Reviews// Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe

Accessibility was the name of the game for Mortal Kombat, and it has been faithfully re-introduced in this latest iteration. You can chain the short combo moves together to try something flash, or you can leave it to cheap-arse crouch kicking and fireballs from afar. Either way, it’s good fun with a mate in tow.

Unfortunately, one of the other classic mainstays of the Mortal Kombat franchise is the excessive violence. This is where MK vs DC Universe suffers a little bit, because whereas the action is no doubt brutal, it leaves a lot to be desired, especially in its Fatalities. For those of us who remember severed spines, exploding limbs and flying giblets, this game is pretty tame.

About the most extreme it gets is the odd skeleton after being charred, and Kitana’s deformed body kiss makes a toned down return too. You can’t help but feel that some of the showmanship is lost here. In fact it almost cheapens the MK experience by making an 18-rated series into a 15-rated game. The American audience have it even worse thanks to the censoring of some of the headshots found in the game.

I understand that the compromise is probably made due to the inclusion of the DC Universe side of things, and that’s a respectable balance to achieve. It certainly doesn’t make this game any less fun to play, and it creates one hell of a DC Universe fighting game. But those Mortal Kombat fans looking for something more visceral aren’t going to find it in this game.

Outside of the obvious multi-player modes and the Story Mode, which you will complete very quickly, there aren’t an awful lot of additional gameplay options, either. You have your standard Arcade Mode, built from the classic ladder that has been a staple of the MK series, that will take a while to beat playing as every single character; there’s also a Kombo Challenge that has ten advanced combo moves for each character to master.

This is where I came unstuck, as it was very difficult to input some of the combo commands in a timely fashion – the usual, quick 1-2-3 presses weren’t getting me anywhere. Perhaps it was me and how much I suck at these things, or maybe it’s further proof that Mortal Kombat is a classic straightforward arcade brawler in its core, and anything else is diving into waters beyond its depth.

But you can always ignore those modes and get straight to what’s important – puncturing your mate’s lung with Scorpion’s spear, and pulling him towards you for a cheeky uppercut. MK vs DC Universe is a game best played with mates in the same room, as there was considerable lag when I played several bouts online with others.

But the chances are you’re not going to get this as a serious, ultra-testosterone fighting game in an attempt to beat your chest at anonymous players online. That, ultimately, is to Mortal Kombat’s benefit. It isn’t your next combo-heavy, super-intense fighting ‘simulation’. It hasn’t got a hope in hell of being a better series than Virtua Fighter and Street Fighter in that regard, and it never will. Because Mortal Kombat is about something more accessible and, dare I say it, fun-loving than those other fighting games.


[b]CONCLUSION
Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe is about having a quick battle with your mates after coming back from the pub, and seeing the spectacle of larger-than-life characters duke it out. The inclusion of the DC Universe may have toned down the image somewhat, but it doesn’t change the fact that this is still a very playable, tight fighting game. Thoroughly enjoyable, and the best Mortal Kombat in years.

SPOnG Score: 85%[/b]