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Pre-order DLC seems to be more and more common these days. You know the drill - buy a game early and you get an extra level, character or so forth. That's never really bothered me - until, that is, I picked up Mortal Kombat X. If you pre-ordered the game from certain retailers you got access to a code that let you play as Goro. But if you got it from other retailers, like I did, you can't play as Goro. But the character is still there on the character select screen, greyed out. And he's clearly in the game. The game denies you access to content you've already paid for. Add to that the fact that the game forces you to play the lengthy tutorial section before unlocking the main story mode, and you could understand why I was a bit irked.
Thankfully, that sentiment disappeared when I started playing the game. Mortal Kombat X, the sequel to the reboot, the game that's tenth in the series - confused yet - is a pretty good game. The game is a beat-em-up that, despite using 3D graphics, takes place in a 2D plane. Which really means that you can move and left as you punch your opponents but can't move in and out of the screen. It's also ludicrously gory featuring not only end of match execution moves but also in-match X-Ray attacks that show you breaking your opponents' bones.
Unlike some fighting games, Mortal Kombat X actually has a decent plot. The previous game ended with the fighters seeing off an invasion from evil emperor Shao Kahn, the bulk of the fighters dying horribly during the course of events. MK X takes place a few years later, shortly after another invasion by another evil overlord, seen off by none other than braggart movie star Johnny Cage. Yes, it sounds loopy, but it makes sense within the game's daft canon.
It also serves as a reason to introduce a bunch of new characters, which is a fairly brave move. Some old characters do return as undead warriors - yes, really - but the bulk are dead and gone. New characters include insect queen D'Vorah, Ferr'Torr - who is basically Master Blaster from Mad Max. There's a gunslinger as well, and also the daughter of Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage, as well as Jackson Briggs' daughter. The appearance of these characters children does, as one reviewer has pointed out, mean that things get slightly uncomfortable. Why? Because in single fight mode or battle mode you can have Cassie Cage shoot her mother in the face.
Weird family issues aside, Mortal Kombat X is an excellent game. The game's graphics are pretty good, though I wouldn't describe the PS4's graphics as next gen (possibly since they had to make the game work on other platforms). Each character now has three sets of moves that you choose from when selecting your character, and there are all sorts of kombo-breaking attack reversing moves. Which really means that if you want to play the game just for fun, you can, whereas if you want a hardcore gaming experience you'll be catered for. Though you will get your bottom kicked if you go online if you don't master some of the trickier moves.
It's not perfect - the game is missing the stage fatalities for a start, though there are a few in-stage objects you can chuck about. And players who can memorize button sequences have a real advantage. The gore also might not be to everyone's taste. But it's a great addition to the series and if you have a PS4 or X-Box One, there's not a lot of competition out there. Doubtless the price will drop over the next few months but I don't regret spending just under forty quid on it. I'm still annoyed about the Goro thing, though.
Score - 8 out of 10.
Pros:
It's fun to play.
And very gory.
The game has enough depth to keep fans happy.
Cons:
The game locks some characters away behind DLC.
There are no stage fatalities.
Thankfully, that sentiment disappeared when I started playing the game. Mortal Kombat X, the sequel to the reboot, the game that's tenth in the series - confused yet - is a pretty good game. The game is a beat-em-up that, despite using 3D graphics, takes place in a 2D plane. Which really means that you can move and left as you punch your opponents but can't move in and out of the screen. It's also ludicrously gory featuring not only end of match execution moves but also in-match X-Ray attacks that show you breaking your opponents' bones.
Unlike some fighting games, Mortal Kombat X actually has a decent plot. The previous game ended with the fighters seeing off an invasion from evil emperor Shao Kahn, the bulk of the fighters dying horribly during the course of events. MK X takes place a few years later, shortly after another invasion by another evil overlord, seen off by none other than braggart movie star Johnny Cage. Yes, it sounds loopy, but it makes sense within the game's daft canon.
It also serves as a reason to introduce a bunch of new characters, which is a fairly brave move. Some old characters do return as undead warriors - yes, really - but the bulk are dead and gone. New characters include insect queen D'Vorah, Ferr'Torr - who is basically Master Blaster from Mad Max. There's a gunslinger as well, and also the daughter of Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage, as well as Jackson Briggs' daughter. The appearance of these characters children does, as one reviewer has pointed out, mean that things get slightly uncomfortable. Why? Because in single fight mode or battle mode you can have Cassie Cage shoot her mother in the face.
Weird family issues aside, Mortal Kombat X is an excellent game. The game's graphics are pretty good, though I wouldn't describe the PS4's graphics as next gen (possibly since they had to make the game work on other platforms). Each character now has three sets of moves that you choose from when selecting your character, and there are all sorts of kombo-breaking attack reversing moves. Which really means that if you want to play the game just for fun, you can, whereas if you want a hardcore gaming experience you'll be catered for. Though you will get your bottom kicked if you go online if you don't master some of the trickier moves.
It's not perfect - the game is missing the stage fatalities for a start, though there are a few in-stage objects you can chuck about. And players who can memorize button sequences have a real advantage. The gore also might not be to everyone's taste. But it's a great addition to the series and if you have a PS4 or X-Box One, there's not a lot of competition out there. Doubtless the price will drop over the next few months but I don't regret spending just under forty quid on it. I'm still annoyed about the Goro thing, though.
Score - 8 out of 10.
Pros:
It's fun to play.
And very gory.
The game has enough depth to keep fans happy.
Cons:
The game locks some characters away behind DLC.
There are no stage fatalities.
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Pre-order DLC seems to be more and more common these days. You know the drill - buy a game early and you get an extra level, character or so forth. That's never really bothered me - until, that is, I picked up Mortal Kombat X. If you pre-ordered the game from certain retailers you got access to a code that let you play as Goro. But if you got it from other retailers, like I did, you can't play as Goro. But the character is still there on the character select screen, greyed out. And he's clearly in the game. The game denies you access to content you've already paid for. Add to that the fact that the game forces you to play the lengthy tutorial section before unlocking the main story mode, and you could understand why I was a bit irked.
Thankfully, that sentiment disappeared when I started playing the game. Mortal Kombat X, the sequel to the reboot, the game that's tenth in the series - confused yet - is a pretty good game. The game is a beat-em-up that, despite using 3D graphics, takes place in a 2D plane. Which really means that you can move and left as you punch your opponents but can't move in and out of the screen. It's also ludicrously gory featuring not only end of match execution moves but also in-match X-Ray attacks that show you breaking your opponents' bones.
Unlike some fighting games, Mortal Kombat X actually has a decent plot. The previous game ended with the fighters seeing off an invasion from evil emperor Shao Kahn, the bulk of the fighters dying horribly during the course of events. MK X takes place a few years later, shortly after another invasion by another evil overlord, seen off by none other than braggart movie star Johnny Cage. Yes, it sounds loopy, but it makes sense within the game's daft canon.
It also serves as a reason to introduce a bunch of new characters, which is a fairly brave move. Some old characters do return as undead warriors - yes, really - but the bulk are dead and gone. New characters include insect queen D'Vorah, Ferr'Torr - who is basically Master Blaster from Mad Max. There's a gunslinger as well, and also the daughter of Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage, as well as Jackson Briggs' daughter. The appearance of these characters children does, as one reviewer has pointed out, mean that things get slightly uncomfortable. Why? Because in single fight mode or battle mode you can have Cassie Cage shoot her mother in the face.
Weird family issues aside, Mortal Kombat X is an excellent game. The game's graphics are pretty good, though I wouldn't describe the PS4's graphics as next gen (possibly since they had to make the game work on other platforms). Each character now has three sets of moves that you choose from when selecting your character, and there are all sorts of kombo-breaking attack reversing moves. Which really means that if you want to play the game just for fun, you can, whereas if you want a hardcore gaming experience you'll be catered for. Though you will get your bottom kicked if you go online if you don't master some of the trickier moves.
It's not perfect - the game is missing the stage fatalities for a start, though there are a few in-stage objects you can chuck about. And players who can memorize button sequences have a real advantage. The gore also might not be to everyone's taste. But it's a great addition to the series and if you have a PS4 or X-Box One, there's not a lot of competition out there. Doubtless the price will drop over the next few months but I don't regret spending just under forty quid on it. I'm still annoyed about the Goro thing, though.
Score - 8 out of 10.
Pros:
It's fun to play.
And very gory.
The game has enough depth to keep fans happy.
Cons:
The game locks some characters away behind DLC.
There are no stage fatalities.
Thankfully, that sentiment disappeared when I started playing the game. Mortal Kombat X, the sequel to the reboot, the game that's tenth in the series - confused yet - is a pretty good game. The game is a beat-em-up that, despite using 3D graphics, takes place in a 2D plane. Which really means that you can move and left as you punch your opponents but can't move in and out of the screen. It's also ludicrously gory featuring not only end of match execution moves but also in-match X-Ray attacks that show you breaking your opponents' bones.
Unlike some fighting games, Mortal Kombat X actually has a decent plot. The previous game ended with the fighters seeing off an invasion from evil emperor Shao Kahn, the bulk of the fighters dying horribly during the course of events. MK X takes place a few years later, shortly after another invasion by another evil overlord, seen off by none other than braggart movie star Johnny Cage. Yes, it sounds loopy, but it makes sense within the game's daft canon.
It also serves as a reason to introduce a bunch of new characters, which is a fairly brave move. Some old characters do return as undead warriors - yes, really - but the bulk are dead and gone. New characters include insect queen D'Vorah, Ferr'Torr - who is basically Master Blaster from Mad Max. There's a gunslinger as well, and also the daughter of Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage, as well as Jackson Briggs' daughter. The appearance of these characters children does, as one reviewer has pointed out, mean that things get slightly uncomfortable. Why? Because in single fight mode or battle mode you can have Cassie Cage shoot her mother in the face.
Weird family issues aside, Mortal Kombat X is an excellent game. The game's graphics are pretty good, though I wouldn't describe the PS4's graphics as next gen (possibly since they had to make the game work on other platforms). Each character now has three sets of moves that you choose from when selecting your character, and there are all sorts of kombo-breaking attack reversing moves. Which really means that if you want to play the game just for fun, you can, whereas if you want a hardcore gaming experience you'll be catered for. Though you will get your bottom kicked if you go online if you don't master some of the trickier moves.
It's not perfect - the game is missing the stage fatalities for a start, though there are a few in-stage objects you can chuck about. And players who can memorize button sequences have a real advantage. The gore also might not be to everyone's taste. But it's a great addition to the series and if you have a PS4 or X-Box One, there's not a lot of competition out there. Doubtless the price will drop over the next few months but I don't regret spending just under forty quid on it. I'm still annoyed about the Goro thing, though.
Score - 8 out of 10.
Pros:
It's fun to play.
And very gory.
The game has enough depth to keep fans happy.
Cons:
The game locks some characters away behind DLC.
There are no stage fatalities.