Grade: A-
With the release of Mortal Kombat, a reboot of one of the most iconic franchises in the gaming world, the developers at Netherealm Studios have done the impossible; they've made d-pads useful again.
The game's return-to-form approach is one that has been sorely needed in every installment post Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. It disembowels the 3-D style gameplay of the most recent installments and, instead, opts for the 2-D style of the originals. Between this and the numerous remastered stages – that's right, you'll be able to uppercut your vanquished opponents off of everyone's favorite bridge onto the sharpened spikes below, yet again – players will feel like they're right back in the '90s.
In terms of gameplay, Mortal Kombat has one of the most fluid combat systems around. Anyone can pick up a controller and start beating their opposition to a bloody pulp with relative ease; mastering the controls to the point where you can take on the game's more challenging difficulty settings, however, will take some time.
One of the greatest additions to the gameplay comes in the form of an "X-ray" attack, and the best part is, you don't even have to wear a heavy lead apron to use them. With these, players will be able to deal out a serious amount of damage while witnessing all of the gruesome effects, such as bones breaking and organs rupturing.
Naturally, fatalities are back and, thankfully, they're better than ever. With a quick tap of the start button, anyone can look up the combo necessary to inflict an over-the-top demise for their beaten foe. Whether it's slicing your opponent in half with Kung Lao's hat or ripping out someone's spine as Sub-Zero, nothing else feels nearly as satisfying as pulling off a successful fatality.
What this all adds up to is a game that's grotesque, brutal and graphic enough to potentially cause serious psychotic issues with even the most stable mind. In short, it's everything gamers have ever wanted out of a MK game and more.
Believe it or not, the Mortal Kombat series has had a running narrative since its creation. This time around the developer's decided to put the story front and center with a story mode.
The story opens with Shao Kahn, the big baddy of the MK universe, laying down a serious beating on the thunder god, Raiden, after having taken out everyone else. Right before Raiden takes a hammer blow to the head he's able to send visions of the future back in time to his past self at the start of the tournament in the first game. From there the player takes on the role of several characters as they try to ultimately change the world-ending outcome.
It's one of the deepest and most coherent stories to ever be included in a fighting game, but it's far from perfect. On more than one occasion, the dialogue comes off as unbearably cheesy and due to the attempt to craft a six-hour narrative, players will find themselves fighting the same enemies over and over. It gets a bit monotonous, but it's still a great time.
If cinematics and drama isn't your thing, Mortal Kombat still has a plethora of other game types to satisfy your bloodlust.
The multiplayer isn't anything standout, but then again it doesn't really need to be. Sure the inclusion of a tag team mode is a hell of a lot of fun and swapping out combatants to chain together devastating combos will have you laughing maniacally, but as long as you have a partner to wail on, and subsequently talk a whole lot of smack to, then you've got all the necessary ingredients for an incredibly fun time.
More than likely though, players will be donating an unhealthy chunk of their time to taking on the "Challenge Tower." This is a ladder of 300 different challenges of varying levels of difficulty. The challenges are difficult, but fun, and the randomness of a lot of them such as tipping stages, armless combat and fighting off zombies helps to break up the monotony of the rest of the game.
The biggest problem in Mortal Kombat is its lack of unlockable characters. They aren't completely missing, but there are only a couple. Still, this is easy to forgive because alternate costumes, fatalities, concept art, and a lot more are still all up for grabs.
All together, Mortal Kombat is an amazing game. Its nostalgia-evoking visuals and addictive gameplay make it a must have, especially for anyone who hasn't picked up a controller since the days of Sega.
Email: arts@ubspectrum.com
