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Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance

Score: 75%
ESRB: Mature
Publisher: Midway
Developer: Midway
Media: CD/1
Players: 1 - 2
Genre: Fighting

Graphics & Sound:

Fans of the old series will instantly recognize the characters they have come to know and love, with various differences here and there. Needless to say, nobody in the Mortal Kombat series has ever looked this good. Also revamped are the particle effects. Fireballs and other flying things like balls of ice look good and add something different to the fights.

The sound effects will also be familiar to the fans. Scorpion's 'Come over here!' is more than a good reason to get giddy. The hits and falls evoke solid sounds that fit the actions. Musically, however, things could have been better. Over the years, the music seems to have depreciated to a level of extreme mediocrity. It doesn't necessarily hurt the game, but it doesn't help its situation at all.


Gameplay:

It is hardly arguable that Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance isn't a step up from its 2D counterparts. This is the franchise's first major step into the 3D realm, but they are a day late and a dollar short. With games like Tekken and Virtua Fighter already years ahead in the next generation genre of fighting games, Mortal Kombat looks as if it has little chance of catching up.

Seven of the eight original fighters are back this time around, some of which are unlockable. There are also a whole slew of new players, including a vampiric woman and a totally new boss comparable to that of Shang Tsung.

The moves list has also been done up a little. Each character now has three unique fighting styles that they can change mid-swing. These different stances are mostly superficial, though. Some combos have you switching between them in the middle of the sequence, but the relevance of switching the style is non-existent. Yes, styles vary between defensive and offensive, but instead of giving each character one big move list, the developers gave them three small ones and hoped people would be fooled.

Even more atrocious are the fatalities. These are what practically made the original titles, what with their over the top gore and violence. Now, each character's fatality list has been reduced to a single move, and most of them aren't worth the time of day to watch. They lose their luster after each use.


Difficulty:

Stepping into Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance with no prior kombat experience is easy. This title is definitely not as deep as some other games out there, so mastering a character's move list can be done in a day. Some of the end bosses, though, are incredibly cheap and you'll have a tough time beating them, while others are complete pushovers. You do have infinite kontinues, er...excuse me, continues, but you'll end up getting your character's crappy ending if you use them.

Game Mechanics:

The most noticeable feature that hasn't been seen before in Mortal Kombat is the Krypt. In order to use the Krypt, you must create a player profile. By winning fights with your profile, you earn kombat kurrency which can be spent in the Krypt. Unfortunately, there are over 600 koffins that can be purchased, each containing some sort of goodie, and the only useful ones are the ones that have the hidden characters. Everything else has concept art, pictures, and the occasional alternate uniform. This is one of the worst reward systems I have ever encountered in a game. You save up thousands of coins, only to buy an empty coffin, or worse yet, a picture of one of the testers.

It was a good first effort in the 3D world of fighters, but in the end, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance just doesn't cut it. A shallow fighting system with limited replay value doesn't appeal to the mass market. However, it is definitely a must have for the hardcore fans of the series. Seeing those old characters in 3D just does something to you. Casual gamers beware - you'll get little out of this title.


-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications
AKA Andrew Horwitz

Microsoft Xbox Max Payne 2: Fall of Max Payne Microsoft Xbox MotoGP

 
Game Vortex :: PSIllustrated