How long to beat Mortal Kombat 1

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Scorpion and Smoke in Mortal Kombat 1.
Credit: Kombatants, assemble!
September 20, 2023: Put aside enough time for plenty of MK action. Mortal Kombat 1 is out now!

Eager to find out how long it takes to beat Mortal Kombat 1? We've got you covered as we explore just how long the game's main story goes for - provided, of course, that familiar faces like Scorpion or Baraka don't hold you up. Here is all you need to know about how long to beat Mortal Kombat 1!

Picking up from where the Liu Kang gang left us at the end of Mortal Kombat 11, naturally, as we all know, the next number after 11 is one. Of course, the somewhat confusing title to the newest instalment of the Mortal Kombat franchise is a nod to how the last one played out, with Liu Kang deciding he didn't like how it ended and reset the time line. A cool party trick, no doubt.

We've got all the tips and tricks you could ever need to master Mortal Kombat 1! There're few better places to start on your journey to become Earthrealm's champion than the fundamentals, so find out how to counter, then check out our beginner tips!

A graphic from Mortal Kombat 1 showing Liu Kang victorious alongside Stryker.
click to enlarge
Credit: NetherRealm Studios
Haha, I win.

How long to beat Mortal Kombat 1

You can expect to finish Mortal Kombat 1 within 5-8 hours. Of course, that's only considering the main story mode, and none of the other modes on offer. The length of time it will take you largely depends on how quickly you dispatch your foes.

Unlike other popular titles across the many genres in gaming, Mortal Kombat 1 plays out more like an interactive movie than it does an adventure game. That's not to say that there isn't plenty of fun to be had but, much like other fighting franchises, you'll find yourself watching a lot of lengthy cutscenes that are broken up by playable fights. No complaints here - the graphics are so good you can see what everyone had for lunch as you kill them.

Given the ratio of watch-to-play is significantly higher in Mortal Kombat 1's story than other major 2023 releases, you can expect that it will take you far less time to complete the story.

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Don't let the short story mode deter you, as there are plenty of additional game modes you can get caught up in, both online against other players and a couple of additional offline modes. So even once you complete the Mortal Kombat 1 tale, there is still plenty of fight left in you (not to mention a realm's worth of customisation options to unlock).

That's all you need to know about how long it'll take you to beat Mortal Kombat 1! For more content, find out how you can change the game's difficulty and how to invite your friends along for a virtual beatdown!

For more articles like this, take a look at our Guides and Mortal Kombat 1 page.