25/09/2015

Mortal Kombat X


(PS4, Xbone, PC, Netherealm Studios, 2015)
I have been playing Mortal Kombat since year dot (or 23 years in real words) and I have many cherished memories of visiting gory digital violence upon my friends, and even a repressed memory of getting my ass kicked for real in an arcade in '93, due to a disagreement over a Kano vs. Kano mirror match. Serious Business.
But, two decades since then, the franchise has held on against naysayers, political outrage, a mish-mash of both good and terrible titles and even studio closure, to remain one of the most instantly recognisable brands in videogame history. As we head into a new generation of gaming. Netherealm Studios, led by MK creator Ed Boon, have returned with the tenth edition of the uber-violent fighting game franchise, Mortal Kombat X.


Ooooh, that's a bit of a nick


The much-celebrated story mode has returned from MK9, with a lengthy and dramatic tale of revenge, betrayal and fantasy politics that will turn the MK universe on its head. Once again, the player takes control of a different character for each chapter, which also acts as a sort of tutorial for those new to the genre. The cinematics are well shot and feature some excellent motion capture and voice acting (particularly from new insectoid-girl D'Vorah) but I found the narrative itself to be lacking, trite with convenience, and not a patch on the previous games' storyline, particularly in the lethargic final third. It's still a labour of love by the developers however, and far and above anything else that the genre has to offer.

Visually, MKX takes a huge step up from its predecessor, NRS has always been adept at creating wonderful stages, and whilst there aren't as many as one might expect, they are all beautifully designed and animated, featuring a host of denizens and creatures telling their own stories behind the carnage played out by the Kombatants. Sharp lighting and torrid weather effects add to the overall atmosphere, with detailed shadows and light beams giving gorgeous depth to the characters, which smoothly immerses them into the location. The characters themselves, are much improved from the absolutely horrendous models of DC Comics fighter Injustice, but there is still much room for improvement, as the general quality of faces, anatomy proportions, clothing and textures varies amongst the 24 character roster.

The sound and voices are nicely done, with grisly, bone-crunching effects and a variety of sarcastic dialogue barked between the fighters. The music, however, falls short, and consists of directionless industrial metal, flatly churning away in the background, mostly unnoticed, and is instantly forgettable.

 Mileena, standing in for my absent regular Sindel

The Krypt makes a welcome return from previous games. A mode in which the player can earn moves, costumes, concept art, and various goodies via trading in Koins that are earned through all game modes. This time around, The Krypt plays out like a pseudo-Tales of Grimrock, where you traverse through various areas in first-person, hunting for various objects that will allow deeper access into the hideous tombs. The Krypt is jumpscare-tastic, and they happen so often that it becomes tiring quickly. It's definitely a very cool mode, but, realistically, you'll have it over, done with and forgotten about in less than a week (unless you're deathly afraid of spiders, in which case you might never finish it)

All the above is entirely irrelevant compared to the most crucial element of the game, the fighting mechanics. I'm happy to report that MKX has a very solid fighting system. It feels very much like the mechanics of MK9, but with a little more fluidity and “looseness” to its controls. The infamous “dial-a-kombo” system is still in full effect and whilst that may not be considered a good thing for many fighting game fans, it has become standard for the MK series. The game now includes the background interaction system of Injustice, though it feels far less necessary here. Each character now has three “Variations” to choose from, essentially juggling their move-sets and opening up new opportunities or extensions on combos. This allows the player to not only experiment with the characters, but also with individual builds of those characters. It's a great idea, and a huge improvement over the tragic “Styles” systems of the PS2-era MK games. The return of “Brutalities” is very welcome, allowing for matches to end suddenly in trademark gory fashion, without the need for sitting through endless Fatality cinematics, which had, in MK9, encouraged many a salty ragequit.


The sweetest of all victories

Speaking of rage, out in the wild, MKX is a brutal game, and requires practice and patience. Its fast-paced fisticuffs and reliance on extended combos and ugly 50/50 mix-ups may frustrate and even upset many new players. Jumping online can be an infuriating affair for those ill-equipped to deal with shameless spamming or Machiavellian mind-games. But glory awaits those who keep their cool, hone their craft, and practice, practice, practice.
You have to put in the effort to get the reward, no-one simply “deserves to win” because they bought the product. This is your first lesson. You're welcome.

As the first MK game of the new generation, Netherealm Studios have worked hard to release a solid entry for the modern gamer, one that maintains the veteran elements of the now two decades old series, whilst adding, or simply tweaking, various other elements in order to provide a open path for the studio to venture down in inevitable sequels.
Mortal Kombat X is an excellent (X-cellent?) follow-up to the hugely successful 2011 reboot, and whilst further work needs to be done in order to push it into the upper echelon of competitive fighting games, the Mortal Kombat brand is absolutely rock solid and, with MKX, definitely sets the groundwork for something very special in the future.