Review bombing is an act of protest that gamers have adapted through the years, though the actual practice has become much more common in recent months. The latest victim to this (childish) practice is Mortal Kombat 11 over its ending that some feel is “SJW”-fueled. Oh, and microtransactions.
SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING BELOW, DO NOT READ BELOW THIS LINE IF YOU ARE NOT WANTING THE STORY TO BE SPOILED.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
When Mortal Kombat 11 was released yesterday, it was met with the average 8-9 out of 10 review score (or 80-90 out of 100). Currently, however, the game is sitting at a shocking 2.9 user score on Metacritic. “Pushing you [sic] personal political genda with certain tower endings is just disgusting,” exclaims one user as the cry over a smaller-chested Jade continues to get louder. “Once again the SJW propaganda destroyed a game. Stop making everything political,” they continued about a game that is centered around this universe’s politics.
The ending in question (last chance to bail on spoilers) centers around Jax. During his ending, he actually goes back in time to end slavery. Some are saying because Shao Khan enslaved all races that the choice to “only save black people” is “racist.”
Another reason cited for the review bombing veers away from political dealings is the game’s microtransactions. Though cosmetic, some are reporting that the way Mortal Kombat 11’s microtransactions work and are locked take the joy out of the grind, with some even saying that they felt NetherRealm did this on “purpose” to make the game feel unrewarding without the purchase of in-game items.
Since launch, the studio has already deployed a patch to tackle the game’s economy – an aspect that was addressed as a downfall in many professional reviews. NetherRealm saw those complaints and tailored the game in mind to make the progression feel more natural and more rewarding.
As for the game itself, Mortal Kombat 11 is now available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. You can learn even more about the game, including tips, tricks, and our full review, right here.
Published: Apr 23, 2019 06:10 pm