy some mini-games) while unlocking loot and levelling your fighters.
It’s going to be constantly updated with new challenges for you to face, and features more RPG mechanics than you might think for an alternative mode in a fighting game. During a Gamescom 2023 panel on the game mode, NetherRealm Studios has described it as “progression-based” where players can explore expanded Mortal Kombat 1 stages to earn “fulfilling rewards” and a few secrets along the way, too.
If you want to check this out for yourself, content creator Max ‘Maximillian Dood’ Christensen has a few fantastic gameplay sequences of an Invasion mode game set in Johnny Cage’s Mansion. This is also the best way to see the Mario Party comparisons, in our opinion. If you’ve played one of these iconic party games, you’ll know that this looks all-too-familiar.
As you can see, this is going to let players explore Mortal Kombat 1 locations in a whole new way – with new environmental details revealed through exploration that you wouldn’t really see in standard gameplay.
Further highlighted during a Gamescom 2023 panel attended by a member of The Loadout, Invasion mode will run on six-week seasons. So, every six weeks, new content will be released and the whole mode will be refreshed. This should allow NetherRealm Studios to keep rewards worthwhile and the mode itself engaging for the duration of MK1’s lifetime. It’s also going to let NetherRealm Studios explore new themes and new factions, both of which should change with every season.
One thing we will note, though, is that Invasion mode does seem to be strictly single-player – just like the Krypt in MK11. So, don’t expect to be able to compete with your friends in this particular part of Mortal Kombat 1. Who knows, though, we could see some leaderboards pop up at some point – fighting games love those.
Is Invasion mode going to make Mortal Kombat 1 one of the best RPG games out there as well as one of the best fighting games available? Well, we don’t know about that just yet, but this is clearly a fantastic addition to MK1’s offerings. However, it’s worth remembering that the MK1 beta has offered up great gameplay amid “one true disappointment” for fans.