If you've read some of my previous entries, you'll know I'm not really qualified to review a video game from any position of technical expertise. So this is less of a look at the mechanics of the game as it is a general overview of an entry in a franchise which I've enjoyed, more or less, for some twenty-plus years now.
Mortal Kombat, or MK henceforth, is one of those franchises that makes me feel kind of old. Not because of how long it's been around, precisely. Rather, because of how I came to know it. You see, once upon a time, not everyone had state-of-the-art super-speed streaming digital computers which could enable instantaneous gameplay with anyone around the world. Some of us fogies who had to leave our homes to sample a video game often went to places which we, in the days of antiquity, called "arcades". And that was how I first became exposed to MK.
I'd heard of it, of course, before then, but my knowledge was limited. But one summer down the shore, I would often spend my evenings in the arcade attached to the amusement park where I worked, waiting for my friend Bryan's shift to end so we could go order the greatest chicken wings in history. As I waited for him, I'd saunter among the free-standing video games, and I found myself intrigued by the screens of backstory which would pop up on MKII while it was idling between plays. And just like that, I became fascinated by what I thought was a really neat story of inter-dimensional invaders crossed with ancient Chinese mythology and a modern-day martial arts tournament. The characters were simple, yet magnetic. And my timing was good, because one day soon thereafter they wheeled in the brand-new MKIII game, and that was the end of that.
So I spent more than a handful of quarters learning how to play both games, and was relatively decent with a few characters, though I would routinely get my butt kicked by Bryan and just about anyone else. I think the janitor beat me once. But I learned the game, at least. I was never quite as keen on the insanely over-the-top violence - sometimes it was so gruesome as to be ludicrous, but often it just felt superfluous. Certainly any game based on a concept like MK would need to be bloody, but I was really more there for the story and the fun of it. Yes, I admit it - my favorite finishing moves were the Friendships.
 |
| These were our original options. They're still some of the best. |
The movie came out, and I loved it - I still do; it's surprisingly sincere for what is ultimately a somewhat loopy premise. And when I went off to college, I got myself an old Nintendo and got the home versions for myself, playing all three games in the trilogy - and later, the expanded version of MKIII as well as the full all-encompassing Trilogy game. I played them until I could beat each game with every character, at least once. I got excited for the film sequel, but let's just say I didn't leave the theater with the same enthusiasm with which I entered.
Over the years, I've purchased each new MK game that's come out, and the quality of these games has been varied, to say the least. Frankly, of the later entries, only the fifth game, Deadly Alliance, was really any good at all to my perspective, in terms of replay value, storyline, character selection, etc. The games were repetitive, and each successive one put greater emphasis on steadily-intensifying graphic depictions of cringe-inducing violence and increasingly-difficult button combos. I should mention that while I got good at the SNES on the first few games...well, that's pretty much what my skill level has remained, and it's how I still play. Surprisingly that still works quite a bit.
But the franchise became boring. Stale. Even a novelty game, MKvsDC, in which the Justice League crossed over with the MK crew, wasn't all that great. So when MK9 was announced - actually just calling itself "Mortal Kombat", sharing the same name as the original, I was not terribly excited. The developers took things in a different direction, though, and went back to the original story...really, that of the first three games...but hit a re-set button, changing the story and creating a brand new timeline revolving around the core characters. This turned out to be a brilliant idea, jettisoning the evermore ridiculous storylines and forgettable characters of the later sequels and going back to basics, but with a new twist, ending in a rather startling conclusion.
Which brings me to Mortal Kombat X, released a few months ago. I mention all of this backstory because the best thing about MKX is that it has something going for it that the past six games or so really haven't: it's different. And in a good way.
 |
| All the old classics and some new faces. And better graphics, I should add. |
All the staple elements are there, of course. Most of the core characters, the same general moves, gameplay options, extras, etc. And of course, the violence is perfectly up to snuff, you'll be glad to know. But rather than retread the same concept as most of it the previous games had done, MKX builds on the new timeline of the prior entry, and actually takes the story forward.
As MK9 was a re-set of the first three games, so MKX is sort of revisiting the plot of MKIV, at least in terms of broad strokes. But to do it, the story jumps ahead twenty years, and now the heroes we've been following for so long are middle-aged, greying, and world-weary. They are, however, still capable of kicking beaucoup derriere. Real-world things have happened to them, and, to show that these are older and wiser characters, beards abound. It's like there's a whole beardfest, actually - I'm surprised they didn't add in a Beardality option.
The main plot of the game revolves around the children of several of the classic heroes working together as a Special Forces unit, and are key in dealing with both the new emperor of Outworld, a rather interesting character with an Aztec theme, and in facing down Shinnok, who for the first time is actually not a complete dipstick of a character. The older Kombatants are still facing down the consequences of the last game, which for some are quite literally the walking dead. There's a nice balance between the classic characters and the new, and these novice additions are all welcome - none of them feel like the tired re-treads we were getting in previous sequels. A few of the more popular characters from MKIV and MKV appear as well, though few of them are playable.
The writing and voice acting are spot-on, and it feels like far more effort went into creating the story and dialogue this time than in any previous game. Yes, it's still extremely silly at points, but it nails the characters we've come to know and love, and also creates well-defined, engaging rookies. Johnny Cage has become a caring father and mentor, and it works well for him. Raiden is becoming desperate and dark; Sonya is angry and bitter. Perhaps the most striking moment for me, as a long-time fan, was seeing Scorpion, now restored to his humanity as Hanzo Hasashi, sitting down to tea with age-old nemesis Sub-Zero. Watching these two inveterate rivals, now grizzled (and bearded!) attempt to make peace was a bizarre but fascinating scene.
All in all, I've really enjoyed the game. It's got most of my favorite characters from MKI and MKII, and it's just about as much fun as the earlier games were. I don't bother with mastering chain combos, or online play, or anything like that. MK for me has always been about letting off a little steam for half an hour and beating the snot out of overbearing demonic creatures with a fair amount of button mashing. This game builds on the franchise's new strategy of going in a fresh direction, but still keeping what makes MK viable. I'd recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed the characters and stories of previous games. I can't really tell you how it compares to the earlier entries in terms of advanced gameplay options, of course, but let's put it this way: if I can do it without a problem, anyone with more advanced gaming skills (including most seven year olds, not that they should be playing these games), should have no issue.
It's very clear from the conclusion of this game that there's another sequel ready to be told. And for the first time in over fifteen years, I actually find myself looking forward to seeing where it goes. After all this time, MK finally has something new to do.
I think I'll go play it some more. Where the heck did I put that George Clinton soundtrack....?
No comments:
Post a Comment