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Mortal Kombat 1's Kombat Pack 2 T-1000 is Too Little Too Late

By Devin Friend

Published Sep 10, 2024

Devin Friend is a graduate of McNeese State University with a bachelor's degree in creative writing. Starting from the day that he played Super Mario Kart on a Super Nintendo that he received as a gift, he has been fascinated with games. That compared with a childhood love of cartoons formed a desire to research and analyze all things fictional. He digs deep into many games, looking into characters, plotlines, and other sources of information that can be found, either critiquing or expanding on the world of the game in question. There is a special place in his heart for older games, especially those that he either grew up with, or has spent a lot of time revisiting over the years. Game glitches, cheats, and innovative strategies are particular points of interest for him. When not playing games or writing about them, Devin is frequently brainstorming ideas for his dream of being a published novelist.

Mortal Kombat 1 bringing in the T-1000 for its second Kombat Pack adds an action movie icon, but points out a serious missed opportunity. The fact that Mortal Kombat 1 has added yet another film character to its list of crossovers is no surprise. It's something that has been done in the past few games, and it has become something of a tradition at this point. The T-1000 will probably not be Mortal Kombat's last action movie crossover either. However, while the crossover itself isn't an issue, it can raise some questions about the timing of T-1000's arrival.

By the time that Mortal Kombat 1's second Kombat Pack has fully rolled out, there will be six more fighters in the game, consisting of:

Noob Saibot
Sektor
Cyrax
Conan the Barbarian
Ghostface
T-1000

Kombat Pack 2 in its entirety will bring the game's roster to 35 playable characters, not counting Kameo fighters. This is only two shy of what Mortal Kombat 11 reached once all of its DLC was complete, so Mortal Kombat 1 has a strong chance to overtake its predecessor in terms of roster size. With many quality Mortal Kombat characters yet to join the roster, more are likely to follow.

Mortal Kombat 1 Might Be Late to the Party With the T-1000

Mortal Kombat 1 is Adding the T-1000 From Terminator 2

As a member of the latest set of guest characters in Mortal Kombat, the T-1000 continues the trend of action and horror film characters entering the fight. In Terminator 2, with Arnold Schwarzenegger's titular Terminator becoming an ally and protector of John and Sarah Connor, a new Terminator came in to be the new antagonist. Composed of liquid metal, the T-1000 combined shapeshifting and nigh-invulnerability to be a terrifying foe. In addition, it also adopts a fairly cruel and mocking personality while doing its job. A classic action movie villain like the T-1000 sounds like a natural choice to join Mortal Kombat 1.

Mortal Kombat 11 Missed the Chance To Have Two Terminators Fight

Despite its credentials, the T-1000 may have been better off debuting alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator in Mortal Kombat 11. The T-800 was a guest character in Mortal Kombat 11 alongside fellow action icons Rambo and Robocop. If the T-1000 had debuted in Mortal Kombat 11, then the two Terminators would have been able to fight each other. Instead, the two are separated by one game, leaving the question of what could have been. The fact that both Terminators fight differently, with the T-800 using guns and pure strength while the T-1000 prefers shifting into blades, would have made the characters distinct enough from each other.

Mortal Kombat 1's T-1000 May Not Match the Impact of Mortal Kombat 11's Terminator

Separating the two Terminators also presents another issue. While the T-1000 is a worthy addition to Mortal Kombat 1's roster, it's admittedly missing something without T-800. Out of the two, the T-800 is easily the more recognizable and memorable of the two, largely due to Schwarzenegger's performance in the role. That makes the T-1000 come off a bit odd as a solo act. Thankfully, it has enough character to stand on its own thanks to Robert Patrick's performance. Mortal Kombat 1 can give the T-1000 more to do, but it won't be able to provide the Terminator vs. Terminator fight it otherwise could have.

The T-1000 should be cool to see in Mortal Kombat 1, but it's one game too late to make the impact it could have made. Mortal Kombat 1's DLC is going to keep growing the game, and there are likely to be more fighters to come after T-1000's release. However, unless the developers decide to give the T-800 an encore, players will not be able to recreate a classic movie matchup. The T-1000's appearance in Mortal Kombat 1 may end up feeling like players are only getting half of a full set.

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Fighting

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PC-1

PlayStation-1

Xbox-1

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OpenCritic Reviews: Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 87%

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Released: September 19, 2023
ESRB: M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
Developer(s): NetherRealm Studios
Publisher(s): Warner Brothers Games

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Welcome to a new era of Kombat. NetherRealm Studios ushers in a new era of the iconic fighting franchise with a total reset that changes the entire world as we know it. Following the thrilling climax of Mortal Kombat 11, the all-powerful Fire God Liu Kang has created a New Era in the hope of bringing peace to Earthrealm and beyond. Through the series' most cinematic story mode yet, you'll be reintroduced to a cast of legendary warriors as you've never seen them before. Expect twists on classic friendships and rivalries, as well as new backstories that will change everything you think you know about your favorite Kombatants. Discover a host of new offline and online game modes as you master a revitalized fighting system that boasts bone-crunching Fatal Blows, defensive Breakers and the most creatively vicious Fatalities yet.

Engine: Unreal Engine 4
Multiplayer: Online Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Franchise: Mortal Kombat
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Switch, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Genre(s): Fighting
How Long To Beat: 7 Hours
PS Plus Availability: Extra & Premium

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