With 'Mortal Kombat 11', this year's next example was what's been going wrong with video games lately. The hated looting and gambling mechanics leave a more bitter aftertaste than ever, while developers come around the corner with little comforting solutions or alternatives.
Mortal Kombat 11 completes the new trilogy of fighting games with undead, ninjas and many gods. There's more of everything that made Mortal Kombat 9 and Mortal Kombat X so likeable, along with some of the features included in Injustice 2, the other fighting game at Netherrealm Studios. Somewhere, however, Mortal Kombat 11 seems to have caught something disconcerting, features related to microtransactions of mercenaries and loot boxes galore.
Granted, Mortal Kombat 11's campaign is for players who want to combine their favorite series with a story mode, going beyond the genre's usual storytelling. So far, so good: with Mortal Kombat 11 doubled since the beginning of this generation, however, any monetization tactics that are used in ever big-budget video games. You are asked to checkout, often only for basically insignificant things or to gain an advantage.
Here are just a few examples that developers love to pay for, albeit skillfully around corners.
- Utensils,
- Players title
- new character masks,
- Rüstungsbuffs,
- intros,
- Matchassists (with which you can summon other characters or enchant opponents in a match),
- Taunts,
- different fatalities
and much more, which can somehow buy for real money. But that does not even include the Mortal Kombat 11 Season Pass, which currently adds more playable fighters.
Loot box discussion
We are in MK 11 in a mode that essentially revolves around loot box "unlocking". So Koins, Souls and Hearts are used to make their way through the many scenes of the crypt. There is a different value of these currencies on each chest, and you are not told what the odds are that you get what you want, and you're back in gambling mechanics. Some even say you feel more like a casino. The lack of transparency makes the chests in addition to digital slot machines, where an incredible amount of luck is required to get the equipment you want.
And now for transparency: As far as this is concerned, all this is in sharp contrast to what serial creator Ed Boon had said before the launch. In one interview Boon once said that Mortal Kombat 11 would not have any loot boxes. Later, they transformed this statement to the effect that all content can be earned. That, however, requires a few hundred hours of play. A real dilemma!
Obviously, Boon was sparing with the truth. Mortal Kombat 11 not only has loot boxes, the crypt is basically a game mode dedicated to loot boxing only, and perhaps the one closest to the series to imitate an in-game casino.
Microtransactions and Grinds
Microtransactions seem to be the main conflict for the critics of Mortal Kombat 11. One thing that is often pointed out is that, if you like, you can spend $ 6 on the character of Frost. It's a bit dodgy, because the shop does not mention that Frost can be unlocked for free in story mode. This $ 6 option is for players who do not want to deal with history at all, but want to play online with Frost immediately. However, it is a bit exhausting to imagine this hypothetical person.
Time Crystals can also be bought at the store (US $ 5 for 500), one of the few currencies in Mortal Kombat 11. Time Crystals can also be earned through games and used to buy items in the Premium Store. It's a way to get around the loot boxes, but as mentioned, a time-consuming option.
Improvement not in sight
Despite all the promises made by Netherrealm, little has happened in the field in the last 6 months. Even the sophisticated tower, which promised better rewards, was only partly improved. The free spins of characters, like Frost, is certainly a good thing, but you can overdo it with the sales. As mentioned earlier, it's like gambling in online casinos with free spins, and you do not know if that was really the intended approach or you've been seduced too much by this unpopular trend. Even more, it ruined this series one day.
