Mortal Kombat - Flawless Victory!

Its impossible to have grown up in the nineties not having heard of Mortal Kombat (MK). Old timers would probably swoon with nostalgia thinking of the time and money spent on old arcade machines in dingy neighborhood gaming parlours, humiliating their friends through violent fatalities. They may also have fond memories of the first awesome movie adaptation or cringe at its horrid sequel that seemed more like a low budget porn flick than an MK movie.

As we entered the 21st century, Ed Boon and this team decided to break away from the game’s violent roots, dabbling with a crossover to the DC universe. This resulted in a diluted game that ended up disappointing fans big time. Thankfully, NetherRealm got their act together for a sequel that now goes back to its hyper violent and totally over-the-top roots. This is the Mortal Kombat you’ve been waiting for and it’s worth the wait.

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For those who are a bit late to the party, Mortal Kombat is essentially a fighting game where your goal is to kick the living crap out of your enemy and then humiliate him/her using insanely violent finishers called Fatalities. Older versions of the game made players memorise tons of complicated moves but this time around, controls have been streamlined and simplified making the game accessible to newcomers. This means you can enjoy the game by pummeling your controller but if you plan on sticking with it, you may as well learn the more intricate moves.

Don’t worry! the game has you covered through its thorough tutorial where you’ll be taught how to pull off basic moves as well as the more complicated combos. For the first time in the series, there’s even a practice mode for Fatalities where you can master every character’s fatality without jumping into the deep end lacking a paddle. And honestly, Mortal Kombat has made a name for itself today because of its ludicrous fatalities that have you ripping, tearing, cutting, maiming, and stabbing all sorts of human appendages and body parts – which now happens in glorious HD.

Get over here!

As if tearing someone in half or ripping their heart out wasn’t enough, the game even introduces something called X-Ray moves that allow players to inflict serious damage on opponents in X-Ray vision. Unlike fatalities, X-Ray moves can be pulled off during a match itself by building up your energy meter at the bottom of the screen. Pulling off combos, blocking incoming attacks and generally kicking ass will slowly build up this meter which when full can be used to unleash these devastating moves. They don’t kill your opponent (unless their health is real low) but will eat into a significant chunk of their health bar. But be warned, these moves can be blocked in which case you’d have to power it up all over again. This is why working on your defensive game is also highly advised. A well-timed block or counter can turn the tides of battle.