Mortal Kombat is more than a game, it’s a game that introduced the world to hyper violence and in doing so forced the creation of the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) rating system. Mortal Kombat X takes this groundwork and twists the dial all the way to brutal in a glorious graphical gore fest.
I’ll start by saying that Mortal Kombat X (MKX) is the reason I bought an Xbox One. After Netherealm Studios stellar reboot of the Mortal Kombat series in 2011 it bought the game series back into the limelight proving it was still a contender for the fighting game crown.
If you’ve played that game (and to a lesser extent Netherealm’s ‘Injustice: Gods among us’) then you’ll feel right at home with the game play of this latest release as it takes all the best elements of the mechanics and tweaks them to near perfection.
One particular tweak that changes the way you approach every fight is the variations that all the fighters come with. These not only modify their appearance but also the way the character plays so you’ll need a little more skill than hopeful button-bashing. You can still go for the pick up and play approach, but put some time into learning the intricacies of your favourite character and you can get a fighter that is perfectly suited to your own personal play style. This addition is such a beautiful masterstroke it makes me weep whenever I go back to a fighting game without this ability.
D’Vorah is new to Mortal Kombat X
There’s also a great story to follow, a cinematic affair that takes you to the root of the characters in their other worldly escapades, it’s over the top and ridiculous but I did actually feel a connection to them. That’s a pretty intense undertaking for a game that’s primarily about tearing people apart! But MKX accomplishes it.
All of the old favourites still feature with notable facelifts and wardrobes, while D’Vorah (left) is one of the new characters to the series.
Lets get back to fighting, and what would a fighting game be without the ability to face a friend, or at least someone capable of holding a controller. Failing that you can always hit up the online matchmaker to find someone over the internet to face, the online matches are smooth with good connection stability. The only issues being that you can’t select to look for people at your own skill level which can lead to frustration if you keep getting paired with people who vastly outweigh you.
MKX is a solid fighting game that you’ll need to put some time into, but if you do you’re rewarded with one of the best fighting games I’ve played in recent memory. It’s so good I haven’t really had time to touch on how comically violent it is, a factor that many would think is its main drawing point… But it isn’t, it’s just the overly violent cherry on an altogether excellent cake. All I’ll say is that the fatalities aren’t for the faint hearted!
Author: Hal, Plymouth store
