Mortal Kombat X

Having heard of Mortal Kombat, it was always something i wanted to get into, but never got around too it. This game is designed perfectly to allow new players into the world of Mortal Kombat. Yes, i had to do abit of background reading into some of the original characters but apart from that, the game was enjoyable and understood each of the characters roles within this universe.

The new game Mortal Kombat 1 is set to come out in September. So I thought I would play the last few games to remind myself of the story and the gameplay. So I have just finished Mortal Kombat X and here is my review for the game. The premise of the game is set 20 years after the defeat of Shao Khan, the realms are at a flux with Earthrealm, Outworld and Netherealm all with their own objectives and lust for power.

Characters With the extended timeline from the previous game we are introduced to a bunch of new characters here. The main ones being the four Spec Ops kids. Kung Jin, Takeda, Jacquie Briggs and their leader Cassie Cage. These characters are all really well realised and it was a risk to put so much time into new characters but I think it worked here. Cassie is probably viewed as the main character of the whole game and she is a fun character who is developed pretty nicely here.

Some of the iconic characters are back and handled really well. I really liked Steve Blum's portrayal as Sub-Zero and it is really cool to see how they have decided to use him as this clan leader who has respect and honour. His long term rival Scorpion is also treated really well, this is the most unique stuff I have seen from the character in games and that is cool to see.

Unfortunately, some characters are not given enough attention. Liu Kang, Kitana & Raiden are three of the most iconic characters in the franchise and they are really underused here, I mean Liu Kang and Kitana don't even have a chapter in the story mode.

It also doesn't help that the villains are poor in this game. Shinnok played by Troy Baker is just a bit over the top and generic for me, he had the hard time in coming after Shao Khan but he just feels short and isn't particularly interesting for me. Also Quan Chi is one of my favourite bad guys and he is treated so badly here, ever character beats him up and treats him like a jobber and that really upset me.

Main Story The main story is okay. It does a really good job at introducing these new characters and giving us enough time and reason to care about them. I also like seeing how the more experienced characters such as Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade have been affected by the events of MK 9 and all their friends dying. But as I said before, the story involving Shinnok and the Neatherealm isn't particularly interesting and leaves little to really care about. I just wish certain characters were given more to work with and the main ending just feels a bit rushed (apart from an awesome post credit scene).

Side Content This film has towers of fighting for each character and they are really fun. There is also a reward at the end of each tower by seeing a cutscene based on that character. Obviously some are better then others but they are all fun to watch and feel like a worthy reward. There are also living towers which sees different types of matches going on in the tower which is a nice change of pace. I didn't play too much online (because I am not that good) but it seemed to flow well and and work correctly. To get more unlockables and costumes you had to go through the Krypt, an interactable mini game where you go through a krypt of knowledge and easter eggs. The DLC are really cool also, as a big film fan it was cool seeing characters such as Alien & Predator in the game, though it does feel a bit cheap as they make us pay for characters who are in the story mode and already finished such as Tanya & Rain.

Gameplay The gameplay is fantastic, the fighting feels so fluid and fast. It is just really exciting to play as these different characters with their different styles. Each character has 3 different varieties with different moves which shows the attention to detail that the creators went through to give the player a great experience. Some characters are better then others but I managed to find my way through all of them and find the versions I enjoyed. Though, one little thing is that I thought the intro discussions could have been better, they weren't written that well or feel that well voice acted which was a shame.

Graphics The film was one of the first to be seen as next-gen for the PS4 and it looks great. It doesn't look as strong now but for when it was released it looked really strong with great design. Some really cool arenas and character designs mixed with fantastic cutscenes.

Overall Overall, Mortal Kombat X is a good game that has some great things a fighting game requires. It falls a little short on other things but this is definitely a fun game and one I would recommend for sure.

Rating - 7/10.

I've been an MK fan since it was first released and I came across a MK1 arcade machine at my local Pizza Hut. All I can say is LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT! The combination of characters, lore, and game-play was beyond anything ever released. To this day many fighting game try to emulate this, but they continue to fail. Mortal Kombat fans are some of the most loyal and die-hard fans of any franchise, and I assume we probably drive Ed Boon (the co creator of MK) a little crazy asking what comes next all the time. But, Mortal Kombat X... Man oh man, did the studio out do themselves with this release! The game is so amazingly dark and gritty, with just the right amount of humor and action in the story mode. The fight mode is of course amazing and out does any other fighting game on the market. We have variations back from the 3D era, but upgraded for the next gen systems. The fighters look unbelievable and some of the new characters are insanely cool (Erron Black & Takeda). All in all MKX is a must have for any Mortal Kombat fan or fighting game fan in general! Now to drive the studio crazy... MK11 needs to have Erron Black back, Noob Saibot as the main antagonist, Kabal, and human Smoke. Hopefully the story takes us back to the main fighters and a tournament. I think Takeda would make an awesome new tournament champion. Plus, we need stage transitions, stage fatalities, Hara Kiri, the new character customization from Injustice 2, and (wishful thinking)... A Konquest mode! I love Mortal Kombat!

Great gameplay and great look style and great graphics but still doesn't compete with the old Mortal Kombat games, not a lot of good story plot line into this game

This is one of my favorite video games of all time and it's my favorite of the "Mortal Kombat" series at least for now. One of the things I love about the franchise is how with each new edition throughout the years and even decades it just keeps getting better and you can say the whole franchise has led up to this.

The graphical presentation is great as it is just crisp and well detailed. From the backgrounds each of them is always something different, as each is dark, gritty, and dangerous, which are all the perfect battlegrounds for this game.

One of the things that make this game unique is the fact that you can interact with the backgrounds. The backgrounds provide opportunities from the opportunity to get away by jumping off one of the background pieces. Or even use something as a weapon against your opponent to drain their slight of health or once again gives a little time for you to get away or a momentary window to deliver more damage to your opponent while staggering from the blow of the object.

Another thing is that you have these three gauges that you fill up as you fight more. Once they're filled up, then at the right moment you then press the buttons to unload your secret power weapon at your opponents. It's just cool and gratifying just seeing those x rays of the damage you delivered to your opponents and where, though it can be slightly painful to watch which make you glad you're not the guy/girl getting a major pounding.

And of course, you have your finishing moves but, in this game, they're easy to execute, whereas in most of the past games you almost must be lucky, which sadly doesn't happen enough. And of course, both the music and story are great, for the music there are plenty of memorable tracks to listen to all just sing out brutal bloody honorable combat.

I really like the story; the story mode works to try out all different kinds of characters and help figure out which are your favorite flavors. But I played though it mainly because I honestly wanted to see what was going to happen next which is something I rare to and see and fighting games aren't really known for their story as there's very little. But this game helped break that mode and showed once more how the fighting game genre still has plenty to offer and can be even more.

The story in the game is very well written and crafted in my book; if a story keeps me invested and my interest up it always goes in the books. It honestly felt like I was watching a whole season of a television show; it's you can say a bit like a Shonen Manga/Anime as we see how the plot constantly develops as you fight on but also you got a feel of each of the characters from their personalities and depth.

Speaking of characters, like the roster which consist of both new and old. The old characters we see despite older and changed are still the same; really liked seeing that because it really gave the series a sense of progression and kind of breaks that fundamental problem of arrested development syndrome most fighting game franchises and even comic book series have. But also helps reinforce the sense of mortality in each of the characters reminding us that they're all mortal too.

The new characters don't disappoint as we can easily see how some of them truly are chips off the old block but at the same time, they're their own person, so they're not just another carbon copy of their predecessors. Let alone really like the voice cast which is one of the best ensemble vocal casts in my book as it costs of a lot of familiar cast members like Steve Blum as "Sub Zero/Reptile/Bo Rai Cho" doing all three characters I literally thought it was three different voice actors, but it isn't. Johnny Yong Bloch as "Kung Jin", Phil LaMarr as "Kotal Kann", the list goes on which makes playing all the different characters all the more sweet just to hear the voices and the sweet lines and performances they deliver that all fit like a glove. I'll just say a few characters that are my favorites in the game, yeah there are more but it's a lot, so I'll just simplify by picking out three, others I'll talk about in reviews of other volumes.

Johnny Cage: My main man in the series, he's still the same in persona as his wisecracking charisma along with his rebelliousness is still as fresh and sharp as before. I like we see he's a little more mature now as he's settled and no longer a movie star but you can say is now a real life action hero now as he's now a resistance commander.

There is some good family drama from his wife Sonya and his daughter Cassie, we can see from this there were ups and downs, what family doesn't have them, but this just made you care about him along with his family even more and you can say add to the motivation to win. But other than those things he still has some of the same wicked moves along with a few new ones, really like that green lighting effect on one of my favorite moves the Shadow Kick, I don't know why it just looks really cool.

Sonya Blade: My main woman, she hot as usual and voiced well by Tricia Helfer which is awesome as "Battlestar Galactica" (revival version) is one of my favorite TV show but her voice just fit like a glove. She's also still the same but you sense there is some maturity to her character as well as more balanced as we see she's got more going in her life, but also there is a sense of sadness, despite how far she's come and all she's done it wasn't without certain costs and we see she questions whether she lost more than she gained.

As we see how certain decisions affected her family, she's learned that truth David from "Moonlighting" stated "A good job doesn't love you back." Indeed, it doesn't. In the past she was you could say all business type because she had nothing to lose, but of course she's no longer that person now that she has a family, she has everything to lose. However, if she wins this war and tournament, she also has everything to gain. And of course, she still has some wicked moves, like she sometimes gets to use her gun but also a favorite move the backflip grip which is effectively cool and kind of erotic in a way, don't know why really.

Cassie Cage: This new edition is a nice chip off the old blocks. For one thing she's hot with persona to boot. Really like that she's a balance in both the serious military mindedness of her mother Sonya but also has that sense of fun, rebellious and heart like her father Johnny. Even though she's in the same business as her mother she doesn't let the business consume her life or even get too much into her head. And like her father she's sociable as she has a group of friends that fight alongside her also cool character too and maybe stories for another time. Really like the moves she has mainly when I pull of the moves where she uses those steel retractable batons which I always find cool and very handy.

The legacy of "Motal Kombat" lives on.

Rating: 4 stars.