Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection review

The Mortal Kombat series is now over 30 years old. That will assuredly make you feel old if you were around for the game that started it all. It’s funny revisiting it, too, given all the commotion it caused due to its violent fatalities. They seem tame compared to the truly horrible ways you can finish off your opponents in the latest entries in the controversial series. But I guess that’s how it goes: as time goes on, attitudes change, and technology has only got better. In any case, it’s impossible to deny that back in the day, Mortal Kombat pushed limits.

Now you can relive the original Mortal Kombat if you wish. And alongside it, there’s Mortal Kombat 2, and 3, and even 4. The arcade versions of these will transport you back to the 90s, and perhaps still impress you with their digitised visuals which were way ahead of what was possible on home consoles at the time. They form just a part of Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, however, with an array of home console ports of the first three games in the series also included, as well as games specifically made for console.

Basically, if it’s a Mortal Kombat game and it was released between 1992 and 2003, there’s a good chance at least one or more versions of it is included here. The only glaring omission is Mortal Kombat Gold, released exclusively on the SEGA Dreamcast in 1999. So, if you want to play the arcade release of Mortal Kombat 3 in all its glory, you can. Alternatively, you could also play either the Genesis/Mega Drive or SNES version, the latter obviously having toned-down violence due to Nintendo’s policies at the time. Some of the more obscure versions of early Mortal Kombat games are included, too, such as the 32X version of Mortal Kombat 2, and the Game Gear version of the original Mortal Kombat.

Of course, the question is: why would you want to play some of these in the year 2025? Honestly, you probably won’t. Some of the releases here have stood the test of time way better than others: the arcade versions of Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Mortal Kombat 4 (which can be played with upscaled graphics), and the PlayStation version of Mortal Kombat Trilogy are all pretty good. Most of the home console ports are far inferior to their arcade counterparts, though, and even the arcade versions of the original Mortal Kombat and its sequel feel rather antiquated now.

Then there are the console-only games that have been thrown into the mix, namely the action-adventure games Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub Zero and Mortal Kombat: Special Forces. Both of these were bad when they originally released, and now it’s even harder to warm to them. When it comes to the games included in Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection then, the term “a mixed bag” seems fitting. There are some you might sit down with here and play for hours, while others you’ll turn off in disgust after only minutes with and probably never return to them again.

Developed by Digital Eclipse, though, there’s one thing for certain: this collection has been put together with love. No matter which game you jump into, there are options aplenty, allowing you to tweak their difficulty, enable secret characters, and more. This has by far the best TV filter I’ve encountered in a retro collection, too. Throw in basic online play for a number of titles (which is to be expanded upon post-launch), and it’s clear a lot of effort has been put into making this a genuine treat for Mortal Kombat fans.

The real reason to pick up Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection, though, is for its documentary content. Like other recent Digital Eclipse releases, included in Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is a history of the Mortal Kombat franchise incorporating things like concept art, promotional ads and even interviews. Did you know that the name Mortal Combat was originally considered for the game, for example? The fact that it couldn’t be trademarked led to it becoming Mortal Kombat, and there are various accounts of who suggested the ‘K’ instead of a ‘C’.

Simply approach Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection as a package of games, and chances are you’ll find yourself disappointed when you actually dig into them. You might fondly remember one or all of the titles presented here, but compared to 2019’s Mortal Kombat 11 or 2023’s Mortal Kombat 1, they’re just not all that fun to play. As a documentary presenting these games as exhibits, however, Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is phenomenal, and a must-have for any series fan.

This review of Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is based on the PS5 version, with a code provided by the game’s publisher. It’s available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, Switch 2 and PC.