I wanted to provide an initial review for anyone who might be sitting on the fence about purchasing Mortal Kombat.
-Spoiler Free Edition -
(NOTE: I gave this game a 5 star review. However, it's not 100% perfect. Yet, I feel it is fun enough to justify a five star review. If you are the type of fighting game fan that plays all the Capcom games, and has a penchant for a certain type of fighting game style (ultra-well balanced etc), my review may not be applicable to you. I am a MK fan, and by no means a fighting game aficionado. However, I hope my review can still be helpful to you as well.)
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Hello Again my Old Familiar Friend
If you are like me, you may have been a little disenfranchised with past several MK games. Many of which were fun games in their own right, but they just did not capture the MK essence of old. This time around I fired up the game and admittedly got a little nervous when I saw the colorful vibrant WB logo as the game loaded. Was this going to be an all too cheery, cartoony Kombat once again? But then the logo quickly changes turning dark and ominous and suddenly my hopes are renewed...
Mortal Kombat is back, for real this time. What I mean to say is that the gritty, dark and brutal game that I fell in love with as a kid in high school is back. This game has the same feel of the originals and that is a great thing.
The Kombat
This version of Mortal Kombat feels fast and agile. Gone are the clunky 3-D aspects of Mortal Kombat from renditions past. Instead, the game (so far) feels fairly well balanced (though some characters can spam projectiles in very rude/semi-annoying ways, I'm looking at you Johnny Cage) and with plenty of techniques to learn and employ. One can certainly pick up the controller and feel fairly deadly right from the get go, yet the game is continually challenging (providing you match an appropriate difficulty level with your skill).
Hitting an opponent in this game is rewarding. The sound, coupled with the recoil of a hit opponent makes the game feel powerful and raw. To re-iterate, I love the sound in this game, it's pretty awesome when you fight a metallic warrior like sector and hear the clink and crash of his body armor crumpling under fist. All the projectiles sound really cool and directionally distinct. So be sure to turn the volume up during your first play-through. I should also mention that the backgrounds in the game will get you killed. I'm not talking about the stage fatalities either. The backgrounds are so detailed and amazing that I was heavily distracted at times, leading to an undeserved(well, maybe not) loss.
The Kontrols
This game is controlled similar to previous iterations. I also find it's nice to be able to use the D-pad (I use it for fatalities etc) then switch right into the control sticks for the more circular motions. Most importantly your character does what you want, when you want.
The Karnage
This game is very violent, it's nothing like the watered down depiction when the MK warriors took on the DC hero's and villains in the last outing. Nope. In fact, some fatalities are cringe worthy to the average man. I don't want to spoil anything, but there are a couple fatalities involving various modes of transportation that stick out in my mind. However, it's what makes Mortal Kombat so special, over-the-top bloody karnage. One thing I will admit is that in the single player/story mode the game will occasionally give you a match that makes you say "seriously!" with your mouth agape. You will be forced to fight some frustratingly hard opponents and sometimes more than one at a time. The end boss is a total freak that forces you to harness your chi, grit your teeth and eek out a victory if you're lucky/skillful enough. These elements may be frustrating and annoying to some, but some of my favorite games growing up had similar end bosses. There is a reason they are "the boss" albeit even if they fight cheap and dirty.
The Kharacters
All of the old favorites are nicely represented in this edition. The new models look pretty amazing all-in-all. (SIDE NOTE: I would love to see a modern MK use real character actors again like the MK1 and II era. Anyone else?) Oh and here in PS3 town we got...
The Kratos
I was a little nervous about the god of war making his appearance in Mortal Kombat. I thought it might feel silly and forced. Without giving anything away let me tell you that he is an excellent addition and fits in nicely (though it's weird seeing him on the bad end of the ripping, stabbing, slicing and dicing).
The Kontent
This game is loaded with extra features and mini games. The layout is fun to navigate and unlocking kontent is an inspiring joy. The main tower of power is still in use here with online modes(king of the hill is a real treat) and tag-team match ups. The single player story mode alone takes at least 7+ hours (longer than some FPS games in recent memory). The Krypt is back and this sucker is full of graves to uncover (along with the characters second fatality- which works without unlocking if you know the correct button combo, weird, I know). If you like behind the scenes looks, sketches and concept renderings, you'll enjoy the Krypts offerings.
The Konclusion
This Mortal Kombat is back to its roots and is a bloody good time. I have not purchased a fighting game in years- after all they are normally "weekend rental only" territory for a casual gamer. This one breaks the mold. I almost wish I had ponied up and bought the tournament edition for the classic arcade stick feel. Being willing to invest $200 into a fighting game certainly should speak to its quality. The amount of kontent, and level of character mastery is deep and engaging. It looks like this game is going to last beyond one weekend of fighting game bliss, instead finding a home inside the PS3 for weeks to come.
Hope to see you, my fellow kombatants, online soon. Go easy on me, ehh? Mortal Kombat - Video Games - Mortal Kombat - Action - Ps3 Games'
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