The New Mortal Kombat.
I’ve always had a special place in my gaming heart for the Mortal Kombat series, given my association and involvement with it. I was one of the few that stood up and gave Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe a chance and kudos (something I still stand by today). The gore was neutered, but the gameplay was restored (and it has a much better storyline attempt than Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, which really didn’t try in that specific aspect).
People called for the end of Mortal Kombat, but I stood by it. For a fighter, it’s always been about story, cool characters, and of course, its trademarked gore, all of which got lost along the way. It was becoming a mess at the end, but then, look at the state of the company that was running it at the time.
The new company and lack of a rushed production schedule has seeming been good to this new version. Gone are the lame characters that have grown since the 4th title. Gone are the “collect-a-thon” events that initially seemed cool, but grew tedious. Restored is a new take on the original intent of the story instead of “Every kharacter we’ve ever kreated run up a big mountain for “TEH ULTIMATE POWAR!!!” which it devolved into (Before trying to beat up Batman, that is). And the risk-taking with bloody, gory, crazy Fatalities is restored. As is the dark sense of humor. Mortal Kombat has always been funny, but that was lost along the way.
And like Shaolin Monks and Vs. DC Universe, the programmers wisely chose to focus on the characters and events of the first three games, meaning we’re back to fan favorites and the definable faces of the series. And, much like Vs. DC Universe, the game is set in 2D. This is one game series (along with Castlevania, Mega Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Street Fighter) which needs to remain in 2D. And so it has. And the world rejoiced. Mortal Kombat was in a dire need of a “Reset” button, and the results have seemed to have paid off.
Anyway, here’s a new video of the “Challenge Tower”, which sounds unique, fun, and undoubtedly frustrating along the way.
Filed under: mortal kombat • upcoming games
The Dread Pirate Guy
That actually looks playable in comparison to the last few Mortal Kombat games (not including MKvsDC) which have been appalling. A reboot is definitely the way to go at this stage.
I didn't care much for parts 4-7 (Fun Fact: You can see me in Part 5), and Shaolin Monks was a respectable game (another one you can find me in), but the dialogue was awful at best.
As I said, people crapped on Vs. DC, but I don't think anyone was willing to accept that the Fatalities in the previous games were sub-par, and that installment DID reset the game mechanics back to the much better 2D days, and undoubtedly influenced this new game.
The new game looks like it's put the heart back into the series (pun intended). It's amazing what devs can do when they're not burdened with a ridiculously unrealistic time schedule to release a title. That, and a lot of the "side game" stuff seems to be gone, focusing more on the actual fighter. And that's fine by me.
I actually didn't mind the the sixth and seventh games, although playing against the AI was rarely fun. It was either boring because it was too easy or frustrating because the AI cheated so hard. I do agree, though – the side games sucked. I still have Armageddon, though.
But I actually think it was better that they took a step back from the fatalities; the MK series needed a serious gameplay reboot.
The truth of it is, the first Mortal Kombat game sucks; the only real defining characteristics between each character were their avatars and special moves. If it weren't for the over-the-top gore (at the time), the game would have tanked and would have been seen as a slightly better Pit Fighter at best. I really think that while the 3D MK's could have been better, they're also what kept the series afloat.
But I do agree, the game is best in 2D; 3D fighting games do not compare. If I had to choose between Street Figher III: 3rd Strike and Dead or Alive 4…it would be SF33S. Mind you, I haven't played Street Fighter IV yet.
I think the reason why 2D fighters are also more enjoyable is that there's a lot less to screw up, and you can't appreciate that until you play a 3D fighter and see all the glitches.