Geekscape Games Reviews Mortal Kombat
Over the top violence seems to be commonplace in video games today. But long before Kratos dismembered his first god or Marcus Fenix sawed through a horde of locust, a familiar voice called out for you to “Finish Him!” It was never as technically sound as some fighters, and its visuals usually meant seeing the same character with different colored clothes passed off as different warriors, but Mortal Kombat garnered such a huge following through the controversy the gore brought with it. Now that blood and guts are as common in games as cursing five year olds are online, it has to do a little bit more to stand out, and I don’t mean spell everything with a K. This new MK looks to wipe the blood soaked slate clean going back to its 2D roots with a slew of improvements, but are they enough?
Much like the original Mortal Kombat rode the fighting game wave brought by Street Fighter II so long ago, this MK takes a page from Street Fighter IV. Treated as a complete reboot, nearly every character from MK 1-3 has returned with both familiar and new attacks. It seems like a lot of work went into giving each character unique animations and moves, helping push the game past its palette swap reputation. Also absent are the dial a combos where memorizing 15 button sequences has been replaced with a set of shorter, more fluid attacks. And of course, what would the game be without Fatalities? Each character has one default finisher and two hidden ones, as well as stage Fatalities that wait to be discovered. It’s just a shame that they weren’t all that creative, and some of the new attacks are more brutal than what’s supposed to be the fighting game equivalent to flipping the bird. Who knows, maybe my blood thurst is harder to quench nowadays.
While game play has been amped up, combos aren’t all that’s changed. Most noticeably, MK finally got a super meter! Using one segment of the bar performs powered up versions of special attacks, (if it sounds like an EX attack, that’s because it pretty much is.) Two segments breaks an opponents combos, but using three is where the real eye opener is. Using three unleashes a unique X-Ray attack for each character. These brutal moves activate cutscenes where each broken bone and stabbed organ is shown while the attack is carried out. From a game play standpoint, it adds a layer of strategy that has been lacking since the inception of the series.
Fighting gamers are usually quick to point out that story and single player doesn’t count for much in this type of game, but Mortal Kombat proves them wrong. First, we get the story mode, which could also be called the “new Star Trek” of MK without Zachary Quinto sexy-ing it up. If you played Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, (which I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t,) the end of the MK universe came to pass, but future Raiden sent a message to past Raiden in MK 1 in an attempt to change the future. Taking a page from MK vs DC, the story is separated in chapters where players take the role of a particular character’s section of the tale. And no, there aren’t Fatalities here. What good would the story be if you killed off half the cast in the first stages? Although you might miss them when you hear some of the voices…
Other than story, the traditional arcade mode has returned, where you take your character through a series of fights until you come face to face with Shao Khan, (who’s still a bitch and a half to beat in case you were wondering.) But new to the ladder fight is co-op, because MK adds a brand new tag team mode. Playing by yourself or with a friend, special attacks and combos while interchanging both fighters can be used in a fight to the finish against another team. Lastly is the challenge mode, where players have to fight through 300 preset scenarios that range from ridiculous, (Johnny Cage fighting stunt doubles,) to nearly impossible. Playing in loner mode is the quickest way to earn coins for the Krypt, an interactive unlock menu where extras can be purchased. After the novelty of walking through the graveyard wears thin, you’ll wish for a text menu over trying to find the last few rewards to buy through the huge area.
Nowadays, what good is a fighter if there’s no online, even if most online fighting games play like crap? Sadly, Mortal Kombat falls in line with the majority. Aside from the basic ranked and player matches, the king of the hill mode brings avatars to the lobby. Each bloodthirsty, super deformed goof can activate different emotes during a fight to voice their opinion of the fight while the top two go at it. And all it takes is one person with a crappy connection to slow it down for everyone. Even when running at its best, there was always at least a half second delay between my inputs and the attack going through. The most mind blowing online decision however, is that both players receive a loss when someone quits. I mean seriously, between the lag and this nonsense, I’m pretty shocked that we’re expected to buy an online pass to gain access to online play outside of a two day trial. If you’re going to charge us, at least make sure it works.
Online is far from the only frustration. Challenge and story modes both have incredibly annoying challenges like two, three and even four on one fights, not to mention cheap bosses and move reading AI that the series is known for. Unlocking endings through the ladder gets unbearably repetitive if you try with every character, and even the unlock screen manages to annoy at times. But even though MK might not have achieved the flawless victory it was looking for, it’s a great fresh start for the series. The game play is much improved and has added depth to a game that has never had much. Single player gives you quite a bit to do and playing with a friend might take awhile to get old with the fairly large roster. While it might have lost its shock factor, Mortal Kombat has laid out a new foundation that is already taking the franchise in a great direction that any fan of the series just has to see. And you won’t have to lose and arm and a leg for it either.
