"That's not Johnny Cage, that's Johnathan Cell": Fans criticize lackluster visuals of Mortal Kombat 1 Switch port

Mortal Kombat 1 is just a few days away from its official release. However, those who pre-ordered the Premium Edition can already start diving in. While the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC versions of Mortal Kombat 1 are being praised for their quality visuals and fun gameplay, the Nintendo Switch port is not faring that well.

Unsurprisingly, the Nintendo Switch version isn't anywhere near as visually pleasing as the current-gen console and PC iteration. While it is somewhat understandable, the visuals of the Switch port have left a lot to be desired.

From muddy textures to missing post-processing effects, the Nintendo Switch version of Mortal Kombat 1 is a night and day difference compared to the other consoles. However, despite the massive visual downgrade, NetherRealm Studios' latest fighting game is still being sold at the premium $70 price tag on the Switch.

"That's not Johnny Cage, that's Johnathan Cell..."

With the game finally available on early access, screenshots of the Nintendo Switch port have surfaced online, which has ignited discussion among fans regarding the massive visual downgrades. Fans are criticizing the Switch port, mostly due to the comically bad facial expressions in some of the characters.

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Although Nintendo Switch version of Mortal Kombat 1 performs quite well, stable performance brings massive visual downgrades

While Mortal Kombat 1 slipped the previous generation of PlayStation and Xbox consoles, releasing exclusively for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, NetherRealm Studios somehow scaled down the game for the severely underpowered Nintendo Switch hardware. Unfortunately, the port comes with some significant visual downgrades.

Unreal Engine 4 is quite well-supported on Nintendo Switch, with games like Darksiders 3, Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core (Remaster), and even Fortnite being some of the best examples. However, despite NetherRealm Studios' latest title being built using Unreal Engine 4, it turned out to be a bit too ambitious for Nintendo's handheld console.

While the game retains its visual elements during regular gameplay, cracks surface during close-up shots, "fatal blows," kameo combos, or finishers, i.e., fatalities and brutalities. To achieve a playable state on the handheld hybrid console, NetherRealm Studios had to make significant cutbacks to the texture quality.

With the images of the Nintendo Switch version recently surfacing online, many have taken to social media to express their criticisms. Most of the vitriol concerns the low-quality facial expressions of characters like Johnny Cage, Li Mei, Liu Kang, and more, as well as the $70 price tag.

It's understandable that cutbacks, especially in terms of visuals, are necessary for a multi-platform game like Mortal Kombat 1 to make it playable on the Nintendo Switch. However, the severity of the visual downgrade makes the game's $70 pricing a tad questionable, and that's not taking into account the $110 Premium Edition.