No matter which variation you choose, fights are a nonstop exchange of aggression and intense pressure. If your blocking isn’t on point when the opponent gets up in your face with a flurry of mix-ups, the match can end with just a few big combos. Those attack strings feel more freeform than previous MKs, though the dial-a-combo system – where small timing windows for button inputs put an emphasis on committing to guesses – is still a factor. The tempo is more in line with the breakneck speed of Marvel vs. Capcom than the methodical footsies of Street Fighter, and rounds are rarely decided by a Time Over. But the fast pace still delivers the right balance of offense and defense, provided that both fighters are evenly matched. If the combatants aren’t of equal skill level, or one player thinks they can get away with simply spamming fireballs from a distance, well… at least the match will be over quickly.
MKX also mixes up the series formula by borrowing the stage interaction system from Injustice. Depending on what’s nearby in the backdrop, you’ll be able to vault off walls to escape the corner, or fling a poor old lady as a damaging projectile. Unlike Injustice, every fighter uses the environment in the same mildly advantageous way, making them just impactful enough to add excitement to a match without swinging it grossly in someone’s favor. The same goes for the slow-mo internal organ destruction of the returning X-Ray attacks, which offer a satisfying comeback factor without being automatic ‘I win’ barrages.
And it wouldn’t be an MK game without those shocking, darkly humorous Fatality finishers. They’re liable to turn your stomach with how extremely graphic they are, courtesy of MKX’s impressively polished visuals (save for some occasionally glitchy lighting and shiny sweat textures that look more like scales than actual perspiration). But what really sells all the hand-to-hand combat and wince-inducing Fatalities are the silky smooth character animations, which look as weighty and authentic as the moves seen in a choreographed kung fu flick.
You’ll get to enjoy plenty of thrilling fight scenes in MKX’s story mode, which is just as excellent (and charmingly campy) as MK9’s cinematic-heavy single-player campaign. For all its cheesy or over-the-top moments, this epic, chronology-hopping saga is ceaselessly entertaining. You’ll laugh when Johnny Cage dishes out an egotistical zinger before a brawl, and you’ll pump your fist in excitement when Sub-Zero doles out a frosty beatdown. Even more impressive is how the plot actually makes you care about these characters; unlike the intro/outro clipshows most fighting games have to offer, MKX’s story bothers to include things like character development and heartfelt moments in between all the ridiculous action. Every cast member comes to life through great voice-acting and a surprisingly enjoyable script that hits all the right humor and intrigue beats.
All that’s a pretty tough act to follow, and once you’ve wrapped up the five-ish hours it takes to reach the story’s end credits, the rest of the single-player content seems boring by comparison. Matches in the Test Your Luck mode – which assigns random, ridiculous effects (like super speed, raining bombs, or electrified floors) to each fight – feel pretty gimmicky and pointless after a couple chaotic rounds. Likewise, ascending the Arcade-style towers gets old fairly quickly. Fun party-friendly modes like MK9’s tag team battles are out, though MKX thankfully retains the button-mashing Test Your Might minigame and heaps of extra content to uncover in the Krypt (which has been cleverly redesigned into a bite-sized first-person dungeon crawler).
Luckily, fighting games are best enjoyed against a human opponent, and solo play is secondary if you’re able to find a sparring partner. MKX is full of nice touches that cater to competitive-level players, like comprehensive frame data, the option to include diagonals in your move inputs, and button checks (with push-to-set controls) at the character select screen. But there aren’t enough guidelines to help bridge the gap between experts and newcomers. The few tutorials are sparse, with almost zero advice on how to properly utilize each variation; there also aren’t any trials to teach players which combos should be their bread-and-butter attack strings.
[This is where I’d like to tell you all about MKX’s online play, but the servers won’t be turned on until launch day. Living Towers are currently available, and while it’s nice that you can tackle hourly, daily, and weekly challenges, they’re no more incentivized than the regular ladders beyond some high-scoring leaderboard competition. I’ll be updating the review to include my assessment of the netcode and Faction Wars functionality later this week, so be sure to check back!]
As a whole, Mortal Kombat X is a rock-solid fighting game that owes a lot to the power of its presentation. The story mode is unparalleled in terms of sheer entertainment, but MKX has a way to go in terms of teaching the player how to get the most out of its core systems. Once you’ve wrapped your head around the many variations and found some actual people to play against, the blisteringly fast back-and-forth matches really start to open up. If you’re not willing to make the commitment to seeking out challengers and learning beyond the basics, though, this fighter definitely has a shorter life expectancy.
This game was reviewed on PS4.
Supply Gamesradar
Mortal Kombat X review - App Review 4u
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