Until now, displaying his attraction to Mortal Kombat for its qualities as a real fighting game in the same way as a Street Fighter or a KOF was a joke. Throwing a game at home with passing friends was synonymous with frank camaraderie, where the goal was to have fun, draw as much blood as possible and succeed in getting out the famous Fatalities. In other words, Mortal Kombat has never been a very serious series when it comes to fighting depth. These prejudices began to fade with episode 9, released in 2011 on PS3 and Xbox 360, which had found a good balance between tradition and modernity. While reusing the bases that made the popular success of the series, the developers had managed to infuse enough novelties to make it a fighting game worthy of the name. The game nevertheless still had some small flaws, but the very careful treatment of the "Story" mode, the dynamism of its overall staging and the integration of X-Ray attacks have allowed the title to make a good reputation. The review was swept away, gamers bought the game in droves, everything came together to motivate a cast to push the boundaries with a new installment. And the NetherRealm studio had the intelligence not to take advantage of this dazzling success to release a new episode for us the following year, but knew how to take its time to question itself. Four later, here we are in awe of Mortal Kombat X, which is quite simply the best episode of the series ever but also an excellent fighting game in its own right. The creation of the Mortal Kombat Academy and the arrival of the game in eSports are not a coincidence…
BETWEEN TRADITION AND MODERNITY
Given the very good feedback from players and the press for the previous Mortal Kombat, it was out of the question for Ed Boon, the creator of the series, to change the formula. No, the idea was to transcend it by injecting it with the necessary novelties to overcome the shortcomings that the game could be blamed for in 2011. To do this, NetherRealm Studios decided to integrate a slightly more strategic aspect which takes the form of three variants right after choosing his character. Each of them has indeed three fighting styles that can perfectly change the outcome of a match. Take the case of Scorpion for example. The latter has the choice between "Infernal Pyromaniac", "Ninjutsu" and "Incindiary". The first variation allows our ninja to summon a demonic minion, ideal for attacking the enemy from a distance and taking him by surprise. The second variation gives access to two sharp swords which allows Scorpion to benefit from new melee attacks that are less effective, especially in the execution of certain combos. As for the "Incendiary" mode, it will satisfy fans of fireballs and flaming protective fields to counter opponents who are too sticky. The same goes for each of the 26 fighters present at the start of the cake. This forces the player to establish a certain strategy before embarking on the arena and why not choose his moves according to the opponent's choices. A rather clever idea but which is not a total novelty since it was taken from the Deadly Alliance episode released on PS2, Xbox and GameCube in 2002.
In reality, where Mortal Kombat X changes the situation and turns the tide, it is in the introduction of the dash, allowing to be much more reactive in the movements than we were in the previous episodes.
In our preview of last February, we thought that this choice of variations in the special moves had nothing impact. We shit ourselves a bit to be honest with you, because the choice of these variants can have a boosting or soothing effect depending on your affinity with this or that approach. So it's up to you to make your selection, while keeping an eye on the choice of your opponent. Moreover, there are subtle cosmetic changes (Kung Lao's hat which differs, Sub-Zero's mask which freezes, Kano's molten heart which changes color) allowing regulars to be able to locate information related to the character shaped with a quick glance. In reality, where Mortal Kombat X changes the situation and turns the tide, it is in the introduction of the dash, allowing to be much more reactive in the movements than we were in the previous episodes. The goal for Ed Boon and his development teams was to energize the fights, make them less passive, wait-and-see and favor the offensive. Quite the opposite of a Street Fighter IV for example which is a fighting game where campers often do best. Those who swear by The King of Fighters or Guilty Gear will see here an excellent initiative from NetherRealm Studios which gives pride of place to the beautiful game.
THE BEAUTIFUL GAME ABOVE ALL
It must be said that Mortal Kombat X is a fast-paced game and it is better to have your manipulations in mind so as not to find yourself at the mercy of your opponent, especially since the guard is always executed by pressing a button. . This choice of game design is a real trademark of the Mortal Kombat saga to the chagrin of keen gamers like us. With these abrupt changes in gameplay, it was the perfect opportunity for the creators to step up to the hilt pressing the rear steering to truly transcend the experience. It will therefore not be for this time and it will especially be the subject of a relevant question during a future interview with Ed Boon. At E3 2015 for example. Where Mortal Kombat X has made enormous progress, however, is in its combos, which are much more numerous than in the past and which this time allow even more juggles. Aerial combos are indeed taking on a new dimension this year and anyone who loves chaining his opponent without ever giving him time to touch the ground will be able to have a field day. Another delicacy that we were able to appreciate at its fair value: the interaction with certain elements of the decor and inherited from the Injustice: God Among Us era. For the general public or the average player, being able to lean on a log of wood , clinging to a vine like a Tarzan, spilling a seal of embers in the mouth of his opponent may seem trivial. But for those who take the time to study the gameplay in all its intricacies will discover the extension of this gameplay chiseled with small onions. In this way, NetherRealm also allows you to break up the rhythm of the attacks a little in the corner of the ring and to escape by going over the enemy or by smashing an object in his face. And that can save a game, just like the use of X-Ray attacks, a real festival of broken bones and punctured organs.
Do not be fooled by the images and videos circulating on YouTube, unfortunately they do not manage to transcribe all the beauty that emerges from the game. Whether it is the characters [...], the sets [.. .] or even the staging which has gained in dynamism, everything has been reworked for a really successful result.
For once, triggering them is child's play, since it suffices to press the slice buttons L2 and R2 simultaneously, on the sole condition that the three gauges at the bottom are filled. That said, nothing prevents you from using them beforehand to either increase the power of your blows and attacks (like Street Fighter IV's EX mode), or to break your attacker who has taken too much confidence in wanting to chain you with them. those 13 combo hits. Of course, we will not hide from you that most of the time, we will prefer to wait to execute the X-Ray to enjoy what Mortal Kombat X has best to offer us, namely a festival of outrageous violence at the limit of burlesque, which has also been able to take advantage of the next gen' to offer us a truly impressive visual rendering. But the X-Ray attacks and the Fatalities are not the only elements that have benefited from special graphic care, the whole game indeed displays a plastic dream that we did not expect to be so beautiful. Do not be fooled by the images and videos circulating on YouTube, unfortunately they do not manage to transcribe all the beauty that emerges from the game. Whether it is the characters, imposing by their size but also very well modeled, sets that benefit from an impressive number of elements that come alive in the background (hats off to the Le Repaire stages with its agitated mother and Celestial Temple with its pouring rain) or even the staging that has gained in dynamism , everything has been reworked for a truly successful result. Only the character design of certain characters, in particular the Cage family (Johnny, Cassie and Sonya Blade) but also Jacqui Briggs, is missed. This was already the case in the previous Mortal Kombat and this leads us to say that it would be time for NetherRealm to pay for a real chara-designer.
TELL ME A STORY
Handsome, Mortal Kombat X is also in its "History" mode, also inherited from the ideas that had been put in place in the 2011 MK. We had already welcomed the initiative at the time and we can only see the beautiful developments made in 2015. Unlike classic fighting games, Mortal Kombat X has a real story, certainly basic and a little con-con, but which at least has the merit of keeping the player in suspense for the 6/7 hours it takes to smash the face of Shinnok, the bad guy in this section, not to be confused with the Sinok of the Goodies. He was the one who pulled the strings from the start and used Shaok Khan to invade Earth 20 years ago. Do you no longer understand the ins and outs? Don't worry, the screenwriters have done everything so that the novice can find their way around with many flashbacks to understand, for example, how Johnny Cage managed to bang Sonya Blade and make her a girl she will hate. 20 years later. We will also see Liu Kang and Kung Lao return as a zombie and pass into the clan of Quan Chi, the necromancer. We will also understand that Kotal Khan, new leader of the Outworld is not that bad and that he too is there to defend his cause. He will also have to pay attention to Mileena who wants him dead and to certain traitors like Kano who is only there to make a mess. In short, between twists and turns, improbable love stories, resurrection in zombie mode and cinematics sometimes punctuated by QTE, there is enough to get caught up in the game, especially since the "Story" mode pushes us to embody different protagonists depending on the chapter. Here again, Ed Boon and his teams display their know-how and the competition should be strongly inspired by them to offer us something other than the classic "Arcade" mode where we just chain fights to the boss. final.
In short, between twists and turns, improbable love stories, resurrection in zombie mode and cinematics sometimes punctuated by QTE, there is enough to get caught up in the game, especially since the "Story" mode pushes us to embody different protagonists depending on the chapter.
But the single player mode doesn't just stop there. There are also the famous towers where many challenges await the player. The traditional towers take up those we already know by heart, with a specific number of opponents to kill, sometimes with modifiers, that is to say penalties, to complicate the task. The famous "Test your might" is still relevant and still just as fun. Be careful, however, not to abuse it too much, at the risk of damaging the buttons on your controller. But the other novelty of Mortal Kombat X are the "Living Towers" which offer variable challenges (Hourly, Daily and Ultimate) according to a very specific schedule. The goal is not only to increase the replay value, but also to earn gold coins which will be very useful to you in the "Krypt" mode, the place where you will be able to spend your money to unlock Fatalities, Brutalities, alternative costumes , sketches, while moving through a graveyard and inside a cave in FPS view. No, there's no denying it, at NetherRealm Studios, we really don't lack ideas.
AS A LEADER !
Copious in solo, Mortal Kombat X also has content to sell in multiplayer. There is of course the two-player "Versus" mode which will occupy the evenings with friends for many months, but also the online games where you will be able to measure your skill against players from all over the world. For 2/3 days, the servers have started to fill up (the game has been available for sale for almost a week at certain retailers) and it is possible to assert your strength in "Versus", "Kombat by team", "King of the hill" (chain the most victories against other connected opponents) and finally "Kombat of tower". As for those who swear by the social side, there is the famous "Faction" mode which asks the player to choose a clan (among the 5 offered) and work as a team to increase points. The principle is quite identical to the clubs of DriveClub, except that here, it is possible to leave a clan as we see fit, which tends to push people to desert. The idea in absolute terms is pretty good, but unless you form a faction with a group of close friends, it's difficult to bond with people as individualistic as French players, while some Americans tend to boycott foreigners in their team. Uncool. Fortunately, the "Training" mode is there to perfect his combos and his learning of – many – Fatalities. For that, but also for the clarity of the interface, Mortal Kombat X still sparkles.
