IT HAS BEGUN!!!!: A Review of Mortal Kombat X

IT HAS BEGUN!!!!

A Review of Mortal Kombat X

By: Mr. J's Comic Reviews

I’m not a hardcore gamer by any means. However there is an exception to that. I love fighting games, and one of my all-time favorite fighting game franchises of all is the Mortal Kombat series. I’ve been a huge fan since I was little. Yes I know that’s probably not the best game for a six year old me to have spent hours on, but hey I think I turned out okay. NetherRealm Studios did a great job on Mortal Kombat 9 and Injustice Gods Among Us was a big hit with fans last year, so Mortal Kombat X had a lot of hype to live up to. The question is did it? As a longtime fan of the franchise I’m happy to report that this game is fantastic. I’m going to breakdown the review into four separate categories Story, Gameplay, Characters, and Replayability. Let’s get Started with the story shall we?

The Story

A lot of people think that when it comes to fighting games the story doesn’t mean much and it’s all about the fighting. That’s not the case with Mortal Kombat, and this game takes it up a notch. Mortal Kombat has always had a rich lore to it. The unique thing about the story for this game is that some of the story takes place after Mortal Kombat 9 and some of it takes place twenty years in the future. Normally a time jump would make things a little confusing but actually the time jump helps show just how much the original characters have grown and evolved. Another great element of the story is that there is a nice shift passing the torch to the next generation, and they can kick just as much ass as their parents and mentors. Probably the best thing about the story is how cinematic it is. There is a reason for each fight and each fight has consequences to it. If you watch all the cut scenes together you’ll feel as if you’re watching a movie. Sure it’s not a long story but I’d take quality over length any day.  Now that I’ve covered the story let me tell you what I thought about the gameplay.

The Gameplay

The most iconic thing about Mortal Kombat is the gameplay. When people think Mortal Kombat the first thing that normally comes to mind is the ability to perform fatalities. In the early days fatalities were really difficult, but thankfully they’ve gotten a lot easier and more streamlined with this game. The next-gen HD graphics really add to the intensity of the fatalities which makes them even more cringe worthy and awesome all at the same time. Something great about this game is that the mechanics are really simple. If you know the basics or have only played Injustice then chances are with a little practice you’ll be kicking butt in no time.  The newest unique feature that Mortal Kombat X brings to the table is the introduction of three unique fighting styles for each individual character. This makes it easy to customize your play style. Each style has a specific set of moves that are unique to that fighting style, so you can either dedicate yourself to mastering one fighting style or become an all-around threat by mastering all three. All and all the gameplay is great. The graphics are crisp and clean and the fatalities get better with every game. Trust me if you’re a Mortal Kombat fan you won’t be disappointed once you get a controller in your hands.

From R-L Kung Jin, Cassie, Jaqui, Tekeda

The Characters

Something that fans have always loved about Mortal Kombat is the characters. Lu Kang, Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Scorpion, Sub Zero, and the list goes on from there.  I mentioned earlier in the story portion that a lot of the original cast are older thanks to the twenty year time jump, and now they are handing things over to the next generation. Some villains have become heroes and some heroes have become villains with everything in between. I’ll be honest I was a little scared when I first heard that Mortal Kombat X was going to introduce a whole new set of characters. Mortal Kombat has always been infamous for giving their characters the copy and paste treatment. Thankfully the new generation of fighters that are introduced in this game are not just carbon copies of their parents and or mentors. The new generation is made up of Cassie Cage (Daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade), Tekeda, (Son of Kenshi and student of Scorpion), Kung Jin, (Cousin of Kung Lao), and Jaqui Briggs (Daughter of Jax Briggs). Each character has a unique fighting style and personality all their own, but of course they all take cues from their mentors and parents. My personal favorite new character from the new generation is Cassie Cage. There are so many layers to her. She can be funny and cocky like her dad, but when she’s on a mission she becomes as calculated and strong willed as her mother. Her fighting style is also the perfect blend of both her parents which makes her a blast to use if you’re a fan of either Sonya, Johnny, or both.  Also her unique relationship with her parents makes her an extremely well rounded character, but I’ll let you guys see that for yourselves. Let’s move on from the characters to the game’s replayability.

Replayability

One of the biggest things that separates a good video game from a great one is replayability. Sure games are always fun to play when you first get them but what’s the point of spending sixty bucks on a video game if you’re gonna get bored of it after a week or so? Thankfully unlike the last Mortal Kombat game Mortal Kombat X has a ton of replayability. I’m a completest so I won’t be satisfied until I unlock every costume, trophy, brutality, and fatality. You can unlock costumes, concept art, fatalities, and brutalities in the Krypt mode. In the Krypt you explore the Krypt from a first person POV and use coins you earn from battle to unlock various things. There are many other modes to this game as well. Ladders mode is a Mortal Kombat staple. You fight up to ten opponents leading to a final boss also unlocking a unique ending for the character you used.  Ladders adds more to the game’s story as well as giving players a fun opportunity to hone their skills. I’ve only recently started playing online and so far it’s been pretty fun. I’m nowhere near as frustrated as I was when I tried to play Injustice online. There were a few minor glitches, but other than that online play is pretty smooth. It goes to show that just like its characters the game itself has multiple layers to it.

Final Thoughts

As you can probably tell by now I really enjoyed this game. The story was interesting, the characters both old and new were well flushed out, the graphics and gameplay were top notch, and there are enough game modes and unlockables to keep fans entertained. There were some minor online glitches and I felt that some of the fatalities could’ve been better, but other than that I had a blast playing Mortal Kombat X. I give this game....

Did you pick up a copy of Mortal Kombat X? Are you planning on getting it? If you’ve played it who is your favorite character, and what’s your favorite fatality? 

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