Another most anticipated fighting game this year. This game returns back to old Mortal Kombat days, with the return of Fatalities and bloody violence.
Storyline
After you defeated your opponent in two rounds, you have the option to execute a Fatality, Babality, or Stage Fatality on your opponent. Those moves are violent moves that will kill your opponent outright. In order to do so, you need to perform a button combination to do it.
Each characters have their own special attacks and combo attacks that will help you win in winning the match. If you need help, go to the Moves List in your Pause menu to see what are his/her special attacks and how to do it.
A new feature in this game is a Super Meter. By hitting your enemies or get hit by them, your meter will fill. There are three levels. The first level allows you to use Enhanced versions of your special attacks, the second level allows you to use Breaker to counter an opponent's attack at the right time, and the third level allows you to use X-Ray move.
Storyline
The Story Mode takes place after the events of Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, but will travel back time to the first Mortal Kombat tournament.
The story takes place after Mortal Kombat: Armageddon events. Every fighters are killed in a fight brutally, with only two survivors at the tournament. Raiden and Shao Kahn. Shao Kahn was about to deliver the final blow to Raiden, but Raiden sends a warning and visions to the past Raiden in order to prevent this outcome. Then, the past Raiden changes his decisions of choosing fighters in fighting the tournament in order to change the future, in the first Mortal Kombat tournament, and the upcoming two more tournaments.
The game's Story Mode is a great mode where we can enjoy the altered storyline of the first three Mortal Kombat games. There is more exposure to the characters that flesh out their personalities, like Cyrax, Smoke, Sektor, and others. Most of the characters in the Story Mode have their own highlight moments, giving equal exposure to them. My favourite characters would be Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Kitana, Smoke, and Kung Lao, and I am pleased to see that their personalities did not change much.
The storyline is very well made, great for both new players and long-time fans to view. With great characters and story, the game has one of the best storyline in a fighting game.
One problem in the Story Mode is that you can's skip or pause during cutscenes. Only after completing the Story Mode, that you are allowed to skip cutscenes.
Also, by finishing Arcade Ladder with a specific character, you can view his/her ending, giving some kind of new start for the characters.
Gameplay
Good old Mortal Kombat fighting, giving bloody experience to all players.
The game features similar gameplay like previous Mortal Kombats. It is a one on one fighting, and the you need to win 2 rounds in order to win a match. You have 4 attack buttons, Front Punch, Back Punch, Front Kick and Back Kick. Each attack buttons attack specific body parts, like Tekken series. Also, you have a Throw button as a grab attack, Block button to block attacks, Tag button to switch characters, and Flip Stance button to switch your fighting stance.
Fatalities are back in this game, along with Babalities and Stage Fatalities.
After you defeated your opponent in two rounds, you have the option to execute a Fatality, Babality, or Stage Fatality on your opponent. Those moves are violent moves that will kill your opponent outright. In order to do so, you need to perform a button combination to do it.
Each characters have their own special attacks and combo attacks that will help you win in winning the match. If you need help, go to the Moves List in your Pause menu to see what are his/her special attacks and how to do it.
A new feature in this game is a Super Meter. By hitting your enemies or get hit by them, your meter will fill. There are three levels. The first level allows you to use Enhanced versions of your special attacks, the second level allows you to use Breaker to counter an opponent's attack at the right time, and the third level allows you to use X-Ray move.
X-Ray move is one of the most finest addition in this game. All character's X-Ray moves are brutal, but Kitana's is the most brutal.
One of the newest addition in this game is X-Ray moves. Each character have their own specific X-Ray moves that can deal huge damage to enemies. Each character's X-Ray move have different timing. For example, Sonya Blade's X-Ray move can be activated instantly and she will rush down to the opponent, while Sub-Zero's X-Ray move needs to be charged up so that it can deal maximum damage. Learn to use each X-Ray moves to see when to use it, because the X-Rays of each characters are different in terms of usage.
Arcade Ladder is similar to other fighting games' arcade mode. By defeating an opponent, you will progress further and fight Shao Kahn finally. Each matches will be different opponents, and there are some hidden opponents in a certain level that requires certain conditions to fight.
You can also have a partner to join you in a Tag match.
You can also play Tag matches with your friends. You can choose two characters of your liking and use them in Tag match. Using Tag Assists are important as your opponent can switch characters anytime they want to. The objective is to defeat both characters in two rounds.
You have basic Arcade Ladder match, Tag Ladder match, and other types of matches. I will detail those in the Replay Value section. The game features more than 20 characters, which allows players to choose which one as their favourites. I am glad to see my favourite characters return in this game, like Kung Lao, Sub-Zero, and others.
The gameplay is well made, suitable for all kinds of players. Not much complaint here, but I must address the problem that Shao Kahn in this game are very overpowered, he can just shrug off damage and execute his own move to defeat us, not to mention he has high health and attack power. I have to Retry many times just to beat him in one round.
the only thing is, it may be cause I had completed story already but on my second play-through I was able to skip the cutscenes in story, I just had to wait a couple of moments then I think X or A skipped them, don't think they can be paused though.