Mortal Kombat 11 Guide – 15 Tips and Tricks to Keep in Mind

TAGGING MOVES

Learning and memorizing the input commands required to pull off various attacks is the bread and butter of most fighting games, but Mortal Kombat 11 makes that easier for its players. Players can simply go to the moves list and tag a certain number of moves – including Fatalities – so that their commands are always being displayed on the screen during fights.

BLOCKING

Blocking is, of course, a key mechanic as well, and a perfect block can open up the window to land a quick counter-hit- but it’s still best not to block too often. Because if you block too often, enemies can counter your move with a grab. Grabs can be broken, sure, but it’s best not to spam blocks either way, and only use them with the right timing.

ATTACKING

Mortal Kombat 11 differs slightly from its predecessors in one very fundamental way- rather than focusing on landing hit after hit to chain combos, it instead requires players to strike with short strings of attacks. Keep this in mind and shape your fighting style accordingly- not doing so might prove to be fatal.

Speaking of fatal…

FATAL BLOWS

Fatal Blows are a new mechanic in Mortal Kombat 11, allowing you to trigger a deadly, brutal move that deals a great deal of damage when your health falls below a certain mark in any match- but don’t waste these as soon as they become available. You only get one Fatal Blow per match, so if you find yourself in a position in the first round where your health is significantly lower than your opponent’s, it’s probably best to save that Fatal Blow for the second round, where it might prove to be a lot more useful.

AMPLIFIED ATTACKS

Certain moves for every fighter also allow you to “amplify” them- which is pretty much what it sounds like. Amplified attacks can lead to greater damage and more successive blows, and are obviously quite useful. Keep an eye on which moves can be amplified in the moves list, and make sure you don’t ignore them.

AIR ATTACKS

This is something that probably goes without saying for a great many players who’ll be playing Mortal Kombat 11, but it bears mentioning either way. Air attacks in the game are quite useful, and deal a lot more damage than ground moves do- so memorize the commands for air attacks (use the tagging feature we discussed earlier), and make use of these whenever you can.

ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION

Interacting with objects in the environments of each stage is something no fighting fan would be unfamiliar with- especially those who’ve played NetherRealms’ games in the past. In Mortal Kombat 11, it’s just as important as ever. Always keep an eye on things in the stages you can interact with, and use them during fights to deal deadly damage to your enemies. The brutal, bloody mini-cutscenes are a bonus, of course.

STOCK UP ON HEARTS AND KOINS

The Krypt in Mortal Kombat 11 houses a lot of stuff for players to unlock, a lot of which is useful, and other things that longtime fans of the series will enjoy greatly. These, however, are unlocked by paying up certain amounts of Hearts or Koins. While Koins are something you’ll be accumulating throughout your playthrough, make sure you stock up on Hearts as well- which you do by performing Fatalities.

DON’T IGNORE THE TUTORIAL

Mortal Kombat 11 has a tutorial mode, as fighting games often do, but it’s not one that you should skip even if you’re a veteran of the series. The tutorial mode here is actually pretty in-depth, teaching you not only about the basic mechanics of the game, but also going into greater detail with several moves for each of the characters as well.

KONSUMABLES

When you’re fighting battles in the Tower of Time, often you’ll come up against characters who’re using modifiers that can make life pretty miserable for you. To make things a bit easier, make sure you make proper use of the Konsumables you’ve got with you. Use specific Konsumables to counter specific modifiers, and fights will be much less challenging.

TOWER KONSUMABLES

There are other Konsumables to speak of as well- those that apply to single towers as a whole. These, too can come in pretty handy. One Konsumable, for instance, might net you a bonus on the Koins you earn if you finish matches with Fatalities, which can obviously come in pretty handy. As such, it’s best to keep an eye on these as well.

AI BATTLES

Mortal Kombat 11’s AI Battle mode – which sees players forming teams of defenders an attackers to participate in automated battles – might seem like a needless diversion, but investing some time in it can be pretty rewarding. AI battles yield with daily and weekly rewards, which can also include augmentations, all of which can help a great deal with the grind- so don’t ignore these.

UNLOCKING FROST

Frost, the Lin Kuei warrior who’s been around since Deadly Alliance, is part of the roster in Mortal Kombat 11 as well, but she is unlocked only once you’ve done something specific. More precisely, beating chapter four of the story mode unlocks her. Though you can also pay $6 to unlock her, it’s better to save your money and just play through the story mode (which is amazing, so why wouldn’t you?).

TOWERS OF TIME

Mortal Kombat 11’s grind is apparent in the Towers of Time more than it is anywhere else. If you’re focusing on Towers of Time, then, and are looking to make actual progress, make sure you main only one character. While you might be tempted to make progress and unlock new augmentations with multiple characters, given how grindy the Towers can be, it’s best to stick with one character and focus on them entirely.

GREEN SOULS

Of the various currency (or currency equivalents) in Mortal Kombat 11, one is the green souls, but you should be more careful where you spend these than most of the others. Make sure you save your green souls, and these are often used for opening new Paths in the Krypt.