Review by Adam Stephen Kelly
UK Certification 18 | UK RRP £44.99 | Region PAL | Developer NetherRealm Studios | Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive
It's been so long since I've had any interest whatsoever in the Mortal Kombat franchise that remembering “the good old days” feels like vague memories of a past life plodding around in my head. Since the series went 3D in Mortal Kombat 4, I've seen each new title get progressively worse to the point where the most recent games have become stains on the legacy of one of the industry's most successful and beloved franchises. But now that's all changed. Mortal Kombat has gone back to its roots and is all the better for it. The ultra-violent delight has returned.
If it ain't broke... don't fix it. How many times has this reigned true in all kinds of media? The new Mortal Kombat reboot may seem like somewhat of a step backwards given that it's a 2D fighter, but trust me when I say that it's actually a step in the right direction. In fact, it's the best step the series has taken in over a decade.
Taking elements from the original 2D trilogy, as well as a small slice of MK4 in the form of the evil sorcerer Quan Chi, the story of Mortal Kombat begins with Raiden, the God of Thunder (no, not Thor), about to be killed by Shao Khan in a battle that has resulted in the deaths of just about every prominent face from the games (similar to the way Mortal Kombat: Armageddon from 2006 ended). But just a moment before Khan can deliver the finishing blow, Raiden casts a spell to send a message to his past self, alerting him of the catastrophic future and how the events of the very first Mortal Kombat tournament must be altered to prevent tragedy in the years to come. In essence, it's Back to the Future with all the signature blood and guts that we know and love.
Completely revitalising the games, this new chapter offers gory 2D action on stunning 3D backdrops. Not only do they each have a sense of depth as we're introduced to glossy current-generation interpretations of classic stages from the first three titles, but there's always so much going on that it's a challenge not to get distracted as you beat the holy hell of your opponents. And yes, I wrote opponents. Mortal Kombat takes a page out of pro wrestling's book and includes tag team battles for a co-operative take on the visceral violence.
All of your favourite characters have come home to deliver Fatalities that are more gruesome than ever before, as well as the brand new and gloriously brutal X-Rays, which allow us to see just how much damage certain special moves do to your opponent's skeleton and internal organs. Yet Mortal Kombat has truly evolved since the days when the extremely graphic content was just a gimmick. Fast forward from 1992 to 2011 and we have a fighter that is legitimate competition to its more serious rivals in the genre, from Tekken to Street Fighter. Sure, the spectacularly bloody Fatalities and bone-crunching strikes are the unique selling point of the game as ever, but this time round it is so much more.
Apart from the story featuring some dodgy dialogue and voice acting, as well as occasionally being a little hard to follow with the constant shifts in time, Mortal Kombat is one of the most robust fighting titles that I've ever had the pleasure of playing. The characters look great, the highly enjoyable story mode is of a decent length, and there is an absolute wealth of additional content, from alternate costumes, concept art and music, to hidden Kombat modes, upcoming DLC and literally hundreds of bonus challenges, all prolonging the life of the game so that you can have even more fun taking lives. Just goresome.