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ninth entry, simply titled “Mortal Kombat.”
Contrary to the number-less title, this new addition of Mortal Kombat is
indeed a sequel…but it’s also a remake.
Taking place at the end of Mortal Kombat Armageddon, the forces of
Outworld and Earthrealm have been completely obliterated (ironically
foretold but never taking place during the actual game), leaving only
Raiden and Shao Kahn as the two remaining fighters. As the former is
about to lose to the latter, the thunder god uses his last ounce of
strength to relay a cryptic message along with the events of the last
battles to his past self.
By “past self”, it means Raiden during the events of the first Mortal
Kombat tournament. With his images of the future, Raiden attempts to
change history by meddling in the events of the first three MK games,
which results in a mixed timeline of penultimate events (such as the
fated battle between Scorpion and Sub-Zero) along with new outcomes
(none of which will be spoiled here, but suffice to say, many lives are
affected by the changes, and some don’t live to see the future at all).
While story modes in fighting games tend to consist of Arcade-style
ladders leading to a boss fight and a short ending sequence, Mortal
Kombat goes above and beyond with an epic and lengthy campaign that no
other game in the genre has ever attempted; rather than having players
choose each character individually, the game instead places you in the
point of view of each MK character, one after the other, in an
intertwining story that spans several locations and battles that make up
the entirety of the first three MK games. The final 1/3 of the campaign,
taking place during MK3’s invasion of Earthrealm by Shao Kahn’s forces,
ramps things up to eleven and serves a cinematic style of cutscenes that
exceed the fan favorite first film, and completely dwarfs all other
fighting games’ attempts at a story; of course, this is still a
tongue-in-cheek series that features the likes of 90’s movie spoof
Johnny Cage and comic book-ish villains like Reptile and Baraka, but
fans who have dedicated entire wikis to MK’s mythology will be in for a
treat, with many shout-outs and references to nearly every iteration and
spinoff of the MK series (including beloved spin-off Shaolin Monks,
not-so-beloved spin-off Mythologies: Sub-Zero, and even a cleverly
hidden reference to the DC Universe crossover).
The only stumbling block to such an
ambitious story mode is the borderline frustrating difficulty. This is
due in part to some deadly AI-dominant boss fights (an MK staple), but
also due in part to the constant switching of characters. As the story
progresses, players are literally thrown into battle with each new
character while given no time to learn their individual moves and
fighting styles. To do that, you would either have to memorize the
commands on the pause screen or try them out for yourself in the
tutorial mode. Fighting game enthusiasts could skip either and just
learn each character by reaction, but for newbies the frantic changing
of the guard could be a little cumbersome.
For those preferring an old fashioned Arcade mode, the game has you
covered, with the typical ladder of AI opponents leading to a final boss
battle along with endings for each character (many go beyond established
continuity and go for epic, often amusing outcomes). In fact, there is a
plethora of additional kontent (sorry, only doing that once) in the form
of game modes and unlockables, but the one that deserves the biggest
mention is the Challenge Tower, a 300 mission tower climb that features
a different objective with each mission. These missions partly range
from typical battles between rival characters, but mostly involve unique
and often insane objectives. Some involve extra handicaps, like battles
where players are unable to block or use special moves or a rapidly
deteriorating health bar; others require a bit of forward thinking, such
as enemies that can only be hurt by meeting a certain condition (such as
knocking them into a pit of fire); and some are just plain wacky, such
as fighting while the entire screen is flipped upside down or the loss
of limbs that offer additional handicaps (headless kombat means no X-ray
attacks, legless means no kicks, etc.).
Much of these missions are taken straight from the game’s other mode,
Test Your Luck. This feature takes a gamble with both opponents by
spinning a wheel that offers extra status effects that can favor one
opponent (extra damage or health), hinder another (slower speed, the
removal of throws), or something that puts both fighters at risk
(falling meteorites). While this mode isn’t available as an online
feature, each of the above effects can be inputted prior to battle with
the correct on-screen code commands (but must be successfully punched in
by both players). In addition, Test Your Might makes a long awaited
return, along with new mini-games like Test Your Strike and Test Your
Sight. There is also a mini-game involving zombies….
To get to the point, Mortal Kombat is one seriously beefy game, but how
about the most important part of the meal, the gameplay? Despite
featuring full 3D graphics, NetherRealm has wisely chosen to follow
Street Fighter IV’s footsteps and retain its classic 2D perspective, but
also tightens up the gameplay to suit today’s fighting game standards.
The result is a mix of old and new, with a combat system that feels
familiar to MK vets but also revised so it feels weightier and with more
room to experiment with personalized combos and techniques; It doesn’t
go for Street Fighter’s precision, nor does it go to Marvel vs Capcom
3’s insanely flashy lengths. In fact, this is a game that discourages
button mashing and rewards cool-headed players who also take the time to
learn how to maximize each of the combatants (27 in all, virtually
everyone from MK 1 through 3, plus a few additions including God of
War’s Kratos for the PS3 version).
The biggest addition to the kombat (okay, once more, but can you blame
me?) is the Super Meter given to each character. As the meter fills up
due to damage given or taken, certain attacks become available that can
instantly make or break each battle when used wisely. These included
enhanced attacks (which add an extra bit of damage and flair to each
character’s special move), breakers (which can instantly stop an
opponent’s combo from finishing) and the ultimate tide turner, the X-Ray
attack, a gruesome string of bone-crushing combos executed at the push
of a button (or rather, two). This attack can only be used once the
Super Meter is completely filled, and if it misses, then you’re SOL. If
it connects, however, you’ll take out nearly 50% of the opponent’s life
bar, and are treated to a slow motion x-ray crush that’s almost more
painful to watch than the Fatalities themselves.
Oh yes, the Fatalities have indeed returned, and are far more gruesome
and gory than the stuff that shocked parents back in the ‘90s; many
classic finishers make a return appearance in addition to some new and
creative executions, but all benefit from the highly polished 3D
visuals. This graphic fidelity isn’t exclusive to the graphic content,
either, as characters and stages have been greatly enhanced
(particularly the females, who now sport Dead or Alive-levels of absurd
cleavage) but also carry a familiar charm for fans of the classic
trilogy of games. In fact, entire levels and music are directly lifted
and remade for the modern crowd while also serving as a love letter for
MK fans of old. And of course, it wouldn’t be Mortal Kombat without some
bizarre background occurrence that leads to a few hidden battles once
certain conditions are met….
It took nearly a decade, as well as the death-knell of the company that
spawned it, but at last Mortal Kombat can competently stand toe-to-toe
with the other fighting greats due to its gameplay, rather than its
gore. With more content, modes, unlockables, and many other as-yet
undiscovered secrets, this killer komeback (okay, one more for the road)
is heaven for fighting game fans, and hell for competitors of the same
genre who must now quickly catch up.
- Jorge Fernandez
(May 18, 2011) |
