MORTAL KOMBAT (X360)
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Publisher: Warner Bros.
Developer: Netherrealm Studios. Released: April 2011. Genre: 3D Fighter. Other versions: PS3; PC; VITA. Posted 27th January 2015. By Shane Battams © 2015 |
I’ve always had a soft spot for Mortal Kombat. Many have argued that it lacks the depth or refinement of its peers, but here’s my rebuttal: it is the most fun. I still remember my buddy bringing round MK Trilogy and us spending hours testing out fatalities. Instalments on the sixth-gen consoles remained mostly impressive, with Deadly Alliance and Deception packing tons of fun. My heart sank when it seemed this long-running series had gone bust, with the tepid Armageddon and MK vs DCU not satisfying my thirst for blood, and Midway falling into bankruptcy soon after that. Thankfully, Warner Bros picked up Ed Boon and his gang of misfits and rebranded them as Netherrealm studios. We finally get our first taste of MK on next-gen with Mortal Kombat.
MK essentially is a rebooted love letter to fans of the series. It keeps the core fundamentals close: accessibility, absurdity and violence in a 2D format. New mechanics present themselves however. The most notable is the X-Ray meter, which is comparable to the turbo meter in Street Fighter. As you take hits or opponents block moves, it builds up with three layers. First you can perform powerful versions of special moves, second tier allows you to perform breakers which kill your opponent’s combo and a full meter allows you to perform X-Ray moves. These are deadly attacks, demonstrated through bones cracking in X-Ray vision, which can help turn the tide of fighting, allowing a new kind of tactic to come into play. With a refurbished engine, fighting has felt its best in years with responsive controls and good collision detection. It’s great for both kinds of fighter: insane combos can be achieved, but you can also get by spamming moves should you lack the skill.
MK essentially is a rebooted love letter to fans of the series. It keeps the core fundamentals close: accessibility, absurdity and violence in a 2D format. New mechanics present themselves however. The most notable is the X-Ray meter, which is comparable to the turbo meter in Street Fighter. As you take hits or opponents block moves, it builds up with three layers. First you can perform powerful versions of special moves, second tier allows you to perform breakers which kill your opponent’s combo and a full meter allows you to perform X-Ray moves. These are deadly attacks, demonstrated through bones cracking in X-Ray vision, which can help turn the tide of fighting, allowing a new kind of tactic to come into play. With a refurbished engine, fighting has felt its best in years with responsive controls and good collision detection. It’s great for both kinds of fighter: insane combos can be achieved, but you can also get by spamming moves should you lack the skill.
Sub-Zero and the gang return for a reboot that's one of the best entries in the Mortal Kombat canon
What makes MK stand tall above its peers is simply how well constructed all the exterior is. The story mode shines brightly, even if it’s essentially just fight-after-fight. Taking place after Armageddon, with Shao Kahn about to lay the smackdown on thunder god Raiden, he messages his past self in an attempt to prevent the end. What follows is a lot of butterfly effect-tropes, with Raiden changing the past with catastrophic effects. Like I said, it is basically just a series of fights connected with cutscenes, and some of the fights wildly vary in difficult. But the story depicted here is simply awesome: cheesy to the point of stinking, its charm is exuberant and feels like fan service infinitely. Everything that happens will make a long-time MK fan squeal with enjoyment, as we cross into events of the first-three games. It is perhaps the most exciting story mode to come from a fighter.
Those looking for something a little more diverse should turn to the Challenge Tower. A series of 300 different challenges, the variety within this section of the game is huge: fights will come which limit what moves you can use, others may decapitate both players’ arms and force you to use legs and one even takes place on a tilting world where successive moves tip the arena and drain health. There’s also an assortment of Test your-style challenges. Fans of the series will be familiar with Test Your Sight and Might, but Test Your Luck is the most interesting. A slot machine will dictate mods which will affect the match, ranging from headless combat to reversing controls. The absurd matches that can come from this segment are insanely fun to participate in, giving this portion along longevity. The Tower contains a fair amount of relaxed challenges, but others will test your skills, and the challenge will take a good ten hours to complete fully.
Those looking for something a little more diverse should turn to the Challenge Tower. A series of 300 different challenges, the variety within this section of the game is huge: fights will come which limit what moves you can use, others may decapitate both players’ arms and force you to use legs and one even takes place on a tilting world where successive moves tip the arena and drain health. There’s also an assortment of Test your-style challenges. Fans of the series will be familiar with Test Your Sight and Might, but Test Your Luck is the most interesting. A slot machine will dictate mods which will affect the match, ranging from headless combat to reversing controls. The absurd matches that can come from this segment are insanely fun to participate in, giving this portion along longevity. The Tower contains a fair amount of relaxed challenges, but others will test your skills, and the challenge will take a good ten hours to complete fully.
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The heat of competition remains strong, but co-operation is also an option. Arcade Mode benefits from allowing you to bring a local player along for the ride and complete the ladder. In terms of competitive modes, Versus lets people on the couch square off and benefits from the inclusion of Kombat Codes which shake up the gameplay. Online play is also present with solo and tag matches available as well as King of the Hill, a spectator-style mode which allows gamers to rate each other’s performance. Unfortunately, MK doesn’t quite avoid the genre’s tendency to lack a stable connection, though most fights are entirely playable. The KoTH mode allows for some real entertainment as you watch pros take on each other, and whether online or not, fighting against others remains enjoyable thanks to Mortal Kombat’s violent brand of fighting.
Despite running on a dated engine, MK looks pretty crisp. It mostly scores points for its animation, particularly during story cut-scenes and fatalities. Characters look exaggerated as ever, with bulking males and busty females. The damage modelling is also impressive, displaying torn clothes, blood and visual wounds. There aren’t a busting amount of levels, but the ones present are detailed and evoke a good sense of nostalgia with a mix between old and new. Audio is solid, with the disgusting squishes and bone-cracking from fatalities standing out the most. Voice acting during story cut-scenes is cheesy and over-the-top; but I wouldn’t have it any other way. The music resembles less of a bad 80s horror movie like the last few games, and feels more natural in the process, though it’s arguably less notable too.
Despite running on a dated engine, MK looks pretty crisp. It mostly scores points for its animation, particularly during story cut-scenes and fatalities. Characters look exaggerated as ever, with bulking males and busty females. The damage modelling is also impressive, displaying torn clothes, blood and visual wounds. There aren’t a busting amount of levels, but the ones present are detailed and evoke a good sense of nostalgia with a mix between old and new. Audio is solid, with the disgusting squishes and bone-cracking from fatalities standing out the most. Voice acting during story cut-scenes is cheesy and over-the-top; but I wouldn’t have it any other way. The music resembles less of a bad 80s horror movie like the last few games, and feels more natural in the process, though it’s arguably less notable too.
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Mortal Kombat is the blood-soaked revival fans have been waiting for since Armageddon back in 2006. Stocked with content, Netherrealm Studios have also refined the violent fighting to perfection, incorporating new features which keep the series up with its peers and add new tactics to the experience. It is one of the few fighting games which balance single-player and online modes. An in-depth story mode and addictive tower mode combine with engaging multiplayer content both offline and online. Couple that with a return to the visceral fatalities fans have been craving for years as well as a technically strong presentation, and MK is simply one of the top dogs in the genre. Don’t hesitate: anyone with the desire to fight should enlist in Mortal Kombat!
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VERDICT
Visual: 8/10
Audio: 8/10 Gameplay: 9/10 Longevity: 10/10 OVERALL: 9/10 |