Developer: NetherRealm Studios, High Voltage Software
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Platform: Xbox One, PS4, PC (Xbox 360 and PS3 will follow in the summer)
Tested on: Xbox One
Mortal Kombat X – Review
Mortal Kombat, the franchise that changed the world when it came to violent games has known many lows during its long lifespan. Only since the release of the previous game, properly named Mortal Kombat (9), the franchise seemed to have reclaimed its former glory and it feels as if Mortal Kombat X is already here to overthrow the previous one for being one of the best fighting games of the last few years. Guts, severed heads, broken limbs, it all doesn’t matter – just finish him!
Story
It has been twenty years since Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Raiden and the rest of the earth forces defeated the evil sorcerer Shinnok, who invaded Earth from the Outworld in order to wreak havoc upon the world. Total domination was his goal but instead he was locked up in the very same amulet that grants him his power.
In the present, a new generation of warriors works together to uphold the non-aggression pact between Earth and Outworld but it was only a matter of time before things would turn rotten once again. Mileena, who believes to be the true ruler of Outworld, has gained control over the amulet, that was supposed to be protected by Earth’s forces, and intends to use it to her benefit. She was dethroned by Total Khan, who now rules Outland, but with the power of the amulet she now hopes to regain her power as supreme ruler.
At the same time, refugees from Outworld wish to receive sanctuary on Earth, as the struggle of power is creating a decent amount of casualties. Due to this, Earth’s Special Forces decide to take action. This is the start of the race to secure the amulet, for better or for worse.
Overall the plot is quite basic, but the cinematics create a great theatrical experience. Fans of the Mortal Kombat universe will certainly enjoy the story, that involves many of the old characters as well as their children and other new faces.
Graphics
The graphical quality of Mortal Kombat X is simply outstanding. Each of the ‘Kombatants’ is rendered with an eye to details. All muscles are clearly visible as well as great facial features and the increasing bruises and cuts throughout all of the battles. Add some brutal special moves and gruesome X-ray combos to the equation and you have yourself an amazing cast of fighters.
Not only the brawlers look great, the environments have a lot going on as well. As each of the stages have intractable objects, there is a lot of ‘life’ in most of the levels. There’s often a decent amount of activity in the background, which makes the stages feel a lot less bland. You’ll catch yourself picking up new details from time to time in arenas you’ve fought in several times before.
When performing special moves, such as the X-ray combos or the fatalities, you’ll be treated to impressive looking cinematics. It shows that the developers took great care in creating these special skills for all of the fighters. During the story mode there’s also around two hours worth of clips, which is another indication that this game was fairly hard to make.
The only remark about the graphical prowess of the game might be the fact that certain animations might become quite dull after some time. Some special moves could have done with a bit more variation.
Sound
Sound wise the quality level stays pretty much the same compared to the rest of the game. You’ll experience great voice acting, adventurous themes to get your blood pumping and the gory sound effects during combat help set the mood even further.
A memorable note goes to the amount of voice acting that has been implemented in the story mode of the game. It’s easy to say you’re actually being treated to a full feature film throughout the course of the story mode. Don’t grab popcorn though, especially with the quick time events during the cinematics.
Gameplay
Mortal Kombat X does its best to grasp back to its roots by creating an old school fighting game, with many updated mechanics that will please many newcomers and veterans alike. This means the old ‘Kast’ of fighters will have many of their original signature moves but also an array of new fancy moves and different fighting styles. Whilst a decent amount of veteran Mortal Kombat warriors did not make the cut, there are some new faces to be seen, all with their own unique fighting styles, skills and combos for you to learn, execute and even fear.
Even though you might want to sink your teeth into the normal modes right off the bat, you might want to consider playing through the tutorial first. Mortal Kombat X has many typical mechanics, such as basic combos and special moves, but counters and certain other commands prove to be a bit trickier. Whilst you will not be able to master them all at the beginning, it’s great if you at least have some basic knowledge of them.
Outside of the plethora of moves, you’ll also have different fighting styles per character. Each fighter has three fighting styles and you will have to select one when you pick out a warrior. In some cases this will make a character feel quite different than when you would pick another style, whereas some styles will only add a few special moves. For example Scorpion will be able to add new fire skills to his repertoire, or you can simply give him blades he can use during his basic attack. With the variation of the different fighting styles, you will have a chance to try out many characters and styles before finding the character that suits you the most.
If you’re a fan of playing single player, you can choose between the story mode and the towers, which are pretty much the same as the old school arcade mode. Both modes aim to please, as the story mode itself takes several hours and ‘forces’ you to play as different members of the cast, which enables you to learn how to play with more than simply your favorite character. Both modes are pretty straightforward as you will simply need to beat your opponents to a bloody pulp to progress.
The multiplayer options of the game will also present you with a decent amount of offline options, as well as the typical brawling options online. As far as offline options go, you will also have the simple versus matches, albeit with fixed, random or no special rules. Other than that you can opt for the barrier breaking mode, in which you simply have to button bash, build up enough power and break the object in front of you. Whilst this mode serves no real purpose, it’s a fun and simple change of pace. Online it’s the same old formula but then again, what’s already good does not need that much change. That being said, the online portion of the game suffers from a lot of lag, making it unpleasant and at times even quite unplayable.
When you play a lot of matches, progress in the story or go online, you will earn ‘Koins’. These so called Koins can be spent in the ‘Krypt’ to unlock fun goodies, namely skins, new fatalities and artwork. In the Krypt you will run around in a first person view, opening tombs with the Koins you have gathered. You can choose the tombs you wish to open yourself, thus you can opt to pick out the tombs of characters you like to play with first.
Conclusion
Mortal Kombat X is one of those bloody, yet shiny gems in the fighting genre. You will not only be presented with a commendable storyline, great graphics and a cast of old and new fighters alike, but also great fighting mechanics that allow a great deal of exploration to learn how to play with all the characters. All in all, Mortal Kombat X is a game that will certainly please many fighting enthusiasts.
Mortal Kombat X - Review,
No Comments