Mortal Kombat: Mystification

You should get "Mortal Kombat: Deception." The "Mortal Kombat" games have always been the definitive games of the fighting genre. It's clear why. First of all, there are no annoying cut scenes before every battle. No cheesy trash-talking lines spoken by the characters before you can throw the first punch, just that familiar, near-demonic voice that says "Round 1. Fight!" before each battle, and you're off.

There's also the famous violence that has come to be associated with the MK series. I'm not usually a big fan of blood and gore, but the MK games have made the violence so over the top that's it almost comical. Characters bleed crimson, almost gelatinous blobs every time they're hit. The blood can be switched off on the options menu, but this takes away MK's unique sparkle, including the ability to perform a Fatality. As a finishing move, mash a few buttons you found on the Internet and your character will disembowel the opponent, removing generic organs and leaving a pool of blood. Even the bugs that are trodden underfoot in one arena leave behind a gratuitous amount of guts.

Of course, re-playability factor in very high. In the one player arcade mode, you will be randomly assigned a series of opponents and arenas to fight in each time, always climaxing with the ridiculously hard-to-beat Onaga, the Dragon King. And, of course, the two-player battles never get old, with each character having an incredible variety of unique combos and fighting moves to perform (as in the previous game, "Deadly Alliance", each character has two martial arts styles and a weapon.) Though some of the combos (especially the fatalities) are so difficult they'll make you swear your controllers are broken (especially in "Konquest" mode.)

"MK: Deception" is the peak of the series. There are some unfortunate changes from "Deadly Alliance", but unless you were a big fan of that game, you won't even miss them. The biggest change is the cast of characters. It's almost completely different, missing most of the classic characters that were featured in "Deadly Alliance", as well as the newly-introduced characters like Sub-Zero's protégé' Frost and vampire chick Nitara. However, perennial favorites Sub-Zero and Scorpion do return, as does Li Mei, my favorite "Deadly Alliance" fighter. There's also a handful of newcomers, including Kira, a sexy-redheaded member of Kano's syndicate.

Gone is the ability to impale the opponent with your weapon, forcing them to kill immediately or bleed to death. Arenas are also darker and less whimsical than in the previous game. However, "Deception" introduces some vast improvements, including interactive environments. Objects in the arenas can damage an opponent, or mangle them completely in graphic "stage fatalities." Also, some arenas contain weapons that can be picked up and used by the fighters. There's also a "blocker" feature, which will finally enable you to do something about that friend who uses the same cheap combo over and over, but only up to three times per fight. The best improvement, however, is the inclusion of multiple fatalities, including the Hira-Kira, or self-fatality. The Hira-Kira deprives your opponent of the satisfaction of a fatality and makes even the worst loss feel like a victory.

Also, "Test Your Sight" and "Test Your Might" mini-games are missing, but they are replaced by chess and puzzle games. The chess game is a complete mockery of the game of chess, taking away all of the strategic elements, but is a somewhat amusing way of putting a tournament together. The puzzle game, however, is strangely addictive for a generic "Tetris" knock-off. Finally, there's a Konquest mode, an RPG game that incorporates typical MK violence and provides a back story for the main game's tournament. Unfortunately, it requires you to learn every character's most ridiculous combos, and, unlike in "Deadly Alliance", must be completed in order to unlock certain characters and costumes in "the Krypt."

In this case nostalgia is good. Old MK characters return and stage fatalities return. Konquest in this game is an RPG like adventure with the main character named Shujinko. Konquest does have some terrible voice acting in spots, but not everyone is bad. Midway has got the right idea with Konquest. It just needs to be fleshed out more. Shujinko's controls are slightly stiff when it comes to moving.

Most of the stories are good when you beat arcade mode. There is a couple that disappoint.

There is also a new addition to the MK series. Which is Hara Kiris. Its suicide basically. Most of the Hara Kiri's range from cool to bland.

All the characters have their own voices. Which is great and adds more depth to the game in my opinion.

The fighting feels more updated and not so clunky like in Deadly Alliance. There are multi-tiered levels now. There are two fatalities instead of one like in Deadly Alliance. Overall a major improvement over Deadly Alliance.

This has got to be the best mortal combat game i have ever played! I love the opening movie to the game. I also loved that you did not have to wait till the second round to finish off your challenger. The chess combat was awesome it took me a while to get good at the chess combat but when i did i loved it. I think the only thing that i did not like about this game is that radon dies in the beginning. I like how the game has the same feel to it like mortal combat deadly alliance. For the most part i liked the majority of the new combat characters accept for the character cobra. He is almost like Kano i feel that they could have came up with a much better character besides him.

I decided to wait on commenting on the latest game in the long-running "Mortal Kombat" franchise, titled "Mortal Kombat: Deception," because I first wanted to see how things would pan out after it was beaten. Turns out, there's a whole lot of game, and a whole lot of frustration in there.

I won't bother with the plot, since there isn't much in the first place, and a lot of characters are missing. (The only recognizable characters in the beginning of the game are Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Mileena, and Baraka.) Other than that, you're stuck with these four familiars, plus a few characters that made their debut in "Deadly Alliance" and some brand-new characters.

This latest "MK" entry offers a whole lot of game, including "Puzzle Kombat," "Chess Kombat," and "Konquest," where you assume the role of "Shujinko" and you must complete a quest (not unlike what we've seen in dozens of martial arts movies before) and this section of "Deception" makes up about 1/4 of the bulk of the game.

It is here in "Konquest" that you pretty much learn about the whole "Mortal Kombat" universe and you train, learn special moves, and earn "kombat koins" to open up unlockables in the "krypt" (everything that's usually spelled with a "c" is spelled with a "k" in the "Mortal Kombat" universe).

"Deception" is undoubtedly fun, but unfortunately it's also quite maddening and frustrating. The biggest flaw the game suffers from is the maddening combo system. It takes the manual dexterity of someone with the quickest hand-eye coordination to complete some of the combo training tasks the game throws at you.

It's insanely frustrating, especially for a fan like myself who grew up playing "Mortal Kombat." But if you're not up for the B.S. that's offered in the maddening "Konquest," you can of course duke-it-out with the CPU or your friends in old-fashioned "Arcade" mode. But even here you're limited because you'd need to have beaten the game to get all the really cool characters.

It took me about two weeks to complete "Mortal Kombat: Deception" and I can honestly say that I took a DEEP breath of relief when it was done, especially after I made it through the impossible combo training sessions, ridiculous fights (ever tried fighting Scorpion while he delivers blows that cause 3x more damage than they normally do AND he heals at the same time, or tried fighting Sindel while bleeding to death at 50% health?), and a somewhat weak "reward" for completing the core of the Konquest mode.

Despite its ridiculousness, it's still a thorough and engaging entry into one of the most successful fighting franchises ever released.

However, the tag line is not B.S.; it will "Konsume" you!

7/10

Mortal Kombat: Deception is a standout entry in the series, not only for its engaging gameplay, diverse roster, and detailed Konquest mode, but also for introducing Kira, the first playable female member of the Black Dragon. Though she may not be a major character in the grand scheme of the Mortal Kombat universe, Kira's debut holds a special place for fans who appreciate the deeper Black Dragon lore. She becomes the first recruit of Kabal's reformed Black Dragon, and her role, although minor, adds a new dynamic to the story.

What sets Kira apart in Deception is how her character endings from Kira, Kabal, and Kobra seamlessly fit together, creating one of the most coherent and satisfying arcs in the game. Despite these endings not being canon, they add depth to the story that's often missing in other Mortal Kombat titles, especially for Black Dragon fans. The Kabal-led storyline gives a refreshing take on the criminal underworld, making it one of the most well-crafted storylines for the Black Dragon faction in any Mortal Kombat game.

However, not all fans embraced Kira's arrival. Many criticized her for filling the void left by absent favorites like Kano and Sonya, as she adopts movesets reminiscent of both characters. Some saw this as a lazy design choice, though the concept behind her fighting style was actually an intriguing one. Despite the lackluster execution, the idea of blending elements from two iconic characters into one could have been a unique way to introduce Kira as a hybrid fighter.

In the larger context of Mortal Kombat: Deception, Kira's presence gives fans of the Black Dragon something new to appreciate. Her addition as the first playable female Black Dragon member, despite being preceded by Tasia in an NPC role, is a notable achievement. Deception not only serves as her introduction but also lays the foundation for future Black Dragon stories, making it a memorable entry in the Mortal Kombat series.