"Mortal Kombat I" is the newest fighting game that recently arrived on many consoles including PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
When Warner Bros released its "paid early access" launch, fans were excited to see how it looked on a new platform. While it performs well on PlayStation 5 and next-gen Xbox consoles, it appears to have more problems on Switch.
'Mortal Kombat I' on Switch Gets Criticized
It's not always every day that you will see a Switch user roasting a high-resolution game with poor graphics on a new platform. While triple-A games are the go-to titles for every Switch gamer, ported games also have special places in their hearts, but not the new "Mortal Kombat" game.
After Mk11, Nintendo Switch not being able to handle Mortal Kombat 1 was fully expected, but something about the game costing the same as other platforms ($70💀) doesn't feel right pic.twitter.com/zrBR9EIeYq
— Fighting-Games Daily (@FGC_Daily) September 17, 2023
According to Kotaku, the inferior performance of the MK1 on Switch could be attributed to the age of the console. Since it's only handheld, it's limited in terms of features when you compare it to Xbox One and PS4.
The viral screenshots about the game circulated X and they are particularly glaring for every viewer. Some people said that they experienced long loading times, visual hiccups, and extremely low-resolution textures.
'Mortal Kombat 1' on Switch is a Downgrade
A glance at screenshots or video footage of Mortal Kombat 1 on the Switch immediately reveals a significant downgrade compared to its more powerful counterparts. Texture quality is notably compromised, leading to scenes that are hard to decipher.
Character models fare slightly better but exhibit their own quirks, including odd-looking eyes, plastic-like hair, jagged clothing edges, and skin textures reminiscent of Play-Doh.
What on earth is happening with the Switch version of Mortal Kombat 1?! pic.twitter.com/oYDF1FxbVP
— Sam Aberdeen (@SamAberdeen1) September 18, 2023
The visual downgrades might be forgivable if the game's performance were solid. Unfortunately, this does not apply to "Mortal Kombat I." It might be a 60fps game, but that's not consistent as it could fall between the high 40s to mid-50s.
Loading times are another pain point in the Switch port of MK1, with matches taking up to a full minute to start. That might not sound like much, but waiting through it between most matches and cutscenes becomes cumbersome.
Micro loads, which disrupt the flow between cutscenes and fights with short but distracting loading screens, further mar the experience. Some splits even occur mid-dialogue, detracting from the storytelling.
Combined with various visual bugs during fights, it's far from an ideal way to enjoy the game.
Mixed Bag of Ambition and Disappointment
To its credit, the Switch port endeavors to deliver the complete Mortal Kombat 1 experience, including all game modes, cutscenes, dialogue, characters, fatalities, and outfits.
While this ambition is commendable, it may have exceeded the hardware's capabilities.
Developers Shiver Entertainment and Saber Interactive deserve acknowledgment for fitting Mortal Kombat 1 onto a Switch cartridge and making it run on the console, despite its limitations. However, pricing this version at $70, matching the superior PlayStation and Xbox versions, seems questionable.
No MK1 on PS4 or Xbox One
Everyone might have found it weird that "Mortal Kombat 1" made its way to the Switch while it did not become available on PS4 or Xbox One, which are more powerful consoles than Nintendo's.
The recent issues could signal that Switch ports may not always be appropriate. There are games that demand heavy graphics and MK1 couldn't handle it on a handheld platform. If porting is necessary, pricing for these inferior versions should reflect their shortcomings.
On the brighter side, BBC reports that the Mortal Kombat 1 creator has confirmed that they will fix the issues in the new Switch game. According to Series creator Ed Boon, MK1 is "absolutely getting an update."
