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Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
It's great
to see the Mortal Kombat franchise alive and well on next-generation
consoles and best of all, developers Midway have continued to revamp the
franchise with improved gameplay and graphics. However, the biggest inclusion or
change to the franchise is the introduction of DC Universe characters
that include greats such as Batman, Superman and Darkseid.
For those
unaware of the "DC Universe", it's one of America's longest running
comic companies who have spawned a variety of the world's most
recognizable characters. Thankfully for fans of Mortal Kombat, all the characters
of this universe return with their over the top moves and classic
one-liners.
What sets
this game apart from its predecessors
and competitors is the ability to play
one of two story modes that include either Mortal Kombat or the DC Universe.
Although both stories are linked, you can easily play it again via the
other "side" which adds to the overall story of Mortal Kombat vs. DC
Universe. When both universes are threatened by an amalgam of both
universes' worst entities, it's time for both sides to attempt to put
their differences aside as they not only battle for their own universes
but also that of their counterparts. I love the rich DC history that
Midway have included in the game such as references to the Green Lantern
Corps and even the Guardians of the Universe which is pure fanboy.
The game itself is reminiscent of
a simpler time, when the Mortal Kombat franchise
was at its best and in terms of playability, it's as good as Mortal
Kombat 3, however includes a variety of new next-generation console
additions. Although you can successfully complete the title as a
"button masher", provided you have lowered the difficulty
level, to excel, you really need to use the combo attacks or special
maneuvers.
Each of the playable characters in the game have their own special
combos, whether it's Superman, Sub Zero or Wonder Woman. If you do get
stuck with a character's combination, you can pause the game and bring
up a move list. Even though it may seem like a button smasher, Mortal
Kombat vs. DC Universe is too entertaining to complain, especially the
super heroes powers.
Control wise, the game is perfect on the Sony PlayStation 3 controller
with the developers ensuring that nothing seems too forced or difficult.
The game plays quite fast and you really need quite a good
memory to memorize all the maneuvers which is actually an improbability
due to the amount of characters at your disposal. The developers have
added some mini-maneuvers to assist with the gameplay as you
attempt to battle your way to victory. For instance, the "Test Your
Might" cutscenes has you or your foe challenging the other as you push
them through walls or different areas in order to maximize the damage,
whereas your opponent must attempt to "block" these attacks and
counter-attack.
The developers have
ensured that "Test your might" mini-scene uses both familiar
environments from both universes. Whether
you're jumping in the air, kicking, using uppercuts or finishing your foes
with your of your special maneuvers, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is
easily one of the best fighting games available on the PS3 due to the
sheer entertainment of the gameplay and both universes flawless
integrating. Exhilarating!
Fatalities are still an integral part of the Mortal Kombat universe,
however these are not available in the story mode which would of course
effect the overall tale. It's great to see DC characters with their
signature powers fighting either each other or Mortal Kombat
characters and if I could be so bold, this is easily one of the best
DC Comic games available as everything is perfectly done.
Although the
arcade mode will keep you busy for almost an unlimited amount of time,
the story play mode will take around 5 hours to successfully
complete (provided you have some breaks). In the story mode,
gamers get to play all the main characters of both franchises as they
battle their way through a variety of stages, areas and characters in
order to uncover the nefarious plot that threatens both the Mortal
Kombat universe the DC Universe.
In arcade mode, each of the fighters
that you play has a different ending (Not like Tekken, but a brief
history on the future of that character) which is great and gives you
added incentive to complete the game for all characters. If you want pre-rendered
cutscenes, you need to play the story mode which flawless integrates
this with the gaming environment.
Graphically, the title is quite impressive on the PS3, although at times,
the graphics do seem a little sparse, probably because this is a
multi-platform release. The texture details on the characters are quite
realistic as are the pre-rendered cutscenes.
All the characters move
with a human-like grace, even the Superheroes who have been flawlessly
recreated and move quite well with the environment. The backgrounds look
a little Spartan, however some of the DC Universe environments are very
impressive and when you're in Themscryria or Gotham City, you really
know where you are. Needless to say, you need to play this game on high
definition TV to thoroughly enjoy it.
The audio of the game is brilliant and all the DC characters have been
faithfully voiced who do sound like their comic book counterparts (ala
Justice League Unlimited). The
world of Mortal Kombat sound great too as do the overtop voice acting of
some of the characters but this is what the franchise is all about. The
soundtrack is pure Mortal Kombat and suits the genre perfectly.
In conclusion, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is a very impressive
fighting game that melds two great franchises into one. For DC fans,
this is as close as one will get to playing a real DC Comics game and
for lovers of Mortal Kombat, all the class has returned in this latest
edition to the franchise. Great graphics, good gameplay and a decent
fighting game makes this a must have for lovers of this genre.
Definitely the best fighting game of 2008!
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
line-up
Mortal Kombat
Scorpion
Sub-Zero
Sonya
Jax
Shang Tsung
Liu Kang
Raiden
Kitana
Kano
Baraka
Shao Kahn
DC Universe
Batman
Superman
Catwoman
Green Lantern
The Joker
Shazam
The Flash
Wonder Woman
Deathstroke
Lex Luthor
Darkseid |
