First Impression
The first thing I noticed was how big the app was to download—took up way more space than I expected on my Samsung Galaxy A54. But once it loaded, the graphics actually surprised me. I mean, for a free mobile game, the characters look sharp and the blood effects are over-the-top in a fun way. I started playing on a Wednesday evening after work, just messing around in the story mode. The tutorial popped up and I thought, okay, this is pretty standard. Tap to punch, swipe to block, hold for special moves. It wasn’t hard to get into. But right away I noticed the game pushing me to spend souls or coins to unlock certain fighters. I get it, that’s how these games work. Still, it made me suspicious from the start.
What It Does Well
The combat is fast and feels responsive for a touchscreen. I was able to pull off combos without much trouble after a few fights, and the controls didn’t feel laggy or sticky. The roster is huge—way more characters than I expected. You got Scorpion, Sub-Zero, all the classics, plus some newer ones I didn’t recognize from the old games. It’s cool that each character has their own special moves and fatalities, which are brutal and honestly pretty funny to watch on a phone. The story mode has some voice acting and cutscenes that make it feel more like a real game than just a cash grab. I also liked that you can play offline in some modes, which saved me when I was on the subway with no signal.
Where It Falls Short
Here’s the thing—after three days, I hit a wall. The game gets hard fast. Like, I’m fighting enemies that are way above my level unless I grind for hours or pay real money to upgrade my cards. The “energy” system is annoying too. You get a limited number of fights before you have to wait for your energy to refill or spend souls, which they sell for real cash. I tried the online multiplayer mode twice, and both times I got disconnected in the middle of a match. That’s not great when you’re trying to win. Also, the tutorial barely teaches you anything beyond the basics. I had to look up YouTube videos to understand how to chain special moves properly. And the ads? There are ads, but they’re not as bad as some other free games. You can watch a video to get a reward, which is fine, but they still pop up at weird times.
Is It Worth the Price?
The app is free to download, but really it’s a “free” game that wants your money constantly. I’ve played it for three days without spending a cent, and I’ve unlocked maybe five characters. That feels okay for a few hours of fun, but I can already tell if I want to keep playing seriously, I’ll have to pay for souls or packs. The cheapest bundle is like $1.99, but the bigger ones go up to $99.99. No way I’m dropping that on a mobile game. If you’re okay with grinding and don’t mind hitting a paywall eventually, you can have some fun here for free. But if you want to be competitive or unlock everything, you’ll probably end up spending something. For me, it’s a cautious “worth it” if you just want to mess around casually.
Developer & Support
I had an issue where my progress didn’t save after I beat a tough boss in story mode. I closed the app and came back, and it was like I never played that fight. So I emailed support through the in-game help menu. They got back to me after about 26 hours with a generic copy-paste response telling me to restart my phone and clear the cache. That didn’t fix it. I replied asking for actual help, and it’s been two days with no answer. It really left me feeling like they don’t care about free players. For a game from Warner Bros., I expected a bit more professionalism. The app hasn’t crashed on me much, but the lack of real support is disappointing.
Privacy & Safety
When I first opened the app, it asked for permission to access my storage and photos, which I thought was weird for a fighting game. I denied it and it still worked fine, so I’m not sure why they ask. The privacy policy is the usual lengthy legal text, but I noticed they collect data like your device ID, IP address, and gameplay behavior for advertising purposes. They also share data with third-party analytics companies. There’s no way to opt out of all tracking, which is annoying. I also saw that online matches let you chat with emotes, but not actual text, so that’s safer for kids. Still, I wouldn’t let a young child play this without supervision because of the violent content and those data requests.
How does the energy system work in MORTAL KOMBAT: A Fighting Game?
You get a limited number of fights before your energy depletes, forcing you to either wait for it to refill over time or spend souls (which can be bought with real money) to continue playing immediately. This system can slow down your progress significantly if you're trying to play for extended sessions.
Can I play MORTAL KOMBAT: A Fighting Game offline?
Yes, some modes like story mode can be played offline, which is handy if you're on a subway or without a stable internet connection. However, online multiplayer and certain events require an active connection to function.
Why am I hitting a difficulty wall after a few days of playing?
The game ramps up difficulty quickly, pitting you against enemies far above your level unless you grind for hours to upgrade your fighters or spend real money on souls and packs. To progress without paying, focus on replaying earlier battles to earn coins and upgrade cards strategically.
What should I do if I keep getting disconnected during online multiplayer matches?
Disconnections in online multiplayer are a known issue, often caused by unstable network connections or server lag. Try switching to a stronger Wi-Fi signal or playing offline modes like story mode until the connection improves.
How does MORTAL KOMBAT: A Fighting Game compare to other free mobile fighting games like Street Fighter: Duel?
MORTAL KOMBAT offers sharper graphics, a larger roster of classic and new characters, and more brutal fatalities, but it has a more aggressive paywall and energy system that limits playtime. Street Fighter: Duel tends to have a gentler learning curve and less intrusive monetization, though its combat feels less responsive on touchscreens.
