Mortal Kombat X

The Mortal Kombat franchise has at last made its debut on Xbox One and PS4. Living up to the series’ traditional traits of being brutal, NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros Interactive have brought us outlandish yet realistic looking Fatalities and Brutalities and a whole new roster of characters with a few oldies squeezed in. I’ve been a long-time fan but I shall not be biased. There have been some naff entries to the series and just because this is the Xbox One and PS4’s first Mortal Kombat game, it doesn’t mean it’s a guaranteed hit. Mortal Kombat X (pronounced “ecks” even though it’s the tenth game in the series) brings us forward in the Mortal Kombat universe. Shao Kahn is gone but decrepit Elder God Shinnock has taken over Kahn’s evil reigns in the hope to soak up Earth Realm in its.....evilness?
By www.the-game-domain.com
Published 21st Apr 2015, 10:28 BST
Mortal Kombat XMortal Kombat X
Mortal Kombat X

Although the story is far from being the best, it’s told at a nice pace. Characters such as Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Johnny Cage who sports a new look and Kenshi make a return amongst newbies Kung Jin, Takeda, Kotal Kahn and the Cage daughter Cassie. Like NetherRealm’s previous recent games, MKX’s story mode separates each of these relevant playable characters into chapters where fights seamlessly meld into the cut scenes. Occasionally, you are required to complete quick time events which are a nice touch and fit in perfectly with the story without losing that pacing.

Mortal Kombat X is the deepest fighting game yet. Each character has three variants which determine their move set and appearance which, in turn, affects combos. For example, Scorpion has a variant which allows him to summon demons, use fire abilities or scrap powers for his signature swords. It’s incredibly fun testing out which variant is your favourite. Injustice: Gods Among Us introduced stage interactions which was one of the main selling points in that game. Well, MKX now has them. Although not as extravagant as Injustice’s stage interactions, MKX features jumping off forklifts, swinging on vines and even chucking an innocent old lady aimlessly wandering the background at your unsuspecting opponent...like I said, brutal. Speaking of which, Fatalities are sickeningly gorgeous. Each character has two each and every one of them brings a sense of satisfaction. Upon your first boot up, you’re asked to join a Faction. These are the clans and groups featured within the MK universe such as the Lin Kuei, Black Dragon and White Lotus. Choosing one allows you to earn points which go towards levelling up which unlocks Faction Kills. These are satisfying alternate Fatalities which any character can perform, just more ways of finishing off your opponent.

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Online modes are laggy unfortunately and finding an opponent is quite tough so I haven’t spent a lot of time here but the Living Towers modes and the new Krypt will keep you coming back after the story has ended. The Krypt even has a slight RPG element which requires you to find key items to proceed to different areas within it. It’s cool!

Pros

Satisfyingly brutal and fast paced.

The deepest Mortal Kombat yet.

Fun story mode.

New characters mix well with the old and are awesome to play as.

No more cheap arse Shao Kahn! Hurrah!

Cons

Online is laggy

Although fun to play, the story is weak.

Summary

Mortal Kombat X makes a blazing debut on current generation consoles. It has a fantastically deep combat system, great new characters and a fun story mode even though it’s not the best storyline. Online has some issues but there’s plenty more here to keep you playing. Mortal Kombat X isn’t the best Mortal Kombat but it is certainly the best fighter to date!