Mortal Kombat X Review

It’s not unusual for a game to be considered violent. But there’s violence and then there’s cutting a Princess’s body in two, dismembering a Demi-God, slicing the face off of an army general or exploding the testicles of an upright amphibian. Violence is what has always separated Mortal Kombat from the usual suspects of the fighter genre and with NeatherReam’s Mortal Kombat X, the iconic series’ first venture onto current-gen platforms, high definition violence is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to making one of the finest fighters to date.

Like all fighters, Mortal Kombat X’s strength lies in it’s gameplay and, whether you are a newcomer to the series or an old school decapitator, you’re going to feel at home. Button combinations are simple, effective and are easily chained together to create lethal ‘Kombos’ that will have you juggling the health out of your opponent after just a few fights. Those with a more pragmatic approach will also be glad to know the practice arena returns, allowing you to work out the best possible way to beat the pulp out of opponents by trying your might on AI-bots. It’s extremely rewarding when after hours of practice, you finally nail that 15-hit ‘kombo’ you’ve been training your muscles to remember.

Boasting a roster of no less than 24 characters, with others behind a DLC pay-wall, there is more than enough choice for which ever fighting style suits you the most, be it classic Kung Lao Kung-Fu or the acid spitting Reptile. What’s more, each character has a choice of three different fighting styles. This isn’t an appearance change though, but significantly changes the fighting moves, specials and kombos of each character. Kenshi for instance can either be: Possessed in which he can summon a demon to focus on large single blows of damage, Kenjitsu where the focus is more on sword based combos or Balanced, a more approachable style suitable for any type of player. With these different variants for every character across the roster, it becomes more like 72 characters rather than 24 and you’re sure to find one that will perfectly reflect your systematic button-mashing in some form or other.

The roster also includes eight new characters, with the John Wayne inspired, cowboy-gunslinger Erron Black and bug summoning insect queen D’Vorah, amongst the highlights. It is a little disappointing though that the majority of the new characters are simply the children or relatives of existing ones. With a redesign and a slightly tweaked move list, the likes of Cassie Cage, Jacqui Briggs, Takeda and Kung Jin are simply rehashes of their ancestors (Johnny Cage/Sonya Blade, Jax, Kenshi or Kung Lao). If you’re looking for a new character to get to grips with, you’re unlikely to find anything new with these guys.

They do however, play an integral role in Mortal Kombat X’s story. A forgettable quest between various realms in order to stop Shinnok wreaking havoc with his powerful amulet. It’s a dull five or six hours, but allows you to get the feel for 12 different characters, each having their own chapter. With the new characters on the front-line of the war,  commanded by their elders, it is clear that they are paving the way for the series going forward but ultimately this is just another bland story added into a fighter for the hardcore fans or antisocial-gamers wanting to make the most of single-player.

Luckily for them there is a host of other features to keep them coming back for more. The Towers return, an arcade mode which puts you against eight random opponents, now in various forms; whether it is a Klassic, a ‘stay alive as long as you can’ survival, or the new living towers which change every hour, day and week, you’ll rarely find yourself in an identical bout. What’s more, each Tower you complete gives you a score you can challenge your friend to beat, allowing you to see if those hours of trash talking in the office are justified or not. With solid online servers and a thriving community as well as the Krypt, a place where you can spend your Koins on more character skins, moves and the holy grail of Mortal Kombat, fatalities, there’s plenty of stuff to keep Mortal Kombat X inside your console.

The longer you play, the more desensitized you’ll become, experiencing feelings of both shame and glee when you stumble across a new fatality, condemning you to a life of never being grossed out again. Yes, the iconic fatalities return and are more gruesome and entertaining than ever; they’ll make you laugh, wince and even cover your eyes in some cases. With the power of the current-gen consoles being displayed, you’ll get a great insight into the intricacies of the human body; veins, brains, hearts and limbs are all chopped, ripped or torn in some form or another, and are frighteningly realistic when left to rot in a pile on the floor following a simple combination of buttons. When everything is where it should be though, the graphics range from fantastic to bearable. Cut-scenes and close-ups are ripe with flat textures and in-complete details, particularly when it comes to the non-human characters. Luckily though, these downfalls are overshadowed when the game is in motion as it becomes the best looking fighter currently out there with dramatic scenery, brilliant environments and a sickening amount of blood splatters!

Don’t let that prevent you from taking the plunge into Mortal Kombat X though. It is one of the finest fighters of recent years and welcomes both new and returning players to the series with simple, refined controls as well as gore to make you question your psychopathic tendencies. While the story doesn’t quite live up to NeatherRealm’s previous game Injustice: Gods Among Us, it leads the way for future installments and is both an obvious choice for hardcore fans and newcomers alike. While the story may last only a matter of hours, the real reason to keep playing lies in the Towers, multiplayer and the trial and error of finding the perfect character combination.

FINISH HIM!