For over three months now I've been patiently wanting to write out the review for Mortal Kombwt X. Judging by my past post,mi have some big shoes to fill, and to do so in respect to what else I've written over the past 9/10 years. So I've decided to take this first paragraph now to warn you that there will be plenty of spoilers, and I mean plenty in the below post. Some of which covers a great deal more than just Mortal Kombat X, so be forewarned to have spoilers from even as far back as MK Deadly Alliance. Thank you for supporting the Malacast Editorial, and without further delay, here is my official mortal Kombat X review.
Mortal Kombat X (or ten if you prefer) is an official canonical game, and the next installment in the Mortal Kombat Universe. The game takes place directly after Mortal Kombat 9, and gets pretty hazy with the timeline, as it likes to jump around, and seems to do a lot of the storytelling through action, as the visuals are the best the series has had so-far in-terms of 3-D games. The story mode is just a little over two hours if played without a hitch, and is slightly shorter than MK 9's storyline, however, it is far better, despite the iffy dialogue, although less corny than the last game, and the story itself being a bit of a difficulty to follow without the companion comic book issues, which gives you a far better understanding of the goings-on of the series up until the actual story mode in MKX.
Is this necessarily a bad thing? For the gamer who has always had the story directly within the game, I find the deployment of a comic book series to usher in the game as a tie-in very much up WB Gsmes' alley, as if has done this before with the Batman: Arkham series. Having read a few of the issues myself, I had a far better understanding of what exsctly was going on,me oh the characters were now (seeing as the game takes place twenty-five years after the tournament, it's easy to say that all the characters are practically brand-new. The story itself is fairly simple to follow, despite the jumping around of the actual game:
After the "third" tournament, which of course wasn't actually a tournament, but rather an Outworld Invasion of Esrthrealm, Shao Kahn was killed by the elder gods for breaking the rules of Mortal Kombat, and this ushered an-all out war with Shinnok, and his disciple Quan Chi, as they seeked to corrupt the Gensing (I'm probably spelling that wrong) or "Earthrealam's lifesource" so Shinnok could merge the realms and be a totalitarian ruler of the heavens and the earth in all realms.
This plot uses the revenants Quan Chi kept over from the prior Outworld Invasion, in the souls of fallen Esrthrealm warriors. Sub-Zero, Jax, Kitana, Liu Kang, Nightwolf, Stryker, Sindel, (although she's technically an Edenian), Kung Lao, and Kabal, were all brought back to life to serve Shinnok and Quan Chi in helping to bring about Earthrealm's utter destruction. Now most Mortal Kombat games were solely focused around mythology,,culture, even religious practice, but this one goes more in-depth of political stratagem, and war tactics. There is a great deal of diplomacy involved, as it seems to be the centre so theme of the game. Remember, this is a story being told for over twenty-three years, and every character has a history to them, and interacts so prevalently with one-another, it's almost impossible to see what many of them has a family unit, and in some fucked-up way, it is a family bound by blood, and a few broken/ripped out rib cages. Still, the idea of smile is a major focus of the story as well,which comes in the flash forward of twenty-five years after Shinnok's plot to overthrow his fellow elder gods is foiled.
We see a strong case of family ties, and although much of it is forcibly split up I to chapters to accommodate the particular character involved at the time, but everything is answered, essentially, but I felt the order poorly executed in explanation, worst than a chihuahua with ADHD trying to memorize the Kryptonian alphabet. However, when everything is answered, and the story completes, it's better than most story modes, and really makes up for that whole Shujinko fiasco some fe years back.
So with the flash forward two twenty-five years later, and a few soap opera cut scenes here and there, with Breakfast Club awkwardness pseudo-flirting out of the way, we discover that Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade had a child, and she, along with the next generation of Earthrealm fighters, despite being fledglings to the whole Outworld problems affoot, are being sent out to the Lin Kuei, who are across the best Faction on Earth, and only lose Faction Wars, because they don't like to monopolize all the prizes. Sorry, I went off on the Faction Wars mode, which we will be getting to later, I apologize for that unintentional foreshadow. Go Lin Kuei!
So the team go out to meet the Grandmaster, Sub-Zero, who is of course the second Sub-Zero, who was cursed in the comics by Kano, and given the same scar he would've had if the third and fourth tournaments commenced. Although up until this point,only two legitimate tournaments have taken place, and although Mortal Kombat X could be seen as the tenth game, it does take place twenty-five years after mortal Kombat 4, and does house a lot of the same storyline. As this is a parallel universe from the future Raiden sought to prevent which led into the great deal of shit that made up Mortal Kombat 9, we can see here that a great lot has changed, but most of the core story has been told over, and has been told over in such a way that we may inevitably get back to where we were, and again Armageddon will happen.
The young team made up of Cassie Cage, Jacqui Briggs, Takeda, and Kung Jin set out to talk to the Grandmaster Sub-Zero, and are met with a few fight tutorials, and they turn out to be just tests, because Johnny Cage wanted to make sure that they had in some training. So really thenfightsnyou have are pointless, and they really don't add much other than to get you a few fights with Sub-Zero, but there is a few bits and pieces of importance in growing up, and all these other John Hughes aspects I greatly disliked, but will admit make this far more than a fighting game. Here is a great deal of consistency and content involved in the story mode, but it's quite difficult to explain, as a lot of it is surrounded by the actual fighting, which tells so much of the animosity, even the politics, behind the game.
For example, the Quick Time Events, or QTE involved in the game don't really take away or add anything of value, they serve no consequence, but make of only showcase the detail to the characters, and more importantly the body language between characters. Now I'm sure most will. Of get this at first, and may even say I'm overreaching, but from what I've gathered of this game, it is all about the content of characters, and how they mesh with other characters.
NPCs are everywhere.,and like Armageddon, despite it being not such a great game, or in lay men's terms, shit, are there to appease every single fan, just to be sure nobody is left out, and serve a purpose to the story. I happen to be a fan of Li Mei, and I'll get some shit for that, but I did like her in Deadly Allaiance, as she filled the hole that Mileena should've been in, and was through rectified in the sequel. Still, her character design, and supporting role in this story, makes me think she'll play a bigger role down the line, but I wasn't so sure the refugees that came across to Earthrealm with her are going to bring even more chaos in MK XI, which is a shoe-in to happen, as this game was the biggest, fastest selling game of all-time for the series.
So refugees are pouring over into Earthrealm from all other realms to seek refuge, and if that isn't political enough for you, then you'd love that Kotol Khan, who was banished by Reiko and Mileena, although that story is a bit fuzzy to me, becaue I didn't make it that deep into the comics, has become the me Outworld Emperor, and is waging a battle against Mileena who has dome how discovered the Kamidogou or Shinnok's ammulet, which Shinnok is of course trapped in by Raiden twenty-five years earlier. Mileena claims she's the rightful heir to Shao kahn's throne, but being just a test-tube baby, and the irony that Kitana probably claims more rights over that than even Mileena has is so much irony in this game, it. Ames my dress shirts stiff as boards.
Kotol Kahn, with an alliance with D'Vorah and Reptile, both of who knew of Mileena's hatching in Shang Tsung's flesh lp it's are pretty much primping Kotol,Kahn to be ruler, and he inevitably usurpers Mileena, who also teams up with pro Edenian sympathizes, hoping for a unified Edenia, help Mileena try to take out Kotol Kahn, by hiring Kano as a would-be assassin. However, he fails, and seeks refuge along with many leaving Outworld because they know shit is going to hit the fan, but is captured by Sonya Blade, who will not do business with scum like him.
Pretty much this game has an awesome story, far better than the dribble in nine, and if is matured, not as sophomoric in nature as the last title, which felt childish and barely above the intelligence of a bad poop joke. Still, this game has everything, and as I really don't want to give away everything, because everyone else already does that, and ruins the game for those who sincerely want to play it, I'll just say that the end is proof that the hype for MK XI will be equal to, but obviously even higher than it was for ten.
Granted, ten was a big deal for me, becaue it is the tenth game in a series I've been a fan of since I was just a wee child playing on the Sega Genesis. However, Mortal Kombat Eleven, which I'm certain will be out by at the very latest, the end of this console cycle, will be the game that really rejuvenated this series, and it doesn't seem to be dying anytime soon, well, unless you count the fatalities galore, and whether or not Li Ban killed Frost after that meeting with Hanzo Hasashi.
Story Mode is worth the price of admission, or at least half, but the real bread-and-butter is playing the actual game, whether it be online against friends, the Living Towers, which are basically advertisements for anyone who wants to try out a new concept character, or even preview a DLC in a try-before-you-buy system, the game has a lot to offer.
There are twenty-four characters,,counting Goro in the standard game, and twenty six with the next two, in Jason and Tanya, and it will end with a whopping twenty-eight come the release of Tremor and Predator. Each character has three variants, which means if you don't purchase any DLC, there are literally a hundred and four characters out of the box, because each variant really ales the characters unique, almost to the point of being entirely different characters,,along with the number of dare-I-say, Kostumes thwt can be purchased in the krypt that will also give you a sense of playing a totally different character every single time. This is also the downside of the game, because it she's it difficult to master a character out of the box, and I really don't like certain aspects of variants, like giving one specific special thwt meshes well with another specific special move I'm another variant. I also don't like that once you choose a variant, you're stuck with it for whatever amount of time you're playing, and if you're doing an endless tower, a little variety is truly the spice of longevity here.
I do like the idea of making each character have some lifespan past mastering the moves and kombos, because it really allows for you to grow as a fighter, and permanently keeps you training, and studying the game like you're working towards your Ph.D in butt-whooping. I've played almost all of the characters, except for some that I loathe like (sic) Liu Kang, but his revnant form is pretty badass, much like Evil Ryu kind of has a hiper aspect than just grouchy old good Ryu. Also, Kitana's dark empress costume is aesthetically amazing, and although a bit cliche, to see her in such a way makes me even that much more excited to see just how far these new rulers will push the limits of Outworld.
I mentioned the clothes, the towers, the (ugh! with the ks already!) Klassic Towers, and I've mentioned story mode. I've even mentioned there is nothing left out that would make any MK fan concerned, however, I failed to completely mention the new krypt, and this has been an area of (for the sake of "konsistency", as I've done it so far) koncern, and even kontroversy, okay I'll stop, scout's honor! But it has been a mixed reception. A lot of people either love or hate the new krypt, which itself is like a very bright and shiny version of Amnesia, but not scary,,or anything like Amnesia. You can traverse the entire krypt, find items to get from point A to point B, and I applaud the courageous amount of detail and love that went into every nook and cranny of it, but I simply hate the fact that all that work can be fixed with just doing the fatalities and brutalities without ever unlocking them! Still, I find it appealing that the....and it pains me to do this one, I mean it hurts to the point of krushing my spirits...koins are so difficult to get, and everything cost so damn much that it could take weeks of just getting koins and roaming around the krypt, looking for tombs to rob and get the actual goodies they all know we want, and that's Kostumes.
I like the Kostumes I'm seeing in this game, they all seem to have a certain individuality to them that I've come to know and love for these characters. But I especially like the way each one makes the characters look like they had a loving amount of detail out into them. Each character looks great, plays fast, as this game is faster than any other one before it, which makes for an excellent learning curve. I hive to admit, performing fatalities and brutalities, and looking sharp at it: priceless.
Now that was a cheap segue into brutalities, which each character has, and they are truly brutal, most of which are even harder to pull off than even the fatalities. Yet, just like the older fatalities gave you a sense of pride to complete when I was younger, these brutalities seem to be far more rewarding,even more rewarding than the brutalities from Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. Some are easy to do, some are so ridiculous, you'll spend several hours trying to pull them off, because they require an astronomically improbable scenario in order to pull off. Either way, the amount of detail put into this title gives me hopes that this will not be the end of the series.
Now let's get to the characters, here's a list of all playable characters, and some NPCs or no -playable characters in the game:
Playable characters: Kung Lao, Liu Kang, Raiden, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Kano, Sonya Blade, Jax, Reptile, Quan Chi, Shinnok, (after you beat story mode) Kitana, Mileena, Kenshi, Johnny Cage, Ferra/Torr, Cassie Cage, Jacqui Briggs, Takeda, Kung Jin, D'Vorah, Kotol Kahn, Goro (with DLC, and this was controversial, as the character is basically on disc, you just need a lode to unlock him) erron Black, and last, but certainly not least: Ermac.
NPCs: Kurtis Stryker, Kabal, Baraka, Sindel, Frost, Li Mei, Sareena, Bo Rai Cho, and Fujin. These characters may become playable perhaps in the future with DLC, or possibly in the next game, which I would put my bottom bit coin down on coming out before the end of this console cycle. Rain is also a NPC, but so ething tells me he'll be playable as well come next DLC announcment. Tanya is playable now, and Tremor will also be playable before the end of this year, so expect that to be interesting as well with the non cannon characters like Jason Voorhees, from Friday the 13th, and Predator.
I'm not sure I would buy any of these characters, but it would be interested to see just how big the game becomes, because it may just double in size, and it would like to see some new stages, as they really are limited, although most of the time, you don't even care what the level is, because you're too busy fighting to pay attention, but with the addition of environmental tools and weapons added into the gameplay, I would like to see more variety in level choices, but not sure I'm willing to dish out more coin for them in DLC. So it's a Catch-22.
I enjoy the backgrounds though, each one is unique, where other fighting games tend to rehash the same old levels, mortal Kombat X has thirteen distinct levels, but being only thirteen levels in a world where we expect a multitude of levels, it's not necessarily a good thing to have less than more. Each level is fun, but is find the action moves much faster than in any other game, and it gets even more ridiculous in a test Your Luck mode.
test Your Luck was introduced to the MK Universe in MK9, and was perhaps one of the most fun odes I've personally played. The MK fans agree, that it makes for some exhilarating,,albeit, ridiculous wins in any fighting mode. Sure, it can be bullshit, and catch you off guard, but even with the odds against you, it's still possible to win, in a difficult, but still balanced game. Test Yout Luck is still as fun as before in Mortal Kombat X, and keeps the game fresh, even after you've played through Story Mode thrice.
The one thing I found unbalanced was the difficulty, I tried it on very hard, and I tried it on hard, and medium, so I've played the three main difficulties that people expect to learn off of,many medium seems almost too easy, and hard feels almost like playing a semi-stunted A.I., which can get a few good hits, or it can just lay three and die like a sick dog. However, the very hard difficultly seems to be almost asinine in difficulty, and this is coming from a seasoned vet. Don't get me wrong, playing against an A.I that is nerf beyond compare is a great way to deal with professional spammers,mbut with the controllers delay, I find it a pain in the ass to keep up and even show off the skills thwt I know I have. I just think the difficulties are g, but they don't accurately represent what they're called.
Next up is the Faction Wars. This is when players from around the world compe to declare supremacy over the other factions. Think of it like cultures going to war over control of Earthrealm, but it is guided as a very unique combatant team strategy. I've personally joined Lin Kuei when I first downloaded the mobile app, which again was seen as a toss up for fans many people hated it, others play it daily. The faction wars concept is a cool idea, however, I'm not certain I would put much gusto into it being something Pepe stick with over time. I do hope if Nethherrealm Studios supports this mode complexly, it will show up in sequels as well,,and allow for points/ranks/etc. to carry over. Faction Wars, for me, is a great idea, but not one I really care that much for, as I'm sure I'd rather just play against friends, and the A.I.
One of the most popular parts of Mortal Kombat's history are the stage fatalities, and sadly, there doesn't seem to be any in this game, but with the interactions being so useful, I've found there isn't really a need for the extra fatalities, as each character has two fatalities, and five brutalities. I did love the return of the babalities in MK 9, and the brutalities are fun to pull off. I'll be honest, some of them are even better than some of the brutalities. Also, there is an additive to the game that is completely different: faction kills. I've spoken about the faction wars before, but if you choose a faction, there is something quite interesting that comes with the perks of being part of the group: faction kills. Faction kills adds even more carnage to the game, as you stand beside and let allies in your flavtion kill your opponent for you, and it makes for something completely different to most MK fatalities. I joined Lin Luei,,and those kills are different to say, Brotherhood of Shadows, or a Special Forces. So each kill, long or story is surprisingly detailed to the actual faction. The intruistic kills are usually easy, but quite a change a pace from the same fatality that grew staled ten uses earlier, and in online combat, it can be used against another faction.
With the krypt, the Living Towers, which grow and change daily, and weekly. The faction wars, which are always constantly changing, and about improving one's score in the global community. Plus, each and every single game mode awards you for getting better, as each time you play through a tower, Klassic or otherwise, you're getting better, and earning awards for doing so. The game has much replay value, as you barely scratch the surface after beating the short, but satisfying Story Mode, and even after beating every single character' ending, you still have the krypt to contend with, and that is literally a whole other game itself. I don't like the fact, however, that the krypt is overly expensive, and it takes twice the a out of time to earn rewards to unlock stuff in the krypt, as it did MK9's, or even Deadly Alliance's krypt. However, you can still enjoy the game without dealing with all the other bullshit that people complained about (micro transactions, DLC, etc.) because let's face it, if those little transactions allows for Netherralm Studios to make the sequel even better than this game, I'll bit the bullet a bit and say fine,buy Jason a offices, or get a season pass, who cares? So long as MK XI is just as good, if. Of better than MKX.
Overall, I have to say, of all the Mortal Kombat games, and I've literally played all of them, this. Oiled be my new favorite, even being better than MKII, yes I know that sounds like blasphemy, but the numbers don't lie. The game is incredibly fun to play, probably the most developed game in the series, every character has had a great deal of love and polishing given to them, that they almost seem to be a game of their own. Seeing as each character has so much detail,its almost like we were given three MK games in one, and although I feel Goro should've just been put on disc, he's not really missed, and twenty three playable characters is quite enough for the game, seeing as The very first Mortal Kombst only had seven characters to choose from. I did wish there was more unlockable content in the sense of hidden characters, as you can only unlock Shinnok. Still, I'm quite happy with the game, and really, the few complaints that I have, never stifled me from shouting from the metaphorical rooftops the praises for this game.
If you are a fan of Mortal Kombat, and I'm pretty sure you are, then you simply must get this game, and if you don't want to shell out the money for a PS4, or Xbox One just yet, then you will be joining the fight come December 31st when the game is ported to the PS3 and Xbox 360. The game is also available on PC, a rarity for the Mortal Kombat franchise, but no matter now you want to get this game, I recommend you pick it up, because it is incredible for a fighter, and proves why story does matter in a beat'em up, and even transcends your typical fighter. Sure, it can be campy, but that's the point, and it always was the point of the game. I love Mortal Kombat, and this game is love at first sight.
Thank you for reading the Malacast Editorial!
Twitter: @mcasteditorial for Malacast Agent
@FunNYFisherman for Edgar Holves
I would also like to say sorry about not getting Part 2 of the harrowing Inheritance out to you by last Froday, I've not been able to get it done in the timely fashion, and rather than rush such a bigger shorty story out for the sake of deadlines, I'd rather it turn out better than the first half. So for those waiting on the conclusion, I sincerely apologize,,and I will be consecutively putting out stories in the upcoming weeks, then archiving them later on, as promised. I deeply apologize, and do expect the story by this Friday, as I will have the second half finished by Friday.
Thank you for your patience, and your support.
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