At the beginning of the Decline of the Golden Age of the Arcade, a game was introduced that had kids lining up their allowance, in quarters or tokens, on a machine for two or three rounds of unadulterated violence and gore: that game was the Midway’s Mortal Kombat. It seemed to have everything: unbelievable fighting mechanics, awesome special moves, and fatalities that allowed the winner to finish off the loser in the bloodiest ways imaginable. Mortal Kombat was the shit. Fast forward thirty three years and both the arcade and Midway are gone, but Mortal Kombat lives on. NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive have delivered on the tenth installment in the venerable MK franchise: Mortal Kombat X.
Mortal Kombat X is the direct sequel to the Mortal Kombat reboot of 2011, so the the echoes of events from that game are felt here. Quan Chi has taken the souls of Jax, Kitana, Liu Kang, Nightwolf, Sindel, and Kung Lao, all slain in the last game, and has transformed them them into his personal army of revenants. Shao Khan was destroyed at the end of the third tournament, allowing Quan Chi to bust Shinnok out of his prison in the Netherrealm and declare war on Earth Realm. However Johnny Cage and Raiden team up to imprison Shinnok, securing an semi-stable truce with Outworld in the process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm8DOcm2RBA[width=650,height=366]
The Story
The majority of Mortal Kombat X takes place several decades after the events of the previous game. Johnny Cage and Sonya married at some point, but are now divorced. However, Johnny is now some sort of advisor for the Special Forces, commanding a squad that includes his daughter, Cassie, Jacqui Briggs (daughter of bionic muscleman Jax Briggs), Takeda (Kenshi’s son), and a descendant of the original Kung Lao named Kung Jin. However, a civil war has broken out in Outworld between the rightful heir, Mileena, and an usurper named Kotal Khan.The chain of events from that clash of Kombatants means that Johnny’s squad of untested youths go straight from practice to the real thing when refugees escape to Earth Realm with tales of a man with a laser eye. Naturally, this piques the interest of General Blade and she sends the four amigos into Outworld for some recon and a positive ID on Kano. Let the game begin.
Playable Characters
Kung Lao
The impetuous and impulsive Kung Lao still utilizes his razor-brimmed hat as a weapon, as well as a tornado attack, teleport move, and a mean air dive. He’s respectably quick and has some pretty easy combos, and is an equal threat both up close and at a distance.
Jax
Jackson Briggs is probably the largest human on the list, but that doesn’t make him slow. Jax works best as a grappler, utilizing the devastating Gotcha Grab and body slams. Briggs also has an energy wave that can be used at a distance, a punching rush to close the gap between fighters, a ground pound to throw off the crouch blockers, and a rising air kick to thwart aerial assaults. He’s not just another pretty face.
Sonya Blade
Sonya has a few high tech toys at her disposal, as well as her signature leg-grab Her ability to juggle opponents in MK Trilogy is legendary, but it will take some practice to be proficient with Sonya in MKX...probably not the best choice for a starter character.
Kenshi
This butthurt blind man has been seeking revenge against Quan Chi since Deadly Alliance, but has chilled considerably in this installation. He still makes liberal use of his magic sword, telekinetic moves, and a grisly sword-wielding shadow.
Kitana
This Edenian princess has been down with the tournament since MK II. Kitana’s combos are crazy-quick, she can rip you with the fan from across the screen, and one of her fighting styles allows her to use Jade’s bo stick. Her personality has taken a bit of a hit since she died, but she is still a formidable fighter.
Scorpion
Scorpion has been brought back from the dead, by Raiden, and is presented in human form during the story. However, the PvP presentation is his classic spectral form, complete with spear, teleport, and accessible combos. Scorpion is a well-rounded fighter and a solid choice for a starter character.
Sub Zero
This cryomancer has been a Mortal Kombat staple since the first game. In addition to his ice clone, freeze blast, and ground slide, this Lin Kuei assassin can also forge ice weapons during combat and finishing moves.
Mileena
Mileena has the body of an angel but a face that only a Tarkatan could love. Easily one of the fastest and easiest to learn characters, Mileena is a threat to any character on this list. Her teleport kick and forward roll can be performed on the fly, and her sai throw is a threat no matter where the other player is on the screen.
Takeda
Takahashi Takeda is the son of Kenshi, and also possesses the gift of kinesis. In addition, he packs a weapon similar to Scorpion and is nearly as quick as Mileena or Liu Kang. Don’t let him back you into a corner...you’ll die there.
Cassie Cage
Cassie is the daughter of Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade, as well as the de-facto protagonist for the story. Her moves are similar to Sonya with some gunplay thrown in. Cassie is another good choice for a starter character.
Jacqui Briggs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoBsclYvR5o[width=650,height=366]
Jacqui, daughter of Jax, is not as powerful as her father, but she is faster and her move set is very similar to dear ol’ dad. She has a rushing punch to close in the gap while dealing some damage, as well as a shotgun gauntlet strapped to each arm.
Kung Jin
This thief turned Shaolin monk turned Special Forces plays like Nightwolf on amphetamines. Super fast, brutal and accessible combos, and quick ranged attacks means that you’ll be seeing this guy on a lot of leaderboards.
Goro
Shang Tsung’s second in command from the first game, Goro, is unlocked by completing the story mode. He also takes the penultimate slot in the combat ladder, second only to Shinnok. Goro’s advantage is his size and he has a walking punch that might be unstoppable. I wonder if he’s still mad at Johnny for that whole nut punch thing...
Quan Chi
Quan Chi’s giggling teleport stomp from the last game is the best special move in any fighting game, ever. This Netherrealm sorcerer can also shoot green skulls and temporarily zombify opponents for a free uppercut or finishing move. He’s not particularly fast but he’s versatile enough to string flawless victories together in the right hands.
Raiden
Although arguably one of the weakest characters in the 2011 reboot, Boon and company have balanced Raiden to be more of a threat in this game. Most of his special moves involve lightning and his superman attack is one of the most foolproof moves in the game.
D’Vorah
D’Vorah is some sort of insectile humanoid and an associate of Kotal Khan. Although her missile weapons seem low-powered, her counters are probably the best in the game, easily brushing off both rushing and jumping attacks while dealing a ton of damage in the process. Keep D’Vorah at a distance and quell the urge to jump in and get close, unless you’re sure to connect with a combo or special move.
Ferra/Torr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZMYjs_EoHQ[width=650,height=366]
My introduction to this two-part monster was an eye-opening baptism by fire. A combination of speed and power makes this duo the Noob Saibot of Mortal Kombat X. Good luck.
Reptile
Reptile is a good, balanced character, like Sub-Zero or Scorpion. Intermediately powerful and fast, with a lot of offensive weapons to choose from, like the toxic snotball and invisibility.
Kotal Khan
Kotal Khan is the new emperor of Outworld, and he’s kind of a dick about it. Khan is a big, slow guy with only half of his arsenal actually being useful. Players should have a little Kombat experience under their belt before taking this wannabe Aztec god for a round or two.
Ermac
This construct containing ten-thousand souls has a seemingly endless arsenal of attacks. His combos are brutal and devastating, and can be initiated halfway across the screen. Don’t stand in one place too long while fighting against Ermac: he has to be kept on defense or it’s game over, amigo.
Liu Kang
Easily the fastest male character in the screen, Liu Kang’s special moves and combos are accessible and easy to pull off. His still makes use of the fireball and a variety of flying kicks. He’s still pissed off about his death in the last game, but Liu Kang is a great choice for a quick, flawless victory.
Erron Black
What kind of a dick brings a gun to a fistfight? A mercenary. In addition to his revolvers, Erron Black can adopt a fighting style that also utilizes a rifle.
Johnny Cage
Another MK original, Johnny Cage has the biggest mouth in the game, except for Mileena. Johnny’s moves haven’t changed much: split-punch, snotball, and shadow kick are still his go-to special moves. He’s not particularly quick or powerful, but he is a very well-rounded character that can hold his own against almost fighter.
Kano
This Australian mercenary is one of the best all-around fighters in the game. Kano packs cool knife attacks and a rolling ball that can be initiated anywhere on the screen, even in the air. Kano was the highest-scoring character during my playthrough.
Shinnok
You have to pay to unlock Shinnok...so fuck him.
Tower Kombat
Single player ladder combat is the core of the single-player experience. It’s a semi-secluded place to learn new characters and moves and gain combat proficiency. Players are graded on their tower performance and can compare their leaderboard scores with friends and other Kombatants throughout the world. Player scores are modified by flawless victories, fatalities, brutalities, number of continues, etc.
Many different towers exist. One tower offers an endless supply of opponents in a survival mode, test your strength is for players who like to break shit, and test your luck places modifiers into the matches, like raining heads, combat on caffeine, acid rain, Cyrax’s bombs, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYLgwAeva4o[width=650,height=366]
Living Towers provide combat challenges that change hourly, daily, or weekly, often unlocking collectibles.
Multiplayer
Mortal Kombat was originally a PvP fighter, and that’s where the best fights can still be found. MKX is best enjoyed with two controllers plugged into the same machine and shaming your opponent with a bloody finishing move, preferably in front of a gaggle of unbelieving gawkers.
The dark side of the 2011 reboot, aside from the stupidly unbalanced final fight, was the stuttering presentation on online PvP. It’s very difficult to fight when your fighter is in the middle of a three second lag and, unbeknownst to you, on the receiving end of an 8-hit combo. I was unable to coax the skittish i6Hitman out from under his bed for a few rounds of Kombat, but Gatsu Godhand was willing to participate in the online experience. We agreed that Mortal Kombat X online is much more stable than its predecessor, and not nearly as rage-inducing. I was tempted to throw my controller, but that was due to getting my ass beat and not the lag. Congrats to Gatsu for being a fine Kombatant...next time, we’re playing Forza. The King of the Hill mode from the reboot has also returned to Mortal Kombat X
Your Skills are...Extraordinary
The highlights of any Mortal Kombat game are the fighting and finishing moves. The X-ray moves have been carried over to MKX, Fatalities and Brutalities are in full force, and interactive elements, like throwing an old woman at an opponent, are often quite entertaining. Although many characters are missing from the roster at launch,like the cyber-assassins, Sindel, Baraka, Nightwolf, Sheeva, Kintaro, Jade, and Stryker, there are plenty of qualified fighters to choose from. Many of the moves have been simplified to make them more accessible and similar to other fighters:most special moves involve down, toward or away, toward to pull off. Similarly, finishing moves have been standardized to away, down, towards, away, or a variation thereof.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si25KkFl9JU[width=650,height=366]
A Messy End
The only real drawback to this game, because it is really quite good, is the shitty story. Players do not have to engage in the story mode, but if you want to unlock Goro as a playable character (yes, please) then it must be endured. The story mode focuses heavily on the new characters, particularly Cassie, Jacqui, Takeda, and Kung Jin. I would advise practicing up on some of the newer characters before starting the story because you will not be playing with characters that you know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r5woeJDXiA[width=650,height=366]
The story is a jumbled wreck of flashbacks, people coming back from the dead, unnecessary backstory explorations, and hyperactive plot direction, which makes the story mode seem more like an endurance match than a narrative. Why does Kotal Khan invade an Earth Realm forest? Why does Scorpion irrationally declare war on his allies to get at one guy? What is up with Farmer Jax? It’s a damn good thing that we don’t play Mortal Kombat for a good story, or something like that could affect the rating.
Sarcasmo Says
Mortal Kombat X keeps everything that worked in the last game, fixed the multiplayer fiasco, and brought balance back to the MK Universe. You can now have a match online that satisfies like fighting someone sitting next to you on the couch. Beat their ass, eviscerate them, and then eat their guts: that’s the Mortal Kombat way. NetherRealm and WB got this one right.
