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Since the unveiling of
Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe back in April, fans of the
Mortal Kombat franchise have been debating on forums – with
considerable venom – about the availability of the series infamous
signature Fatalities, for two reasons. Firstly, would DC allow their
prized champions to be decimated in the most horrific manor seen in
videogames? And, secondly, in the US at least, the reported aim of
the title is to hit the “Teen” classification, as opposed to the
“Mature” rating commonly associated with titles in the series.
Well, the fans can now rest easy, as
Electronic
Theatre can confirm that Fatalities are indeed present in the
title, but with somewhat of a twist. Classic Mortal Kombat
characters and the villains from the DC Universe will feature
Fatalities in all their traditional glory; however, the DC good guys
generally aren’t as much about destroying their enemy as they are
simply punishing them, and so DC Superhero’s will instead have
Brutalities available.
Many questions about the compatibility of the two
franchises come into play here; how can a regular girl like Sonia
Blade kill Superman? Why would Batman and the Flash go toe-to-toe?
Well, the answer is rather redundant. Yes, there is a story to
accompany the madness, and yes, it’s the loosest possible connection
that could be thought of. But, as purely an excuse for some truly
fantastic looking brawling with some of the most influential
characters from two very different forms of media, could anyone
realistically say they were expecting anything more?
The title was playable at the show and already feels
fairly solid. While the Character Selection Screen features twenty
slots for characters – ten of which were red, the other ten blue –
only six characters were available in the build: Scorpion, Sub-Zero
and Sonia Blade from Mortal Kombat, while Superman, Batman
and Flash were on-hand to represent the DC side-of-things. The first
thing that grabs the attention of those who’ve played the series
previously is the ease of use. Mortal Kombat has
traditionally based the execution of its Special Moves and Combos
around a point-based system, as opposed to the Street Fighter
series rolled or two-second hold implementation. “Forward, Back,
Punch”, “Down, Up, Kick” – these, amongst others, are the template
controls for Mortal Kombat, and Mortal Kombat Vs. DC
Universe sticks to these in premise, but adapts those previously
more challenging moves into this system. While making the game
easier to adopt for newcomers, an additional feature for the Combat
System has been implemented in order to make room for the hardcore
gamers; the Pro-Move.
The Pro-Move System is a variation that can be added to
every Special Move in the game. By pressing the correct button at
the right time during any Special Move animation, the character will
finish the move with a Pop-Up attack; allowing the player to
continue dishing-out punishment for
 as long as they can keep their
opponent in the air. Which button and at which point, however, are
for the player to discover for him/herself, and will no doubt been
the main topic of discussion six months after the title’s release.
Capitalising on the much-loved in-game damage present in
the Previous-Generation’s Mortal Kombat releases, Mortal
Kombat Vs. DC Universe, features Superman black-and-bruised,
Batman’s cape becoming progressively torn and frayed, and Scorpion
bleeding from every limb. Certain moves will initiate a Close-Combat
feature, in which the Camera pulls-in close to the action, and the
player is asked to follow on-screen button prompts – winning will
result in an extreme close-up, showing in full-detail any damage
laid upon the character.
The new additions to the series are yet to be warranted.
In a genre traditionally based around player skill, how will the
fans react to Quick-Time Entry systems? Removing any direct control
– other than succeed or fail – from the player, it’s a questionable
addition at present. However, Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe
looks fantastic, and should all go accordingly, will provide a good
stop-gap between
Soul Calibur IV and
Street Fighter IV
for Beat-‘Em-Up fans. |
