Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe And More

(See the end of this post for two Abreviewations)

"DARK KAHN WINS" is still ringing in my ears after playing Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe for several hours. In the same vein as those epic Capcom vs Marvel or Capcom vs SNK fighters, MKvDCU pits the characters from the Mortal Kombat canon against those from the world of DC Comics. What ensues is actually a great deal of fun, once you get used to the combat system, and the little "minigame-esque" extras that pop up from time to time in battle.

The game has the typical modes that you'd expect in a Mortal Kombat title. There's the standard arcade mode, which I started with as soon as the disc loaded. This mode of course lets you select your character and battle the totem pole of opponents until facing the big baddy, Dark Kahn. The difficulty level isn't to high, though I did have do more than a handful of continues and character changes in order to reach the top. There's no start over penalty, and no limit on the number of continues you get. Fighters always draw me in though, and I didn't give up until I beat it.

Of course, like all fighters you get the Practice mode; but the mode to note is the Story Mode. Fortunately for us, they didn't make it some crazy RPG type thing, either. The story mode let's you pick from following the story of Raiden, God of Thunder in Mortal Kombat, and his closest foes/allies, or that of Superman and his. You then unravel the tale of how their respective Universes become intertwined. Also, Darksied and Shao Kahn warp digivolve into Dark Kahn somehow. I picked the DC side, and got to jump from character to character in roughly 9 chapters, with cut scenes and and fights abound. The dialogue was very similar to that found in a typical episode of Justice League, and the voice acting wasn't too terrible either.


Now, the fighting. It wasn't good. But it wasn't bad either. It was fun, and I think that's all that matters, really. The visuals were pleasing the eye, and some of the attacks were pretty cool looking. The fighting is occasionally interrupted by mini-games similar to quick-time events, which breaks the fighting game monotony fairly well. A little button mashing and quick reflexes and you'll be dealing heavy damage to your opponent.

I have one gripe about this game that transcends the fun I had with it. It was rated T. As in, Teenager. The developers wanted to make sure the ESRB would award them a T rating in order to appeal to a broader audience. What does this do? It ruins the whole point of Mortal Kombat title by making it less violent, less bloody, less over the top. In particular, they edited the best Fatality ever found in a Mortal Kombat game. Joker's Fatality features him pulling a gun on his opponent, only to shoot it and reveal a gag "BANG" flag. The opponent appears confused, but then the Joker pulls a second gun and blow their brains out. In the North American release, the camera rotates so the character getting shot dies off screen.



In conclusion, much like how Punisher: Warzone wasn't a good piece of cinematography by any stretch of the imagination, but was definitely a good time, such is this game. I enjoyed myself, but don't expect greatness. It's a rent, for sure. Check it out.

Abreviewations:

Fallout 3
Yes, yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes. Pick this up. Go out to the store, and buy it immediately. The only thing keeping me from buying this title is my current financial status, and lack of free time to play this through to the end. The story is fantastic, the dialogue is superb. Nearly everything about this game pleases, especially if you are into these expansive RPG titles. Bethesda delivers again. The only problem I have with it is the combat system, which I found too difficult. I died multiple times. Also, be sure to save frequently, on different save files. You'll find yourself respawning to your last "checkpoint" with that angry mob still after you if you don't.


Gears of War 2
Developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft, this game is also full of win, and I recommend that you buy it and play over and over again. I had so much fun playing it, and wish I could of finished the story before having to return them to the rental shop. If you liked Gears of War, you'll adore Gears of War 2. If you didn't like Gears of War, you still may like Gears of War 2. Check it out, you won't be disappointed. The graphics are something to behold, and the fun with guns is so excellently executed. Action packed story driven adventure awaits as you and Marcus Fenix take on the Locusts in this sequel to the 2006 shooter of the year.