Heroic, but it stumbles a bit
Mortal Kombat fighting DC comics characters was an idea that I, as well as possibly many other kiddies, had back when the Marvel vs. games were fresh. However, I never thought we'd actually see the day when such a thing existed. It may have come about almost a decade late, but it's here nevertheless.
I've always been a fan of Mortal Kombat, and have always championed the series when the elitist tournament-obsessed have slammed it. However, as of late, especially in the face of more well-built fighters, Kombat has begun to falter. MK Vs. DCU restores a tiny bit of the game's former glory, but not enough to save the franchise.
MK Vs. DCU has trimmed off the fat left behind by Mortal Kombat Armageddon and left us with a respectable 22 playable fighters, which is actually a pretty darn decent number for this title, and frankly, it wouldn't really need too much more. While the MK side of the roster culls sort of a "greatest hits" from the first two games, the DC side seems to be all over the place. Three characters who originated in the pages of Batman, Captain Marvel, and the semi-obscure but awesome Deathstroke are included.
MK vs. DCU is the first title which in of itself is rated T (this is excluding ports of which the core version was rated M). This hurts the very spirit of the franchise, which has always prided itself on kooky, over-the-top-but-gory violence. Sadly, instead of going the route of the Naruto games, where the characters have huge, extravagant moves that look immensely painful but not overly violent, the finishing moves in MK vs. DCU, overall, are pretty lame. Most of them are just slightly souped up special moves. It doesn't completely wreck the game though, and those whining about it make me feel like it's 1992 again.
Gameplay has improved from the past couple of iterations, but still pales in comparison to fighting game greats. That ridiculous Breaker system returns, and movement is a bit clunky. The d-pad is used to move back and forth as well as jump and duck, while the left thumbstick is used for 8-way movement. This is very awkward to switch between given the situation. Character animation is as stiff as ever, and the properties of most basic attacks are pretty much bullocks.
New to the fighting system are the little "mini-games" that can be activated - Free Fall, Klose Kombat, and Test Your Might. While you can score big damage with these, lots of times you'll end up getting the tables turned on you and get screwed instead.
The most recent Mortal Kombat games have always had pretty darn decent online play, and MK vs. DCU is no exception. However, it is wasted when the gameplay isn't exactly high caliber. I've only faced a few opponents who didn't just pick Scorpion or Sub-Zero and spammed the same two or three specials over and over. They mix it up just enough to where you don't know what's coming next, but it's completely infuriating. Win or lose, it's much more satisfying to play against someone who actually can play the game correctly. I rarely have this problem when playing other fighters online.
Similarly irritating is the game's Kombo Challenge mode. Think of the most soul eradicatingly tough combos from the "Konquest" modes of previous games, all thrown together for each individual character, and forcing you to complete each combo for a character to get a Trophy or Achievement. While it's good that these tough combos are no longer necessary to complete the game, this mode is just not fun at all, but instead very frustrating and boring.
Speaking of story, the game's Story Mode is campy. This is actually a good thing, because you can tell it's attempting to stay serious, but with a tongue-in-cheek about things, like it's actually taking place in a comic book, where things can get just as, if not more than, ridiculous as Mortal Kombat. Voice acting is serviceable - a pastiche of no-names and accomplished voice actors fill the cast, and do their job well. Of special note is the always stupendous Richard Epcar, who does double duty as a tough-as-nails Raiden and a hilarious Joker.
Series co-creator Ed Boon has been pimping a promise for downloadable content for the game in the future, including costumes (since there are no alternate costumes in the game, sadly) and characters. However, with Midway's recent financial troubles, and Boon seems more interested in working on the next game in the series, so I'm not holding my breath. I'd also like perhaps, a (toned down) playable Dark Kahn, and to give Shao Kahn and Darkseid some Fatalities. Not giving every character a Fatality was uncool back in MKI. What makes them think that can fly these days?
Wait a minute... less gory Mortal Kombat... unplayable bosses... characters without Fatalities... maybe this is 1992....