User blog:Mason Jones/Mortal Kombat 2011 - M's review

I personally have been smashing heads and removing spines since the nintendo days of MKI. This installment of the franchise has been a breath of fresh air for me. Fro the moment I fired up the box I was blown away by the graphics, then I fell in love with the gameplay. Any fan of the original formats of Mortal Kombat will love this game. I feel that it takes the game back to the roots, but up to date with the graphics.

The game is beautiful. All the characters and environments run smoothly, and feel like I'm not missing a thing. Some of the older maps have been revived or redesigned, and there are several new locations on which to fight. There are old-school and new-school character costumes, and some of them are very cool and original. The title screen is awesome, but if there were more than one or two different phases, maybe a series of different events rather than the same two characters with the same one punch, it would be 1000% more interesting.

The gameplay, in my personal opinion, is the best part of the game. Unlike many of the more recent fighters, the gameplay is less fluid and more robust. You have to be able to take your time and use the right moves, but also think quickly and act effectively. Some characters are quick with light damage, and some are sluggish heavy hitters, typical for a fighter. This game takes away the different fighting styles and the long move list. It seems to revive the old-school MK style of simple specials and short, but sometimes lengthy combos. Characters are easy to learn and remember, so more people should be able to enjoy playing after a few crash-course rounds and a few peeks at the move list. Now there is something called X-ray moves. Once the three-section power meter is full, you simply pull LT and RT to bust out a bone-crushing, slow-motion display of brutal destruction. Whether you land it or it gets blocked, the meter is emptied. The meter can also be used to enhance special moves with the RT for one section of the bar, or to break combos with RT + fwd for two sections. How you use the bar depends on your style and the situation.

Arcade mode returns with the classic tower climb. Shao Khan is your nemesis this goaround, along with this old buddy Kintaro. Boss fight frustrate me so badly, because the bosses absorb many of the blows your deal, and often counter them. Winning matches awards koins.

There is also challenge mode, where you are put in certain circumstances and required to perform specific goals in a period of time. Some are kind of interesting, like being required to perform a fatality. Others are kinda stupid, like shooting Tartakans running across the screen. Completing challenges awards koins.

The story mode is interesting. The game plays out driven by a cutscene, and you are forced to play as certain characters as the "movie" plays out. This allowed me to learn the styles of many of the characters as I faced different opponents with the same character each chapter. I also learned which characters I love and which ones I hate. Completing fight scenes awards koins.

Test your might, test your sight, and test your luck are fun little minigames that get harder and harder and award you koins incrementally.

Overall I am pleased with this game, and it may be because I loved the old school much more dearly than the new school.

After I get my online pass and play for a while I'll come back with a separate review for it. I'll also take a look at some of the characters and thow down some heavy piles of opinion.

Thanks for reading the brief review. Comments are always welcome.

M.

The krypt has returned with all kinds of artworks and goodies. You unlock maps, music, pictures, costumes, and all sorts of little goodies, including passwords. The passwords work in VS mode and are used to tweak the game in small ways. Both players are needed to input codes.