Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe - 360
- December 02, 2008 14:55 PM PST
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Check your brain at the door and you'll enjoy this campy, ludicrously over-the-top fighter.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Though far from a technical fighting game, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe exceeds expectations by delivering a solidly enjoyable casual fighter. The Mature-rated gore is missed, but the core combat here feels more confident and energetic than it has in years.
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There are several ways to judge a game like Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. One way is to compare it to top-tier, tournament-grade fighting games such as Soul Calibur IV, Tekken 5, and Virtua Fighter 5. The problem is that Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is miles away from a technical fighter -- it's not even remotely trying to compete with those games. To judge Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe on its technical merits is to miss the point entirely, as this is a fighting game designed to be played by a broader, more casual audience. Taken in this context, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is largely a success.
When Worlds Collide
The storyline is laughable, yet retains a campy, bumbling charm that can be hypnotic. In the opening cinema, a battle between Superman and Darkseid triggers a kind of "resonance cascade" scenario in which several dimensions begin to collide, with predictable brand-crossover results. Now warriors from the Mortal Kombat universe, including ninjas Scorpion and Sub-Zero, are prowling the streets of Gotham City and Metropolis looking for trouble. Making matters worse is that the DC and MK heroes are being possessed by "Rage," a mysterious affliction tied to the merging of the two worlds, which makes them uncontrollably attack friend and foe alike.
The Story Mode is a minor innovation in that it enables you to play from the perspective of either the Mortal Kombat or DC characters as they attempt to set their universes straight. And while the plot and dialogue are ludicrous in both storylines, the two distinct perspectives do provide genuine incentive to replay the single-player game -- a rarity in the fighting genre. Voice acting in the cinemas is a hit-and-miss affair, with characters such as The Joker and Batman sounding dead-on, and others sounding just, well, dead. Series villain Shang Tsung has a particularly eye-rolling vocal performance -- the graceless voice actor croaks and wheezes his lines like Marcus Fenix after a night of hard drinking. Depending on your sense of humor, you'll either find these moments to be hilarious and endearing, or painful and embarrassing.
Kore Kombat
Despite the presence of DC Comics characters such as Wonder Woman and The Flash, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is firmly rooted in the gameplay tradition of Mortal Kombat. The fights are a blend of both the old and the new from the MK series, combining the simpler 2D pleasures of the early games (jumpkicks and fireballs galore) with the deeper combos and strategies of the later 3D titles such as Deception and Armageddon. The resulting gameplay feels fast, fluid, and fun, and it's definitely a step in the right direction. It's not the deepest combat system ever, but the barrier to entry is low and you can pick up a character's basic techniques in under a minute. The result is a game that's perfect for parties and lazy Sunday afternoons -- you won't have to strain your brain to enjoy this fighter. Perhaps most important of all is that MK vs. DC feels more like Mortal Kombat than the Tekken-ized 3D trilogy that graced the PS2 and Xbox.
MK vs. DC also introduces a few splashy new gameplay wrinkles, and the results are visually impressive but easy to perform. The first is called "Klose Kombat," and it's executed as a special grab move. In Klose Kombat, the camera zooms in tight while the characters pummel each other at close range with headbutts, elbows, and knees. Klose Kombat looks snazzy, nicely showing off the detailed character designs, but it's a gimmick that's easily countered by matching your opponent's timed button presses. "Test Your Might" returns as a mid-match button-tapping frenzy, as you smash your opponent through a series of walls and attempt to inflict maximum damage. Finally, "Freefall Kombat" fares best of all, enabling you to bash your opponent off a cliff and whack away at him in mid-air. It's during moments such as these, with two characters struggling for the upper hand as they soar hundreds of feet through the air, that MK vs. DC shines brightest. Freefall Kombat has some balance issues that crafty players will surely exploit online, but the premise is fresh and exciting, and a natural step forward for this storied series. I hope to see it return for the next Mortal Kombat game.
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Comments [25]
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The game sounds like a cash in. The developers turned away from what we expect of mortal kombat. No alternate costumes indicates that they plan on ripping people off with DLC.
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Street Fighter Turbo in HD looks so damn good. I can't wait. As for this game, YAWN. What is it with MK games, they always look like they are running on last generations hardware. I might rent this, no way in hell is this a 60 dollar game though.
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I'm always confused by Sid's review In some instances he compares whole games to other games wheras in this instance he says keep your expecations low and play it anyway. Why not start with low expecations on all games and review them as seperate pieces of the genre. Or just play Monster Hunter and call it a day.
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I'm always confused by Sid's review In some instances he compares whole games to other games wheras in this instance he says keep your expecations low and play it anyway. Why not start with low expecations on all games and review them as seperate pieces of the genre. Or just play Monster Hunter and call it a day.
What I'm saying here is that MK vs. DC is not a technical fighter, so if you go in expecting that you're asking for lots of disappointment. If you know what you're getting into, it's a good, enjoyable game. If you nitpick it to death, sure, it doesn't match what's in Tekken or Soul Calibur. But what it does, it does well -- it's a great casual fighting game.
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lets see a teen rated mortal combat game yea thats a great idea, not that the reason to get mk is the over the top gore like the first ones
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