Mortal Kombat 1 Cameo System, Explained
Kameos are a new addition to Mortal Kombat 1 and the entire series. With this system, you can summon a support character for offensive or defensive as...
Hirun Cryer
6 Days Ago
Kameos are a new addition to Mortal Kombat 1 and the entire series. With this system, you can summon a support character for offensive or defensive assistance, gaining an advantage over your opponent. But how can you effectively utilize it?
Mortal Kombat 1 appears to be establishing a new foundation for future titles. Unique combo extensions, new ways to torment your enemy, and other intriguing situations are introduced through Kameos. In this guide, we will explore how this system works and everything you need to know about it, so you can start practicing in the lab.
What Are Kameos?
The Kameo system is a significant new mechanic in Mortal Kombat 1. Essentially, it is a feature of the tag system that allows you to summon a second character as support. This character, known as Kameo, can throw projectiles, attack in a specific manner, or assist you in maneuvering within the scene, among other abilities.
This mechanic is the centerpiece of the game, and you won't be able to excel without learning how to master the options that your preferred Kameo can bring.
How To Use Kameos
Before you go into battle, you select a Kameo after already choosing your fighter (your main character). At launch, there are a total of 15 Kameos available to you, and you will need to spend hours trying them out to figure out which one suits you best.
Five of these Kameos are initially locked at the beginning of the game. To find out how to unlock them, please refer to this guide.
Once you're ready to fight, all you need to do is press a button (R1 on PlayStation and RB on Xbox), and your Kameo will appear on the screen and perform an action.
Below your fighter's HP, there is a circular gauge with two charges. As long as you have at least one charge, you can summon your Kameo. This gauge gradually refills over time.
What exactly your Kameo does depends on their list of abilities and whether you press the Kameo button alone or in combination with a directional input. For example, Scorpion can grab you with his spear and force you to retreat if you press the Kameo button and the backward direction, or he can throw projectiles if you press the Kameo button alone.
The different Kameos not only have different moves, but they also vary in their number. Some Kameos have abilities that require an upward input or holding the Kameo button, while others do not have these options.
You can also perform a cameo throw. Just press forward and the throw button at the same time.
Apart from everything that has been said up to this point, there are a few important things to keep in mind about cameos. The first is that they can be hit when you summon them. For example, if you call Sareena and she gets injured before she can do anything, she will disappear without performing her action, and you will lose a charge.
Secondly, although you can summon your cameo at any time as long as you have charges and are about to attack, you cannot always summon them at any given moment when you are already attacking with your main character. Additionally, your fighter will freeze when you use most of your cameo attacks, making them vulnerable.
The thing is, most cameo movements are considered regular movements, and just like your normal attacks and special moves, most of your cameo tools also have specific timing and window requirements.
Building on that, you can cancel certain normal attacks of your fighter into a cameo movement.
There is a type of cameo attack that can be used more flexibly. This is called "cameo ambush," which allows you to freely move your main character while calling for your support. This allows you to practically summon your cameo at any time while attacking an enemy. An example of this is Sonya's projectile, which can be executed at any time you wish.
While the flexibility of cameo ambushes may sound great on paper, please note that this significantly increases the complexity and the number of timing windows in which you can extend combos. This depends on the stance and distance of your opponent.
Unfortunately, the game does not initially indicate which cameo movements are cameo ambushes. You have to test them out yourself.
How To Do Kameos Fatalities And Brutalities
You can perform Fatalities and Brutalities with your cameos just like with your fighter. However, you have to unlock many of them.
To achieve this, you need to increase your cameo mastery level. This is simply done by playing the game in certain modes and in a specific way. To learn more about it, you can check out this guide.
Once you have unlocked a finisher for your cameo, you can check how to perform it in the pause menu.