Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Mixed reactions"

Periodically, Mortal Kombat has released Action-Adventure games. The first being Mythologies: Sub-Zero, a decent 2D side-scroller, taking you into the past of the original Sub-Zero (now Noob Saibot). The second was Special Forces, a 3D adventure with Jax, could have been better. But although they were disappointments, the idea was there, just needed a little more work...

Shaolin Monks is clearly the best out of the three. Graphically speaking, it's as good as MK's ever been in 3D. In game it looks like Deadly Alliance, the cut scenes are like Deception, a good mix. The game follows Kung Lao and Liu Kang from immediately after the first MK game through seemingly the end of MK2...with extra story filler. I don't know why they went with the Kitana jealousy thing, it felt like the live-action movies. Anyway, as probably stated before, this game is meant for 2 players. You miss a little bit when it's just one player, I wished they'd made a separate track for one-player instead of standing on the button repeating the same message (find a friend!).

But whether you go 1 or 2 players, it's still a great play-through. The system of upgrading your moves, buying combos, and finding Fatality/Brutality/Multality(?) is a good setup. I harp on the repeating enemies (exit the area, come back, they're there again), it gets annoying, but that's nit-picking.

Having said all that, though, once you finish it, there's really nothing else to do. Maybe the Smoke side missions, but there's no need for a VERSUS mode here, you can throw in any regular Mortal Kombat game, hell, hook up the Genesis/SNES and play MKII if you want to stay in the same time frame.

Now here's why I give this game a 6.0. Once you beat it Story mode, you can now play through as Scorpion and/or Sub-Zero, a nice thing. My brother and I were hyped about it...until you see Scorpion scream, "KUNG LAO, WATCH OUT!", or whatever the hell that line is...It's that kind of crap that's brought down Mortal Kombat. I may be wrong in thinking it would have been different with Scorp or Sub, but if you're going to make them selectable, why not remake Mythologies in 3D as a nice extra? Make more sense than just replacing the two main characters.

It pulls Shaolin Monks back to the levels of Special Forces and Mythologies where it shouldn't be, it deserves to be better. So, it's a mixed step in the right direction. I hope this isn't the last Action-Adventure game they make, maybe make a RPG covering all the games, I don't know. But, THINK everything out, avoid the above-mentioned mess...