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Mortal Kombat X – Review
If I was to cough up a box standard review of Mortal Kombat X, I would simply follow the script of a typical review. However, the new iteration of the Mortal Kombat franchise is more than a box standard game, and therefore elaborating mainly on graphics, and sound would be a travesty.
Following on from their last generation’s success, NetherRealm Studios have only further improved their fantastic creation. Understandably Mortal Kombat X is superior to its predecessor in terms of mechanical execution, however, this time round the design takes the centre stage. With Ed Boon behind the wheel, NetherRealm Studios have created a game that can be approached by absolutely everybody. The combat system implemented within the game allows everyone, even the first time player to find a character that suits him/her and dominate the stage. The cast of available characters ranges from the well-established individuals such as Sub-Zero and Scorpion, to newly introduced fighters such as D’Vorah and Kotal Kahn. Currently (April, 2015) Mortal Kombat X features 24 distinct characters that boast their own individual move sets, however this is not where the choice ends. Every in-game character, just like in the previous iterations of the series can be equipped with alternate apparel, but previously the ‘skin’ was a mere visual upgrade whereas now it provides the player with much, much more.
Upon entering the character selection screen you are faced with an extraordinarily difficult task, as every character available has its pros and cons. Scorpion is exceptionally agile and easy to master, however his moves can be easily interrupted by seasoned veterans. Whereas Sub-Zero’s catalogue of destruction is much more difficult to comprehend, however he will provide you with an edge over your adversaries as constant bombardment of ice will unnerve even the most competent.
Once you have selected the character of your choice, the matter of fighting ‘style’ is introduced. The previously mentioned apparel that in previous iterations of the franchise was an empty shell and a matter of taste (or its lack), now becomes another difficult decision for you to make. Depending on your adversary, you will have to decide if ranged attacks will be more important, or if the close quarter combat will be in fact the answer. Simple decision can pave your way to victory, or be the cause of your demise. And the impact that such minute decision can make is simply astounding. I found myself in peril on numerous occasions because of the irrational decisions that I have made, and not for once have I deemed my defeat infuriating or ‘unfair’, as I knew that if I was to go back to character selection screen I could find a fighting ‘style’ that would lead to my victory.
Ultimately such minuscule feature does not only introduce variation to the mix, but also adds strategy to your experience, and once you have blazed through the rather short story mode, you will know everything you need in order to take on the rest of the game.
With the new story mode, NetherRealm studios have not reinvented the wheel in any way. It’s a story that we are all accustomed with. The antagonist who is the root of all evil, is on a mission to conquer the Earth Realm and ultimately slay all the Gods, and you as the protagonist have to do everything that is humanly possible to stop him. The entire escapade shouldn’t take anyone more than six to seven hours, however the time you spend fighting the AI will prepare you for what is yet to come. Story Mode is more like an elaborate tutorial. It puts in control of twelve characters, over the twelve chapters that you have to complete in order to reach the main credits. And while you are breaking vertebra of your adversaries, you learn more than you would like to admit. Every encounter is a tutorial in itself. It allows you to learn the basics of the character that you are in control of, but also it gives you a chance to learn how to counter the attacks of specific opponents. Best example of this mechanic is the fight between Scorpion and Sub-Zero.
The first round of the fight will be rather sluggish and poorly paced, as you will see yourself constantly frozen in place by Sub-Zero’s relentless attacks. However, as the fight progresses you learn more and more about your opponent, and by the time you reach the second round you’ll know how to decimate Sub-Zero’s traps and how to evade his ranged attacks. As the newly acquired knowledge will turn the obdurate struggle for survival into effortless obliteration of your adversary. It is impressive how few moves can turn the entire encounter on its head. Instead of constantly falling into the ice sculptures, you’ll start pulling your adversary right through them with the help of your handy chain, and with introduction of the teleportation to your skill-set you’ll turn your opponent into defenseless prey.
While Mortal Kombat is an impressive game in terms of its design and execution, it is also has its flaws. Right from the very beginning you will notice that Mortal Kombat X is not a particularly good-looking game. It’s not an absolute disaster, but the change in quality of textures can be tremendous, and at times takes away from the overall experience. The indentations in characters armour that are rich in detail during cutsecenes, turn into flat scratches during the gameplay, and at times disappear completely making the characters that have just been dragged through hell look unscathed. However, such change in quality is unnoticeable during the rest of the game, hence the partial dismissal of the issue.
Another factor that has a negative impact on the game, is the similarity between some characters. Not to spoil the game completely, I will only state that some characters only differ from one another with their appearance, and visualization of their moves. And while there are only two or three cases of this phenomena, they are most prominent during the campaign and make you feel at times like you have been playing with the same character for prolonged periods of time. But in comparison to other games of the same genre, Mortal Kombat still has more to offer than most as only six characters from the current roster are alike, and as we have been assured by the developer ‘more are on their way’.
To summarize it has to be stated that Mortal Kombat X is not a perfect game. It’s not a 10, neither a 9, however, the superior display of NetherRealm Studio proves that the ‘king’ is back and he is here to stay, as it is difficult to imagine for any game of the genre to be as spectacular. In a way it is a rejuvenation of the Mortal Kombat of the past, but the modern technology have only further improved it, and allows us to indulge ourselves in the magnificent creation that Mortal Kombat X is.
If I was to cough up a box standard review of Mortal Kombat X, I would simply follow the script of a typical review. However, the new iteration of the Mortal Kombat franchise is more than a box standard game, and therefore elaborating mainly on graphics, and sound would be a travesty.
Following on from their last generation’s success, NetherRealm Studios have only further improved their fantastic creation. Understandably Mortal Kombat X is superior to its predecessor in terms of mechanical execution, however, this time round the design takes the centre stage. With Ed Boon behind the wheel, NetherRealm Studios have created a game that can be approached by absolutely everybody. The combat system implemented within the game allows everyone, even the first time player to find a character that suits him/her and dominate the stage. The cast of available characters ranges from the well-established individuals such as Sub-Zero and Scorpion, to newly introduced fighters such as D’Vorah and Kotal Kahn. Currently (April, 2015) Mortal Kombat X features 24 distinct characters that boast their own individual move sets, however this is not where the choice ends. Every in-game character, just like in the previous iterations of the series can be equipped with alternate apparel, but previously the ‘skin’ was a mere visual upgrade whereas now it provides the player with much, much more.
Upon entering the character selection screen you are faced with an extraordinarily difficult task, as every character available has its pros and cons. Scorpion is exceptionally agile and easy to master, however his moves can be easily interrupted by seasoned veterans. Whereas Sub-Zero’s catalogue of destruction is much more difficult to comprehend, however he will provide you with an edge over your adversaries as constant bombardment of ice will unnerve even the most competent.
Once you have selected the character of your choice, the matter of fighting ‘style’ is introduced. The previously mentioned apparel that in previous iterations of the franchise was an empty shell and a matter of taste (or its lack), now becomes another difficult decision for you to make. Depending on your adversary, you will have to decide if ranged attacks will be more important, or if the close quarter combat will be in fact the answer. Simple decision can pave your way to victory, or be the cause of your demise. And the impact that such minute decision can make is simply astounding. I found myself in peril on numerous occasions because of the irrational decisions that I have made, and not for once have I deemed my defeat infuriating or ‘unfair’, as I knew that if I was to go back to character selection screen I could find a fighting ‘style’ that would lead to my victory.
Ultimately such minuscule feature does not only introduce variation to the mix, but also adds strategy to your experience, and once you have blazed through the rather short story mode, you will know everything you need in order to take on the rest of the game.
With the new story mode, NetherRealm studios have not reinvented the wheel in any way. It’s a story that we are all accustomed with. The antagonist who is the root of all evil, is on a mission to conquer the Earth Realm and ultimately slay all the Gods, and you as the protagonist have to do everything that is humanly possible to stop him. The entire escapade shouldn’t take anyone more than six to seven hours, however the time you spend fighting the AI will prepare you for what is yet to come. Story Mode is more like an elaborate tutorial. It puts in control of twelve characters, over the twelve chapters that you have to complete in order to reach the main credits. And while you are breaking vertebra of your adversaries, you learn more than you would like to admit. Every encounter is a tutorial in itself. It allows you to learn the basics of the character that you are in control of, but also it gives you a chance to learn how to counter the attacks of specific opponents. Best example of this mechanic is the fight between Scorpion and Sub-Zero.
The first round of the fight will be rather sluggish and poorly paced, as you will see yourself constantly frozen in place by Sub-Zero’s relentless attacks. However, as the fight progresses you learn more and more about your opponent, and by the time you reach the second round you’ll know how to decimate Sub-Zero’s traps and how to evade his ranged attacks. As the newly acquired knowledge will turn the obdurate struggle for survival into effortless obliteration of your adversary. It is impressive how few moves can turn the entire encounter on its head. Instead of constantly falling into the ice sculptures, you’ll start pulling your adversary right through them with the help of your handy chain, and with introduction of the teleportation to your skill-set you’ll turn your opponent into defenseless prey.
While Mortal Kombat is an impressive game in terms of its design and execution, it is also has its flaws. Right from the very beginning you will notice that Mortal Kombat X is not a particularly good-looking game. It’s not an absolute disaster, but the change in quality of textures can be tremendous, and at times takes away from the overall experience. The indentations in characters armour that are rich in detail during cutsecenes, turn into flat scratches during the gameplay, and at times disappear completely making the characters that have just been dragged through hell look unscathed. However, such change in quality is unnoticeable during the rest of the game, hence the partial dismissal of the issue.
Another factor that has a negative impact on the game, is the similarity between some characters. Not to spoil the game completely, I will only state that some characters only differ from one another with their appearance, and visualization of their moves. And while there are only two or three cases of this phenomena, they are most prominent during the campaign and make you feel at times like you have been playing with the same character for prolonged periods of time. But in comparison to other games of the same genre, Mortal Kombat still has more to offer than most as only six characters from the current roster are alike, and as we have been assured by the developer ‘more are on their way’.
To summarize it has to be stated that Mortal Kombat X is not a perfect game. It’s not a 10, neither a 9, however, the superior display of NetherRealm Studio proves that the ‘king’ is back and he is here to stay, as it is difficult to imagine for any game of the genre to be as spectacular. In a way it is a rejuvenation of the Mortal Kombat of the past, but the modern technology have only further improved it, and allows us to indulge ourselves in the magnificent creation that Mortal Kombat X is.
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
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