TOKYO: Mortal Kombat X embraces the gore, but also builds on the foundation NetherRealm Studios constructed when it rebooted the storied Mortal Kombat franchise in 2011. The game is devoted to its players, every sect of them. It welcomes fighting game newbie with accessible gameplay, piques the interest of those heavily invested in series lore with a dark story and appears to be challenging and balanced enough to encourage highly competitive, professional play.
Mortal Kombat X takes a bold choice for the franchise by sending the characters into the future, and introducing us to many of their offspring. After NetherRealm chose to reboot the entire series mythology (akin to many comic book reboots we’ve seen in the last decade), it’s fantastic to see the studio venture into untrod territory with lots of new faces.
Finish him!
The feeling of not having enough is echoed in users fighter selection. There are 24 playable characters in Mortal Kombat X, plus Goro for those who pre-ordered the game. Four have already been announced as downloadable content as well.
There are several brand new fighters for the series, and they’re all dynamite. Mysterious outlaw Erron Black, who fights with both pistols and swords, offers a fun mix of combat styles. Part-insect, part-woman D’vorah’s speed and reach thanks to insectoid arms that quickly close the gap between her and another fighter make her deadly. And Cassie Cage the offspring of Johnny and Sonya is just plain fun, thanks to a great mix of her parents’ techniques folded into one character.
And these are just a few examples, since there are eight brand-new playable characters for players to master. But each character has three variants that change the way they handle in battle. Selecting a variation before the fight affects that entire fight; it isn’t a mere stance change. These definitely cater to different player’s strengths competitively.
For instance, Sub-Zero’s “Cryomancer” variation allows him to summon weapons made of ice, which is mapped to quarter-circle gestures. They make him more offensive, especially because of the powerful overhead ability of his ice axe. But more defensive players may opt for the “Grandmaster” variant, which allows Sub-Zero to summon a frozen clone of him that can be tossed to keep a foe at a distance, or used a shield. Each variant also comes with its own telltale visual cue, so you can see what version of each character you’re fighting before they even throw out a move.
For casual players, that’s more than enough options, but seasoned fighting game veterans have a lot of new systems to learn. Mortal Kombat has always had prominence in the professional fighting game community, but this version is already posed to make waves after securing a spot in professional fighting game tournaments before release. No one character or variation seemed too powerful during a few days of play, but watching it shakes out over weeks and months will be interesting.
Thanks to easy combos, the game is more beginner-friendly than some of its contemporaries. This is most evident in the new “easy” fatalities, the gruesome, iconic finishing move the series is known for. Once strictly the domain of perfectly-timed inputs button combos, you can now unlock a character’s fatality with just two buttons an option that is clearly displayed when a match is paused. But these simplified fatalities aren’t free they cost in-game currency, so looking cool still costs you if you don’t want to learn the longer combos.