Warner Bros. Games’ highly anticipated release of “Mortal Kombat 1” has caused quite a stir among gamers. While the official release date is tomorrow, those who pre-ordered the special edition have already had the chance to play the title for a few days now.
Initial reviews of the game have been positive, with the title receiving an impressive 85/100 on review aggregator site Metacritic. This places it on par with the critically acclaimed 2011 reboot, which scored an 86, and slightly ahead of both “Mortal Kombat X” (83) and “Mortal Kombat 11” (82).
The campaign, in particular, has been praised by critics, who have lauded its engaging storyline and intense gameplay. However, despite the positive critical reception, user ratings for the game have been less favorable. With a meager average score of 3.5/10 from 565 user ratings and 65% negative user reviews, it is clear that some players are not satisfied.
It appears that the negative user reviews are primarily targeting one specific issue – the blocking of online functionality in Russia and Belarus. Frustrated players in these regions claim that they were able to play the game online during the stress test and had expected the same feature to be available on launch day. However, to their disappointment, they have discovered that they are unable to access online features such as the Shang Tsung pre-order bonus and the game’s Invasion mode.
Adding to their frustration is the lack of communication from NetherRealm and Warner Bros. Games about this limitation. Players feel that they were not informed beforehand about the online restrictions in their region. Moreover, purchasing the game itself proved to be a challenge for players in Russia and Belarus, as they had to go through the extra step of buying the game using an account set in another country.
This controversy has fueled speculation that the negative user reviews are a result of review bombing, with the restriction of online functionality serving as the catalyst. It remains to be seen how Warner Bros. Games will respond to these grievances and if any changes will be made to address the concerns of players in Russia and Belarus.
Source: The Gamer