While fighting games live and breathe in their competitive scene, The Mortal Kombat series has built a strong reputation for its single player offerings and that is no different in Mortal Kombat 1. The latest entry in the long-running franchise once again provides a cinematic story mode which has appeared in all of the games developed by NetherRealm Studios but also introduces the new Invasion mode. This new offering gives players hours of battles and content to grind through to earn new items and cosmetics. Before jumping in, allow me to break it down so you know what to expect. This guide will provide players with a full explanation of the new single player Invasion mode in Mortal Kombat 1.
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Invasion Mode Explained In Mortal Kombat 1
Invasion is a new single player mode that tells small stories of other Titan versions of the cast becoming a threat to Liu Kang’s New Era and it’s up to you to stop them. The mode will refresh every few months with a new season of content. The actual gameplay of the mode sees players traveling across a board game-like map where they will stop on spaces that have some sort of challenge they will need to overcome to unlock progress to the next tile. These challenges can be battles against A.I. Kombatants, Towers where you need to go through several battles to complete, or Test Your Might Challenges.
These aren’t regular battles, however, as many of them will have some sort of modifier that changes how the battle is played. These can include things like changing your controls, causing continuous damage when standing in certain spots, bombs placed around the stage, etc. You can find the modifiers for a fight under the portrait of the encounter before starting it on the right side of the screen or in the pause menu during a fight. You will be able to tell if you have completed a tile by the symbol of the circle. If the tile is a black circle that has an icon fade to distinguish what the challenge is when you stand on it, you haven’t completed it. If the circle has a silver Mortal Kombat logo on it, it means you have finished it.
As you go through the mode, you will gain XP to level up different stats for each character. Each character also comes with its own element type that has strengths and weaknesses. You will also unlock items called Talismans, which contain special attacks that you can perform during a battle but with limited charges. There are also Relics that provide your character with passive bonuses. You will also find consumable items which can be items that provide you with one-time buffs, permanent stat boosts, and even keys that will open locked chests. All of these stats and items as well as your character selection can be found by pressing the button next to your character icon in the top left part of the screen.
Along your journey, you will find a Shop run by the Kollector, making a cameo from Mortal Kombat 11. This is where you can buy some of the previously mentioned items. There is also a Forge found across the game which allows you to upgrade and restock the charges in your Talisman. You will find crafting material that can be used at the Forge to try and infuse new abilities and stats into your Talisman, making them stronger and more personalized to your playstyle.
You will need to travel across multiple regions known as Mesa plates. At the start, there is only one Mesa available and you will need to reach the end of the region and travel through the portal to reach the next zone. As you travel through multiple Mesas to reach the final area with the Titan boss fight, which is marked with an image of the Titan. you will come across two regions that are unique from the others. The first is a safe area: Wu Shi Academy. This is an area where you can quickly find a shop and practice against enemies using your new characters or gear. The other is
Your goal is to reach the very final Mesa and defeat the Titan to receive a narrative cutscene similar to the ones found at the end of the Klassic Towers and receive massive and rare rewards from completing the season as well as unlocking a few more extra challenges encounters across all the Mesa worlds via the Nether Stone.
Each season will see a new Titan character take center stage as you work through new Mesa plates to reach the final boss and receive new cosmetics and items related to the theme of the season. Stay tuned to Gameranx for future news, updates, and guides for Mortal Kombat 1.