Posted By Yousif A. about 2 years ago
Ninjas, now with long range under arm deodorant spray
Opponents can be found on or offline, with or without someone in the same room. If you do have friends round and 4 controllers, you can even participate in the new tag battle mode. Should you only have one friend around, you can always enter the arcade ladder match mode as a pair and fight your way to victory that way instead. Tag allows players to further utilize their enhancement bar by calling on their partner to deal out additional damage from off-screen or swap places with a well timed attack.
The only unfortunate thing about this mode is the lack of team fatalities. While I realize that there was no way they could come up with a move for every combination of players, one or two for the obvious choices (Liu Kang and Kung Lao) would have been nice.
Online you can enter the King of the Hill mode, which places you and up to 7 other players in a lobby to vie for power. In a winner stays on scenario, the rest of the group will be placed in an auditorium as either the Xbox Avatar or preset MK characters to watch the battle on a big screen. Players can cheer, boo or perform special actions while watching and at the end rate the battle out of 10. This voting system allows you to earn respect points, which have no real use, but allow people to understand what others think of you. Expect exploiters to be voted down pretty quickly.
As of this time I have been only able to get around 30 minutes of online play, in which I suffered very little lag, despite reports. I would have played more, but due to the recent PSN outage it has just not been possible. My brief time with it was enjoyable and instantly seems better than the clunky system presented in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. With this in mind and my local versus mode matches very much played through (many a shameful defeat), I decided to crack on with the single player content.
they decided to give up fighting and take up synchronized pyrotechnic dancing
The arcade mode was very much what was expected. Fighting through several pre-decided fights, you will eventually face one of the sub-bosses followed by Shao Kahn. Medium difficulty proved a walk in the park having finished the story mode and having received ample practice from human opponents. Even Goro and Kintaro showed little resistance to my onslaught, but still avoid fatalities by having character models that would require additional programming. Then I fought Shao Kahn… several times. My victory only came when he pretty much handed me the win, by not blocking any of my special attacks.
Shao Kahn is the most broken boss fight I have seen in years. Not only does he decide when knockback, sweeps and launchers work on him, but has damage reduction and massive damage to boot. He even has a ranged attack that breaks your guard and leaves you stunned, a nasty enough move on its own without causing serious damage on top. There is no skill in defeating him in either arcade or story mode, simply luck or pre-programmed flaws. The flaws are only evident in the first battle in story mode too, god help you the second time round, because he sure didn’t help me. Spending hours on Shao Kahn takes the game from an enjoyable masterpiece, to horrible frustration; a black mark on what would be a spotless record.
Tediously annoyed, I moved on to the challenge mode. This mode is made up of several different styles of battle and includes the return of ‘Test your Might’, along with several other tests. As you would expect, most of the battles seen here are not straight forward, they require you to complete specific parameters, complete mini-games and win battles with the tide very much against you. One of the most confusing of these is to play a battle without a head, a simple task you might think when considering what your head does for you in combat. Now consider how useful your head is when you’re Kung Lao, a man that specifically relies on moves with his hat.
Ninjas can't catch you when your spitting acid at them
Challenge mode is no tacked-on extra. There are character models included in this mode that never see the light of day anywhere else in the game, interesting modes that almost work like Plants vs. Zombies and even Mileena with a teddy bear. Expect to face 300 of these challenges before the mode is done, unlocking a bonus ‘unforgettable’ costume at the end of it. I warn you now, challenge mode is not something that will be overcome quickly, expect to pump hours in the double digits into this one.
Next to all of these hours will be spent actually playing the game too. The PS3 version of the game loads with such speed that it makes your mind boggle. Never have I seen the UT3 engine load so fast. It take literally seconds to load each fight, while the story mode manages to perform without a single one. Impressively, Mortal Kombat is the only game to date where I have seen no texture pop up, which is a well known problem for the engine. While Mortal Kombat may not be the best looking Unreal game out there, it’s still absolutely beautiful with absolutely no frame-rate problems. From a technical stand point, this game is something everyone who uses the UT3 engine could learn from. The only flaw, from a technical stand point, comes from the sound department. While the voice acting is spot on, the soundtrack leaves something to be desired. Street fighter always managed to take the fights one step further by having memorable soundtracks to accompany their characters, and while Mortal Kombat has always had a darker, grittier accompaniment, some more up beat tracks could have really added some personality to the game. That said, the soundtrack is suitable for the series overall and if you wish for some retro tunes, there is a way to select the soundtrack from the original games.
And that’s the main thing that keeps coming back to me when I think of the new Mortal Kombat. There are loads of hidden extras, bonus content, challenges to complete and things to be seen. Apart from slogging through the Krypt to find the fatalities hidden among the locked artwork, there was never a time when I was not thinking of how much stuff I had actually found and was yet to find. There are even hidden battles, a la Mortal Kombat 2, hidden through the game. In arcade mode I even saw the ‘Toasty’ man appear, suggesting that the old code for gaining a bonus battle when that appears will be included. If your an old school fan of the series, prepare to find plenty of nostalgic events scattered though the game.
If I duck here, no one will notice me
Mortal Kombat is such a complete game it is hard to take away from it. The levels, story mode, fighting mechanics and characters are all amazing, even additional characters like Kratos feel like worthy additions. It’s the most complete fighting game I have played in years, and that’s saying something. They have managed to appease old fans like myself and still appeal to new fans as well, with easy to learn controls and stunning visuals. The only thing holding the game back from glory is a completely broken end boss, a forgettable soundtrack, the odd balance issue and a need of a rebalance on the difficulty levels for arcade (they stay the same up until medium, then shoot up drastically).
Mortal Kombat may have been the laughing stock of the fighting genre for the last few years, and with MvC3 already out, Street Fighter X Tekken on the way, many would have written this one off before it was even on the shelves. How wrong can you get? Even as a Mortal Kombat fan I wasn’t holding out hope. This title is worth your money, worth more than they are asking if other games on the market are anything to judge by. I cannot recommend this game enough. I’ve never said this before, but I cannot wait until Mortal Kombat comes round again, because if it’s anything like this, it will be worth every penny.
This game was provided by the publisher on the PS3 for review purposes. The game was played for roughly 25 hours and was partially completed. The game includes both online and offline modes. The online mode could only be played for a short amount of time due to problems with the PlayStation network. At least 8 hours were committed to the story mode, with the rest of the time spilt over local versus matches, arcade mode and the challenge tower.
What constitutes a good character? Join me in this series that attempts to look at these characters and tries to peel away the layers of depth they have. Join me as we find Characters with Character! This week is Scorpion and Sub-Zero
Ed Boon wants to make video games….lots of new video games…
The most hardcore item for the most hardcore game around had to be reviewed in the most hardcore show around !
Hell has not so much frozen over as it has exploded, with the shocking and totally insane reveal of the mysterious fourth Mortal Kombat DLC fighter, who very much wants to welcome us all to his nightmare…
I could make a joke about getting wet, but that would be immature.
Are you already tired of Skarlet? Mortal Kombat has another DLC Karacter ready for you.
At least she won’t have to worry about bloodstains on her clothes.
Ed Boon wants to make video games….lots of new video games…
The most hardcore item for the most hardcore game around had to be reviewed in the most hardcore show around !
Hell has not so much frozen over as it has exploded, with the shocking and totally insane reveal of the mysterious fourth Mortal Kombat DLC fighter, who very much wants to welcome us all to his nightmare…
I could make a joke about getting wet, but that would be immature.
Are you already tired of Skarlet? Mortal Kombat has another DLC Karacter ready for you.
At least she won’t have to worry about bloodstains on her clothes.
Grudge Match! Angry Joe and Spoony fight for bragging rights in three Mortal Kombat matches!
Posted By Yousif A. about 2 years ago
Mortal Kombat Review
Mortal Kombat was one of the first games to be brought up in the age old argument that video games promote violence in children. I got Mortal Kombat 3 for Christmas in 1995 and the only violent tendencies I have developed since are when I am exposed to any of the main titles that came after it. The series had started to become as stale as the blood split on the ground of its arenas. However, with a new development studio name and Warner Brothers publishing, Mortal Kombat returns with no subtitle and no number. This title has the chance to elevate the series back the top of the fighting ladder and replace every C with a K once again.
| PROS | Great visuals, stunning loading times, brilliant story mode, sweet character list, loads of unlockables |
| CONS | Boss fights are still silly, can’t skip already viewed cutscenes |
| WTF?! | He must win. Could you be a little more specific there Mr. Future Raiden? |
Nobody can say that NeatherRealm Studios skipped out on content. From the second you put the disc in the drive you are capable of playing every mode. From the single player story to the 4 player tag battles, to online king of the hill, to the secrets of the krypt, Mortal Kombat has more than enough content to warrant your $60 (£40). “Is this content any good?” you ask? What do you think this is, a review?
Let us start with the story mode. Overall NeatherRealm Studios have created the most complete story mode ever seen in a fighting game. Utilizing the UT3 engine, they have created hours of in-game cutscenes (the press release clocks them at over 8 hours), all of which look amazing. Rather than just sticking to the predesigned levels, these scenes work into a flowing story that feels like the levels were designed around it and not the other way round. Even the voice acting works, with none of the terrible lines expected from the genre. Well, perhaps Quan Chi’s line when teaming up with Shang Tsung about it being a ‘deadly alliance’ was a bit cheesy, but I gave a reluctant groan of appreciation towards the comment.
Reptile kites, now free with every pool of acid! Get yours today!
The plot involves Raiden trying to change the events of the series, after his future self sent a message back to him warning of the events to come in Armageddon. The whole thing is a little bit silly, but players get to re-live most of the events of Mortal Kombat 1 through 3, so fans should have plenty to enjoy and little to grumble about. You play as 16 different characters as you progress, each one getting around 3-4 fights each before making way for the next combatant. By picking the characters for you, the title not only keeps the game fresh, but makes you play as people you would not always have tried. I was never a fan of Stryker in MK3, but now he is easily one of my favorites. Thanks story mode!
It takes roughly 4-7 hours to get through this extraordinary mode, and your reward will be two new characters to your roster sheet. One is a MK4 character, the other is something old and something new (no spoilers here). These two hardly feel necessary, as everyone, barring Rain and the second incarnation of Sub-Zero, make it into the game from Mortal Kombat Trilogy. While the bosses are in the game, none of them are playable, with Montaro only making an appearance as a character model. This is a good thing too, but I’ll explain that later. There is an exception to this boss rule, but only in the challenge mode.
Every character on the new roster sheet varies drastically from one another. While Ermac, Smoke and Scorpion may have what seems to be the same teleport move, they all use it completely differently in their fighting style. Finding your favorite may be difficult as there is not a single dud character in the whole list. There may be one or two combatants that need a balancing tweak or too, like Shang Tsung, but overall the list is pretty even. At first each character only comes with one costume and one fatality unlocked, but playing the different modes unlocks ‘koins’ for you to spend in the ‘Krypt.’ With these you can unlock new fatalities, costumes and many other bits and pieces to enhance you experience.
I'll just strike a pose while you look for your contacts
The actual combat itself is the most beginner friendly fighting experience I have ever encountered. Like the MK’s of old, special moves only require a series of directional presses and a face button to perform, while simple combos are pretty free flowing. Within moments of picking up the game I had an 8 hit combo with Scorpion down, perhaps not the largest damage I could produce, but satisfying none the less. Without the quarter circle or 360 maneuvers of Capcom beat-um ups, players that find themselves throwing out a wildly inaccurate punch instead of a Hadoken in Street Fighter should find solace in the simplistic style of Mortal Kombat.
The joy for more experienced fighters comes from the innate understanding of how moves can be linked. Performing simple combos or special moves inspires you to figure out how to link them together. I found myself thinking ‘ok, so if that does that, then I could start with this’, and usually the hunches were right. It’s satisfying to see your combo list evolve so quickly and yet never feel like you have found something over powered. When I say the game caters to less experienced players that does not mean pros will find themselves bored.
This latest installation introduces a new mechanic for the series, the super bar. Broken into 3 stages, this bar builds as you perform special moves, technical moves, have your attacks block and when you are damaged. At the first stage you can use the bar to produce an enhanced version of a special move, either increasing the damage or duration. Think of it as an EX move in Street Fighter. The second level of this bar allows you to break a combo at any point, possibly saving your life or setting up a counter-attack. The third level is where the real punishment comes in. An all or nothing X-ray move can be activated once all the bars are full, horrendously damaging your opponent. This can be used to even out the fight or take a serious advantage over your opponent. However, like all attacks apart from throws, this move can be blocked (apart from rare throw and counter versions), meaning your whole bar will be wasted.
It can't be said that robots don't know how to look good when blowing someone up
Getting the first strike in a battle will see your bar go from the standard one block to two instantly, making your opening gambit far more important than simply taking first blood. Once you have got to grips with the game, deciding how to use your super bar in each fight can be the key factor that decides victory. While using a well placed enhanced special in a combo will not deal as much damage as an X-ray move, the chances of success are guaranteed of used correctly, while using an X-ray is only assured if you have a character with a move that causes stun, like Sub-Zero’s freeze or Scorpions spear. Breaking a combo is sometimes just as important as doing damage yourself and foregoing the previous moves may well win you the match. It’s an interesting mechanic and one that will show its depth over time.
Fatalities obviously make a return, and depending on which character you select, there could be up to 4 to choose from. Each is a sickening delight to watch, with many fan favorites returning from previous games. Previously fatalities were moves that would have to be remembered and pulled out of the bag like some sort of memorized insult (and online still are), but in the single player, you can pause the game and look them up freely now. If that wasn’t enough the title also has a training mode to help you perform each one, walking you through the distances required and the combinations. Very much hidden, but still there, Babalities make a return to the series, with slightly more animation than previous renditions. You haven’t seen anything until you witness baby Kratos.
If Brutalities and Friendships made it into the game as many leaked sources suggested (including Ed Boon’s Twitter), I and the rest of the internet are yet to discover them. Thankfully we still have pit fatalities though and plenty of them. You can hardly blink without passing a stage where a fatality can happen involving the environment. While nigh on all the stages are re-imaginings of previous levels, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a nasty way to kill someone. Even simple levels like the bridge from MK3 involve a fatality using the fast moving traffic as the means to your opponent’s demise. Unlike the previous two iterations of Mortal Kombat, there is no shortage of ways to make sure your opponent stays down.
I have said on a Podcast previously that I would pit Mortal Kombat against fighters like MVC2 and Street Fighter 2. It’s that good. The roster, Kharacters, story mode, Kombat, and of kourse the Fatalities. It’s that damn good.
(I like putting K in front of C words =) )
just gotta say best fighter in a long time soul caliber better step it up this time around to keep me as a fan
You can skip previously viewed cut scenes on the PS3 by pushing Square and X at the same time.
This game is really what the series needed to get back on its feet. I agree with the author of this review about Khan being excessively cheap and broken. During story mode I had to spam moves just to defeat him. When you have to do that instead of getting a good strategy and heading after him, that’s when the boss is broken in my opinion. However that certainly doesn’t ruin the experience.
My friend has this game, and it’s AWESOME! And screw people who don’t like Mileena’s best alt ever.
The prize you get when you beat the challenge tower, oh what a disappointment 
Amazing game I must say
It’s awesome, but from all the hype the developers were spouting, I expected a bit more. For example: Beating the entire tower, all you get is an extra costume for Mileena? Really?
MK is back and better then ever!
Totally deserves a 9/10.
Can’t wait for Joe’s take on it tho.
What constitutes a good character? Join me in this series that attempts to look at these characters and tries to peel away the layers of depth they have. Join me as we find Characters with Character! This week is Scorpion and Sub-Zero
The most hardcore item for the most hardcore game around had to be reviewed in the most hardcore show around !
Grudge Match! Angry Joe and Spoony fight for bragging rights in three Mortal Kombat matches!
Let us tell you about the things we’ve seen: homes overrun by thugs and gangs, priceless possessions lost forever to ruthless looters, mangled bodies of innocent people slaughtered like lambs. All that and we were STILL shocked by some of the fatalities in the new MORTAL KOMBAT!
ZGR – I went into Mortal Kombat thinking it would be dry and boring. Boy was I wrong!
Let Mortal Kombat begin! Birdman takes an extended look at Mortal Kombat: Kollector’s edition! Will this game be enough to renew the once proud franchise? The answer may just surprise you!
Mortal Kombat returns, Now with more violence than your body has room for!
What constitutes a good character? Join me in this series that attempts to look at these characters and tries to peel away the layers of depth they have. Join me as we find Characters with Character! This week is Scorpion and Sub-Zero
Let Mortal Kombat begin! Birdman takes an extended look at Mortal Kombat: Kollector’s edition! Will this game be enough to renew the once proud franchise? The answer may just surprise you!
Before we get started here, let’s be completely honest for a moment, shall we? Mortal
Music Mondays revisits the band that brought us tunes from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Bit.Trip Runner.
I have said on a Podcast previously that I would pit Mortal Kombat against fighters like MVC2 and Street Fighter 2. It’s that good. The roster, Kharacters, story mode, Kombat, and of kourse the Fatalities. It’s that damn good.
(I like putting K in front of C words =) )
just gotta say best fighter in a long time soul caliber better step it up this time around to keep me as a fan
You can skip previously viewed cut scenes on the PS3 by pushing Square and X at the same time.
This game is really what the series needed to get back on its feet. I agree with the author of this review about Khan being excessively cheap and broken. During story mode I had to spam moves just to defeat him. When you have to do that instead of getting a good strategy and heading after him, that’s when the boss is broken in my opinion. However that certainly doesn’t ruin the experience.
My friend has this game, and it’s AWESOME! And screw people who don’t like Mileena’s best alt ever.
The prize you get when you beat the challenge tower, oh what a disappointment
Amazing game I must say
It’s awesome, but from all the hype the developers were spouting, I expected a bit more. For example: Beating the entire tower, all you get is an extra costume for Mileena? Really?
MK is back and better then ever!
Totally deserves a 9/10.
Can’t wait for Joe’s take on it tho.