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“Mortal Kombat” is a series that I hold very near and dear to my heart.
It is one of the first video game series I played on my brother’s Sega Genesis all the way back in the 1990s. The series is infamously known for its extreme violence and brutality as warriors fight it out, usually to claim dominance over Earthrealm.
The series might be over 20 years old, but “Mortal Kombat X” easily stands as the most violent, bloodiest and risk-taking game of the entire franchise.
That combination all combines to make it the best game of the series so far, and gives the series a breath of fresh air.
The story
“Mortal Kombat X” takes place after “Mortal Kombat” (released in 2011). Earthrealm was once again spared total destruction at the hands of Shinnok, the rogue Elder God — 20 years later, he returns to once again lay siege to Earthrealm.
Surprisingly, the story mode was better than I was anticipating. The story does a reasonable job explaining how characters got up to this point, along with some awesome cinematics that show some awesome fighting scenes.
Admittedly, the dialogue can be cheesy at times, but the story overall is an acceptable one that will take about five hours to complete.
My biggest gripe with the story mode is that too many questions go unanswered. How did Scorpion lose his hell-spawn, spectre monicker and return to being Hanzo Hasashi? How exactly did Liu Kang and Kung Lao fall under Shinnok’s command?
The game also does a good job introducing a slew of new characters to an already-impressive roster. Characters like Cassie Cage and Kung Jin represent the “next generation” of fighters of the series, while Outworld’s new emperor Kotal Kahn and his gunslinger Erron Black are equally intriguing and more in-line with what I’d expect from a “Mortal Kombat” roster.
Erron Black currently stands as my favorite new character — everything about him, from his attire to his moves, reminds me of John Marston from “Red Dead Redemption.”
Sights and sounds
In terms of graphical quality, “Mortal Kombat X” looks amazing.
Whether it’s the cinematics in story mode or the splattered blood and bruises on characters after a match, the game doesn’t lack in its gory details.
The music that jams during fights is good enough, but I don’t think there have been any tracks that have stolen the show.
Characters will also talk some smack before the matches, a new feature this year and one that a lot of detail was poured into. Characters have specific dialogue for whomever they face, even if it means fighting themselves, and it’s a neat little addition.
Again, some of the lines are ridiculously cheesy, but this is “Mortal Kombat” we’re talking about here.
The Kombat
The real meat in “Mortal Kombat X” lies in its combat.
Movement feels quicker compared to previous games, and move speed variations add a little more strategy than just spamming the same combo over and over.
I played around with Scorpion in the game’s training mode, and it’s clear that I’m going to need some time to really master his abilities. I stumbled upon a few of his juggling combos just by trying different combinations, and that sense of reward never gets old. I instantly began thinking about how I could chain those together with his special moves to create a more devastating chain.
“Mortal Kombat” upped the ante this year by giving each character three different styles, and players pick one at the character select screen. Each style gives some different combos and special moves, along with some cosmetic differences.
Erron Black’s “Marksman” style gives him a rifle for long-range attacks, while “Outlaw” enables him to use a sword with his twin revolvers. “Gunslinger” enables him to use his revolvers, whether it’s pistol whipping his opponents or pumping them full of lead..
The awesome thing about the styles is that they add more depth to the gameplay. I was able to hang back and rely on the rifle with the “Marksman” style, but had to get up-close-and-personal with his other two classes. I have always criticized the series for not having a lot of strategy behind it, but it looks like the critique is falling by the wayside.
Well, almost.
I hate not being able to switch between the styles mid-match. I’d love to be able to juggle an opponent in the air with Erron Black’s rifle, then switch to the “Gunslinger” class and keep them juggled in the air with some fancy revolver work.
The styles also make some questionable decisions in terms of moves. Raiden, for example, can only use his famous teleport move while in the “Displacer” class, and Sub Zero can only use his ice clone move in his “Grandmaster” class.
It’s not a huge deal by any means, but the styles will definitely force players to make some decisions in terms of how they use characters.
Maybe that’s not a bad thing.
“Mortal Kombat” would not be the iconic franchise that it is without those Fatalities, which are back in all of their gory glory.
Each character has two Fatalities, along with a slew of Brutalities, and the development team pulled no punches this year.
I’m not going to write about specific fatalities because, well, half of the fun is seeing them for the first time. I will say that this year’s Fatalities are easily the most brutal I have ever seen.
I remember watching a video from IGN when the game was just announced, and one talking head questioned whether or not the Fatalities were getting out of hand in terms of their violent nature.
I honestly don’t think so — if anything, a lot of them will give a chuckle at how outlandish or bizarre they are
Still, the game is rate “M” for “Mature” for a reason.
The Kontent
After completing the story mode, there’s still plenty of stuff to keep coming back to in “Mortal Kombat X.”
The Krypt makes its return this year, and serves as a way to unlock all of those attires, Fatalities, Brutalities and other goodies. It’s a labyrinth of sorts, and has its own little puzzle to unlock that is a simple, yet welcomed distraction from the fighting.
A word of advice — play this mode with the lights turned off and your headset on. You won’t be disappointed.
The game also offers its online offerings for those so inclined, including an all-new “Faction” mode of sorts. Essentially, you sign up for one of the factions whenever you first fire up the game, and you choose one of several in-game factions to represent. As you play in single player or online, you garner reputation for your clan, and a winner is announced each week.
Winners of that faction receive coins or other incentives to continue fighting the good fight.
Other modes, such as “Test Your Luck” and the ever-so-nostalgic “Test Your Might” modes, add even more playtime to the game. If nothing else, taking characters through some of the Towers is equally fun. Some of the towers are updated online, and provide different challenges. Or, you could just do the traditional tower with each character to see their respective ending
I’m slowly hacking away at that as we speak.
I was going to talk about the game’s downloadable content here, but I have decided to write an entirely new blog about it and other examples. Simply put, the game shamelessly advertises its paid downloadable content, and buying all of it costs a fortune.
I don’t want to steal my own thunder, but that alone had me raising my eyebrows at the game.
Lace ‘em up
Simply put, “Mortal Kombat X” is the best game in the series to date.
The fighting has never felt better, and the developers have made the most iconic fighting series feel new and energized. The game feels responsive, and hard work and memorizing those combos doesn’t feel like a chore.
The mix of old and new characters makes the game unique, and while I was worried I would dislike most of the characters, they all have their place among some of the series’ most popular fighters.
Whether you step into the fray online or grab a second controller to square off with a friend, “Mortal Kombat X” is the real deal — intense fighting, lots of bloodshed and excruciating fatalities.
What more could anybody ask for?
What did you think of “Mortal Kombat X”? Who have you played as the most? Leave a comment below, or email me at [email protected] and let me know what you think!