Mortal Kombat

This is the new Mortal Kombat. Is that a good thing? Well this is just one mans opinion, but if that counts for something then i'm glad to announce MK is back and as bloody and unforgiving as many a fan may fondly remember. A lot of fans will say that the last good MK game was Ultimate MK 3, and i'd agree with that. Mortal Kombat has strayed from its true path of destruction with the jump to 3-D, and has left a nasty taste in the mouths of many an MK fan. Ed Boon and the boys at NetherRealm Studios have finally brought MK into the 21st Century.

Mortal Kombat feels new and old at the same time. That may seem like a strange comment, but once you play the game, you'll know what i mean. MK uses a 2-D fighting plane (At 60 frames per second'), just like the old games did. No more full 3-D arenas with multiple levels and other ridiculous nonsense. The character roster is 27 fighters from MK's 1-3, though PS3 owners will get an exclusive character, everyones favorite God killer Kratos. He plays well and if there is another game universe Kratos would fit in with, MK is that universe. You also get an exclusive God of War level as well. Each character is unique and fights in a particular way. No mindless characters that seem like simply the same characters with just different skins. The combat feels fresh, yet gives a sense of nostalgia to any MK fan with fond memories of the old days. The vintage MK uppercut feels solid, as do the all important Fatalities. Classic Fatalities are back and they've never been better, from Sub-Zeros "Spine Rip" to Liu-Kang's "The Beast Within", Fatalities have never felt so good, Stage Fatalities are also back and just as amusing. The one new combat feature is the X-Ray Move, which shows a time slowed close up of your kicks and punches breaking bones and piercing organs, its very brutal and very pleasing. Your basic fight options are of course the classic Ladder Matches, and Tag-Team Matches with 2-4 human players, along with the fan favorites Test Your Luck, Test Your Might, Test your Sight, and Test Your Strike. Then comes the Story Mode, which is exactly what it sounds like. The final addition is the "Challenge Tower", which is 300 single player challenges of ever increasing difficulty.

The Story Mode is what will really surprise you. A great Story Mode in a fighting game?Yeah it's crazy but Mortal Kombat actually pulls it off. While nothing really original here, its basically the stories from MK's 1-3 in an alternate universe, Where Shao Khan and later Quan Chi with the forces of Netherealm fight the forces of Raiden and Liu Kang for the freedom of Earthrealm and humanity as a whole. Again while nothing new, the story isn't a direct retelling of the first few games, so it's actually much more interesting then you would have imagined. The story is told well. The real pull of the story comes from the almost seamless transition from cut-scene to gameplay. The story is told through chapters and and you play as a good chunk of the characters, and they all have their own history and story to tell. Told in this fashion the game is always pushing you forward and getting to play so many characters gets you ready to play online or with your friends later. This was genius and is a great feature of the game. The story should last you for about seven to eight hours, the difficulty ramps up climaxing with the Boss fights, which are pretty tough, though the last boss is pretty ridiculous and unfair.

All in all this is a great MK game, but also just a great game in general. While far more accessible than the past entries have been, theres still plenty of depth for the hardcore crowd. Nothing in the game is too particularly difficult, and for those who need it theres a training mode thrown in for good measure. This may not be the MK we thought we would get, but its the MK we truly deserved.