Published by:
Midway Games
Developed by:
Midway Amusement Games
Release Date:
November 19, 2008
Available only on:
Playstation
3, Xbox 360
INTRO:
Welcome
to the age of the crossover, where nothing is impossible. Mario is running
200 meter dashes against Sonic, Freddy battles Jason, and now the DC
Universe battles the warriors from Mortal Kombat. Let it now be known that
Mortal Kombat II is my favourite fighting game of all time and arguably one
of my top 5 video games of all time. Whenever a sequel to a game comes out,
if it’s worth any salt I call it the ‘Mortal Kombat II’ of the franchise.
And as for DC, it is definitely my superhero faction of choice. I’ve loved
DC’s heroes since I was 5 and although I don’t read comics as much as I used
to, I’m a huge Batman fan and am certainly familiar with the other heroes.
So with that being said, this game has to meet some pretty high standards.
GAMEPLAY:
So here we go with the gameplay, which is arguably the key component for a game
of this type. While I’ve liked the Mk series’ foray into the 3d realm, I’ve
never become even half the fan I was of the original 2d games. I even prefer
Mortal Kombat Trilogy over something like MK: Armageddon. But with that aside, I
thought this game played pretty well.
It’s the same simple layout that you’ve liked before: different types of punches
and kicks and a badass uppercut. No more complicated ‘fighting styles’ to switch
to- this is Mortal Kombat going back to basics. You also get a ‘grab’, where you
grasp your opponent and land some serious damage. It’s an okay system but I find
that it’s too much of a random deal, especially against the computer AI- the
attacker presses a button and if you don’t press the same button (by guessing),
you get pummelled and can lose a lot of your life.
Another big selling point of this game is the ‘rage meter that builds up as the
fights go along. It’s all about how badly you’re kicking ass, which will fill
your meter. Eventually you can use Rage mode, which makes you super tough for a
few minutes, absorbing enemy attacks and doing extra damage. I’ve read people
raving about this and it’s an okay feature but didn’t make the game for me. You
can also smash through walls and barriers into new combat areas and have a
button pushing fight to see who does more damage- cool feature.
In terms of story mode, you will pick your universe (MK or DC) and then go into
a half-assed story mode that involves worlds crossing paths and everyone getting
infected with ‘rage’, which forces them all to fight anyone in sight (it also
makes their eyes glow yellow). I can tell that the developers worked hard on the
story, but it didn’t quite do it for me.
Some parts were cool, like anything involving the Joker, but mostly it’s
“Hey, who are you?” “I dunno, but i’m PISSED off!” “Let’s Fight”
The other things worth mentioning about story mode is that you play as almost
everyone on your chosen side, which is cool but just when you get used to one
character, you lose them altogether. Also forget about the chance to finish
anyone off, it doesn’t happen in story mode. Also, the boss fights are really
uninspired..Dark Kahn, that was the best you could come up with?
But you can do finishers in the other modes. MK finishers are decent enough
while the DC characters mostly pound you stupid instead of ripping your arms off
and shoving them down your throat. I get why they did it, but having an MK game
without true fatalities is like having a hamburger without the bun.
Gameplay: 7/10
GRAPHICS:
The graphics in this game are quite good. The character models are sharp and
detailed. You’ll notice a lot of great details like ripping costumes and
battle damage as each fight wears on. The characters look authentic and the
superheroes are done quite a bit of justice. The only thing lacking is that
things don’t look great up close and that the
backgrounds for each fight are somewhat lacking. All in all quite acceptable
though.
Graphics: 7.5/10
AUDIO:
Sound is also pretty good. The famous MK announcer is back in booming full
force. Bones break, skin bruises
and there’s all kinds of environmental sounds that work really well. Even
the voice acting is well done although I would have re-cast a few
superheroes along the way.
Audio: 8/10
FINAL VERDICT:
Ultimately this monumental idea fell short of m expectations but it just may
meet yours depending on which universe you tend to like more.
I enjoyed the game for what it was but it didn’t offer enough story depth
to keep me interested. With that being said though there is some fun to be ha
with you and your buddies conjuring up dream matches and pounding the crap out
of Superman, pretending he is Brandon Routh. I recommend this one, but more as a
rental before you add it to your collection.
Final Score:
7.5/10
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed