Mortal Kombat 1 — How to Use Kameo Fighters
Mortal Kombat 1 has a slew of new content, from Kombatants to play as and plenty of awesome near gear to equip. But one of the most exciting additions to the game is by far the Kameo system. Kameos are new to the entirety of the Mortal Kombat series, and they're an exciting mechanic that changes things up significantly.
Kameos let you call forth support characters to help you go on the offensive or defensive. Most importantly, they can help gain an upper hand against your opponent. They also open the door to new combo opportunities and overall game-lengthening mechanics to ensure there's always something to come back to when you finish the story mode and unlock the content you're after.
Here's how Mortal Kombat 1 Kameos work and how you can use them in battle.
What are Mortal Kombat 1 Kameos?
Kameos are part of a new system in Mortal Kombat 1. You can think of them as fighters that you can tag in to use in each battle for a quick assist. Kameo fighters can attack, throw projectiles, and more. More than that, however, their influence is embedded in just about every facet of the game.
Of interest to longtime Mortal Kombat fans, there are ton of them to choose from. Some Kameo fighters are fighters returning to the franchise after some time. Others were seen in recent entries. But no matter their origins, they're all useful in their own way. They also change up the game in certain very meaningful ways that might not be immediately obvious.
How to choose a Kameo fighter in Mortal Kombat 1
You can choose which Kameo fighters you want to use at the character selection screen. First, you'll choose your main character. Your second selection will be the character that will act as your Kameo.
But it's not as simple as picking your favorite Kombatant and going from there. The system is much more nuanced than that. With that in mind, there are several factors to keep in mind when deciding who you want to pair up.
For instance, the character you choose as your Kameo will end up affecting your main fighter's health and overall fighting style in nuanced ways. Depending on their strength and vitality, you can affect how much HP your fighter will have, which is something you might not notice at first, but it's important to keep in mind. It could mean the difference between a win and a loss. You might have a more powerful Kameo with more HP, which could translate to your main fighter’s overall hit points.
And it goes even beyond that. Interestingly, your main fighter’s forward throw is even determined by which Kameo you choose. Each Kameo's moves have different regeneration rates, too.
How Kameos work in battle in Mortal Kombat 1
There are two types of Assist calls that you can perform: Summons and Ambushes. Ambushes find Kameos coming out and performing moves no matter what your character is doing, and offer something of a distraction and extra hits. They're powerful moves that take longer to recharge, but they're the easiest Kameo moves to pull off and add to the Kombo meter.
Summons bring your Kameo out to perform a move while your fighter remains in one place. Your enemy could block your Kameo's move while you come in right after and slide in with a move afterward. There are so many ways to combine all of these Kameo use basics, so you’ll have to experiment and see how each one fits into your fighting strategies, whether you’re into zoning or just trying to figure out exactly how you want to play.
Watch your Kameo meter, which is at the bottom left of the screen. You'll be able to see how many segments have been used and how long it's going to take to recharge.
At the end of the day, while Kameo fighters are integral to turning the tide of battle, It's important to keep in mind that Kameo fighters aren't playable in the same way you'd control your Kombatant.
Instead, they'll act like support characters in games like Marvel vs. Capcom or Dragon Ball FighterZ. They’ll appear within battle when you call them forth, but you can’t control what they do in the same way you can input special moves and have them initiate them.
You can control when they come out, and you can do your best to create a complementary Kombatant/Kameo pair, however, and that’s where you’re going to want to invest most of your time. It’ll pay off in the end.
