Flawless Victory
or, just "Mortal Kombat".
A reboot of the franchise, that landed on the X-Box 360, PS3 and recently, the Playstation Vita..
Does it hold up, or does it fall flat?
This game is pretty big, so we'll split this up into a few parts.
1- The Arcade Ladder
The Klassic ladder that appears in almost every MK game since MK1. The ladder has you fight 8 random opponents, each increasing with difficulty, then fighting Shang Tsung, either Goro or Kintaro(it randomizes which one you'll fight), and finally leading up to the Grand Finale. The God of cheap bosses himself, Shao Kahn. I've beaten Arcade with quite a few characters so far, and I've enjoyed playing through every time. However, be aware, you can go through every opponent no problem, but when you get to Kahn, you WILL hit a brick wall. This guy can toss you around for a good 15 minutes until you find a strategy that works. Overall, Arcade Mode is one of the best modes you'll find in the game.
2- The Fatality Trainer
New to MK with this game is the Fatality Trainer. While it isn't really needed if you're a veteran to MK, like myself, but its pretty entertaining if you just
want to see a certain fatality. Overall, its a welcome addition.
3- The Challenge Tower
Also new to the MK games is the Challenge Tower. 300 Challenges
that are either difficult, ridiculous, or just entertaining. However, some
challenges seem a bit...forced. Theres one where you have to fight upside down with the controls reversed. Why? Theres no explanation, theres nothing said other than "Defeat Your Opponent while Upside Down". Some challenges can also be just frustrating, with one being to defeat Goro as Sheeva, without being hit once. Overall, Its okay.
4- The Krypt.
The typical Krypt, introduced back in MK Deadly Alliance. Only now its bigger, more brutal, and...
full of jump scares. Randomly, a mutant will pop up and scream. Its just overall annoying. Not to mention you can't move while it pops up, so you have to sit and wait for it to go away to finish what you're doing. Luckily, it only takes maybe 2 seconds to go away. The Krypt also has nothing really valuable in it other than alt costumes. What happened to those funny videos and pictures? Yeah, there isn't a single video in the Krypt. Overall, this Krypt is lacking. Its possibly the worst Krypt in an MK game. Ever.
5- Tag-Team Fighting
Now, I admit, I haven't spent much time in the tag team. But, from what I've played, its pretty fun. Its just better with 2 people. A fun way to play through the ladder if you have a friend over. Overall, I like it. But only with multiple players.
6- The Story Mode
Yes, this MK has a full-fledged, epic story mode adventure. MKvsDC doesn't count. I love the story, I'm being honest. But it isn't perfect. There are moments where you have to go 1 against 2. And, well..those can get annoying. And not to mention the final boss is just mind breakingly difficult, seemingly able to predict everything you'll do. And, without spoiling it...I was shocked at the ending. Not just the final scene, the final act all together. If you've beaten it, you'll know what I mean.
Overall, this game is a breath of fresh air to MK fans. After countless 3D sequels, they finally found a working direction for MK in 3D. And its the best MK since MK II. If you're an MK fan, or even a fan of fighters in general, I highly reccomend this.