Review: Mortal Kombat X – All The Same, Only Better

Gilesa Thomas ‘18 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Mortal Kombat X is out, and it was well worth the wait. If you are on the fence about this game, get off of it and buy it. It is well worth the money. Make sure to play through everything this game has to offer. Mortal Kombat X has a good balance of both older and more recent elements of the series. Those who have been following Mortal Kombat throughout its journey will be pleased to know that they brought back fighting variations. Those who enjoyed Mortal Kombat 9 will be happy to know they did not drop the use of x-ray attacks. This of course blends together perfectly, because a different variation will result in a different x-ray attack. Mortal Kombat has not lost its charm yet. It is super easy to launch the game, expect to only play for a half hour, and wind up playing all day instead. Online gaming is always fun, though since the game is fairly new, ranked matches are not quite as well done; you may want to hold off on ranked and play against your friends instead, at least for now.

Everything about this game runs smoothly, including the online gameplay. Games made for the “next-generation consoles” always run the risk of graphics interfering with gameplay, but that is not the case for this game. The game works perfectly without a lag in sight, the characters are more detailed, and the attacks are bloodier and more bone-shattering than ever. Everything is enhanced, and you need to see everything to truly appreciate it; if possible, play it on a recent generation console. At first glance, the characters are unidentifiable, but after they begin fighting, they become very recognizable. A lot of effort was put into making everything look more realistic, yet still true to the fantasy aspect of the game.

The story is definitely worth playing through as always. There are twists and turns just like in every other game, however the twists start earlier for this game. You may want to play through the entire story before deciding which character with whom you side. Fair warning: you cannot put the controller down for a long period of time during the cutscenes. The cutscenes in Mortal Kombat X are not only captivating, but they are also interactive. This is done in a minimalistic way, but it adds to the excitement.

Character backstory and development was done really well. Johnny Cage is actually very likable, and you will probably find yourself sympathizing with him for the first time ever. New characters were released as always, including children of known character Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, and Jackson “Jax” Briggs. Members of the LGBTQ community and fans of the series will be thrilled to see that they have introduced their first playable gay character, Kung Jin. He is a descendant of Kung Lao and a member of the Special Forces.

This game receives a 9 out of 10. The only thing keeping it from a solid 10 is the inability to play with every character, which has been a significant part of the series.

Rank: 9/10