Mortal Kombat

As many of you might know, a couple of months ago the 2011 reboot of Mortal Kombat had been refused classification, and therefore banned in Australia. Well, being the type of guy who asks the tough questions, I decided it was worth acquiring the game from a country with a less retarded classification board. So, now its time... for MORTAL KOMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAT.

STORY
OK, so over the last few editions of the MK series, the storyline got kinda stupid (even for mortal kombat), the roster of fighters got too bloated and the trademark violence was watered down. The new Mortal Kombat looks to have a do over, going back to the first 3 titles while keeping the previous games in the series canon.

You see, as the final moments of Armageddon come to a close, Raiden sends a message to his past self which sets of a chain of events that would change the course of the Mortal Kombat universe. In terms of fighting game storylines, Mortal Kombat is interesting, kind of nuts and familiar, but with enough changes to keep it from bing a straight remake of the first 3 MK games.

Yes, the dialogue could use some work, but its the kind of quality that could only be acceptable in something as over the top as MK.

PRESENTATION
Over the past 3 or so games, the Mortal Kombat games have used the same engine; and while they were fine at the time, they were starting to get stale. The reboot uses the unreal engine 3 to great effect, with update character models and particle effects. The game looks amazing and part of that is due to the amount of detail used. The backgrounds look amazing, despite the fights only taking place on 2D planes, and each character shows how physically damaged they are through clothing tears, scarring and armour damage.

The sound effects are clear and visceral, especially the dripping of blood or the screams of agony. This may sound like a disturbing thing to note, but why do people play Mortal Kombat? More often than not, the answer is for the over the top, stylized and visceral violence.

The music is fairly standard when compared to the last few entries in the series. I was disappointed to learn that there was no MK theme to be found (as far as I could hear) but as it stands, the soundtrack is adequate.


GAMEPLAY
The last few MK games had strayed from the path of the original over the top, ultra violent characteristics that MK displayed. Mortal Kombat2011 brings the series back to its roots, the basis of the game being straight up fighting on a 2D plane, with the signature special moves of the originals making a triumphant return. In addition to this, the Fatalaties that had been watered down for so long have returned in glorious form, with notable mentions going to the Noob Saibot "Make a Wish" fatality and the Quan Chi "leg rip" fatality. Go look them up. I dare you.

New features include tag team matches, (not a new feature for the genre as a whole, just this series), X-Ray moves and a test your luck mode. The tag team matches are fast paced, with combos and special moves that switch characters halfway through and they work fairly well.
The X-Ray moves are absolutely brutal and add a graphical flair to each fight. These super moves often turn the tide of battles, but are able to be blocked, so saving up for one may not be the best idea. It adds an extra layer of strategy to the classic violent gameplay.

Lastly for the new features, a Test Your Luck game mode allows players to take a spin and apply random effects to each match. The stipulations range from upside down kombat, to rainbow blood, to homing missiles raining down from the sky. It's challenging and truly hilarious to witness most of the time.

Now, the game trips up in a couple of places. A few of the characters are severely unbalanced, with teleporting fighters having a distinct edge over non-teleporters. Secondly, during the story mode, alot of the fights are heart explodingly frustrating. This, I can handle, until you get such uber bastards as Shao Kahn, who neglect to flinch when they're hit. This can get frustrating, and is extremely annoying, but is by no means a deal breaker.

REPLAYABILITY
As a fighting game, Mortal Kombat is best played with friends or online, and from what I've heard, it has a solid multiplayer system. Along with this, theres a cubi fuckton of unlockables to discover in the Krypt, such as fatalities and alternate outfits. The story mode is fun, but offers little replayability, unlike the challenge tower, which can be a bit schitzophrenic about its difficulty, but is entertaining none the less.

OVERVIEW
So, Mortal Kombat is a damn good fighting game. It takes what it's learnt throughout the many games leading up to here and filtered out the useless crap that the series had accumulated up until now. It does away with alot of the series former problems, while adding in some new brutal features that bring the series back to its former glory. If you like fighting games, get this. If you live in Australia, I can't tll you to import it. If you decide to, and risk the $300 fine, I will not take responsibility for and criminal charges. LOL.

Now, let's see... Did Mortal Kombat deserve to get banned? In my honest opinion... no. Yes, Mortal Kombat is violent. It's at the most violent point of the entire series. But the thing is, it's completely unrealistic. I don't think we need to worry about kids getting the idea to uppercut peoples heads off, or shooting freeze rays from thier hands. First off, any person who buys this would be at the very least 15. Contrary to popular belief, not all young teens are idiots. Secondly, if some kids got their hands on this title, it wouldn't be the fault of the game. The blame lands squarely at the parents feet. Anywho.. enough ranting.

Final Word: Mortal Kombat is violent, funny and the gameplay is solid. Fighting fans, buy it. Australians... use your judgement. Weigh the pro's and con's of importing a banned substance.



Anywho, next week, a game made mainly in Australia. Rockstar and Team Bondi team up for the 1940s detective thriller, L.A. Noire. See you next time.