Summary
Mortal Kombat 1has been dazzling fighting game fans across the globe with its innovations to the series' combat formula, and its picturesque presentation. Fatalities look as wonderfully grotesque as ever, environments are lush and detailed, and character models have never looked more photorealistic. One of the few hitches in this long list of accomplishments is a particular voice acting performance present amongMortal Kombat 1’s main roster - that being the lackluster showing from Megan Fox as the vampiric Nitara, which has garnered its fair share of groans and eye rolls from manyMKfans online.
WhileMegan Fox’s Nitaramay be easy enough to cast aside, it does open up some anxieties forMortal Kombat 1’s upcoming DLC. Kombat Pack 1 features a substantial list of additional fighters for players to battle with, with three of them featuring their own celebrity cameos. This includes Homelander from hit TV showThe Boys, Omni-Man fromInvincible, and Peacemaker, who featured inThe Suicide Squadand his own standalone series. These DLC kombatants have many players counting down the days until Kombat Pack 1 releases, but the quality of their voice performance is essential to ensuring they stick the landing.
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Nitara’s Voice Acting Leaves Much to be Desired
Much has been said already about the uninspired performance delivered by Megan Fox as the voice actor for Nitara. Each of her lines seem like they were simply read off a script with little direction or context for the scene, resulting in a flat, monotone cadence that sticks out amongMK1’s other strong voices. While Nitara certainly doesn’t play a major role inMK1’s thrilling story, it’s nonetheless a disappointing case of a celebrity being brought in to do a job that a trained voice actor could have done much better. Considering the handful of celebrities set to voice the upcoming comic book DLC fighters, it draws a fair bit of concern.
MK1’s Comic Book Fighters Need More Spirited Performances
When it comes toHomelander, Omni-Man, and Peacemaker, it’s crucial that these fighters receive better voice work. While voice acting such as Megan Fox’s can be mostly brushed aside, it’s a standard part of the game that most players just have to accept. These highly anticipated comic characters are part of a premium package supplemental to the base game, and players should expect to receive an all-around satisfying experience when playing them as a result. The gameplay may be the most important aspect of the DLC fighters, but it’s the personality behind these characters that motivates their inclusion in the first place.
The one source of hope thatMKfans can cling to with these upcoming DLC fighters, is that they’ll be voiced by their original actors. Antony Starr will reprise his role as the volatile Homelander, John Cena will voice the comedic Peacemaker, andJ.K. Simmons will lend his talents to Omni-Man. These actors understand their characters deeply, and in the case of Simmons, have extensive experience with voice acting. Their performances will have the challenge of feeling believable in the context ofMortal Kombat, but the pedigree of each performer is a reassuring sign at the very least.
Mortal Kombat 1is still an excellent fighting game experience despite Megan Fox’s unpopular voice acting for Nitara, butKombat Pack 1has to be held to a higher standard. Fans who pay an additional fee for more fighters should expect a high-quality product across the board, down to performance behind each comic character. Omni-Man, Peacemaker, and Homelander were highly-requested DLC fighters, and to deliver anything less than a one-to-one translation would be a significant disappointment. Hopefully when Kombat Pack 1 is released, each fighter will feel like they were plucked right out of their respective shows.
Mortal Kombat 1is available now on PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
