Entertainment

Games: Mortal Kombat another back-to-basics reboot

Fergal Hallahan

Mortal Kombat X (PS4)

By: Warner

IN THE early 90s, Street Fighter ruled arcades with an iron fist, and only Mortal Kombat came within punching distance. Famous for its cod-Eastern mythology and poor spelling, Kombat’s trump card was poorly digitised characters and acts of bodily dismemberment so gruesome it paved the way for a US games ratings system that exists to this day.

Thus for my generation, indulging in some Mortal Kombat was the gaming equivalent to a video nasty or some surprisingly hirsute grot mag. A continuation of 2011’s surprisingly decent back-to-basics reboot, X focuses on the loin fruit of classic characters, achieved in typical Kombat form by kicking seven shades out of a rogue’s gallery through button-mashing one-one-one battles.

Boasting a swollen roster of 25 fighters, veterans such as Liu Kang, Scorpion and Sub-Zero rub muscular shoulders with eight newcomers along with DLC guests Jason Voorhees and the Predator, and all can be dispatched in fine Mortal Kombat style.

The Fatality – the series’ trademark end-of-match finishing move – has never been more horrifying. Faces are sliced off, heads pushed into torsos and digestive systems merrily yanked through mouths. But whereas the original MK’s characters looked like they were made out of Teletext, with the gore rendered in a cheerfully cartoon manner, 21st century bells and whistles mean the guts on offer here are almost too wince-some.

Look beyond the tabloid-baiting gore, however, and you’ll find a surprisingly dexterous ballet of button pounding with a finely balanced fighting system. The Story Mode’s pseudo-mystical claptrap lets challengers play from the perspective of several characters in the war between Earth Realm, Outworld and the NetherRealm, while most of the fighters killed in 2011’s effort are resurrected as zombies.

The stripped-down gameplay style is carried over from Mortal Kombat 9 with the addition of Variations, which can be tacked onto individual fighters to mix up their move sets. Matches are rated by a points system with bonuses awarded for speed, flawless victories and finishers.

And points, as Brucie will tell you, mean prizes. The Krypt is a rather well-executed first-person romp were players can splurge their in-game moolah on sweet unlockables, from alternative costumes and concept art to new finishing moves. Unfortunately, the Krypt’s economy means paid DLC awaits at every turn, where real-world money can unlock it all for a price.

Most gallingly, players can now sink real life Koin into the game and buy instant Fatalities, those badges of honour any 90s gamer worth his salt was judged by. And that, my friends, sums up everything that’s wrong with modern gaming.

I loved me some Mortal Kombat back in the SNES days and miss the days of tournaments before this online carry-on took over. X lets my generation go kung-fu fighting once more with the least sneaky ninjas in gaming, perfectly capturing the series’ ultraviolent, lowbrow appeal.

While 50 sheets is a bit steep, the 10th official Mortal Kombat will let you release your inner teenager, even if, like me, he’s never really been caged.