Mortal Kombat 9 (2011 Version): Full Review

So the latest Mortal Kombat (aka Mortal Kombat 9, 2011 version) has been flying off of shelves, and has seen critical acclaim across the board, but if that isn’t enough to make you run out and buy it, then I suppose it’s my duty to give you my two cents about the game.

The Good

All in all, the game is extremely well rounded, with a lot of time tested implementations from the previous versions, and some needed additions to add depth so you don’t get bored with the same old thing.

All of your favorite characters are back obviously, with very impressive graphics and textures. The ladies are scantly dressed, and have a bit of uhm.. bounce to them?

The moves list is impressive, bringing back some of each characters classic moves, and adding in some new moves for depth. Each character has enough combos and juggles to learn, that it’s hard to get bored with any of the characters. Every day I play around in Training, I figure out a new string of attacks that I like.

Fatalities are back of course, most of which are brand new. You’re only provided one fatality per character to start with, so you have to figure out or unlock the rest which is always a plus in my book. Unlockables are one of my favorite things in any game, so the more the merrier. Each character has two fatalities, one stage fatality, and one babality, so there is never a shortage of finishers in the game.

Story mode is surprisingly long, but it’s not terrible. It has its cheesy points, but it’s fun, requiring you to play each character at least to the point where you can be decent with them. I like this, because all too often a lot of characters in a typical fighting game get ignored for the most part because you were never forced to play them at all, which can cause you to miss out on a lot that the game has to offer.

The challenge ladder is long and grueling at times, with 300 levels to conquer, but I like that it’s challenging because it adds a different style to the game. You have to master a lot of different characters and styles of play, giving more depth than you would typically see in a standard fighting game.

Multiplayer has a lot of different modes to play, which is always a plus. One thing that will always kill online play is having one or two modes that get boring too quickly.

The Not So Good

My only real complaint so far is that the multiplayer matching isn’t that great. It doesn’t seem to understand that someone with a 10 and 18 record is greatly outmatched by someone with a 60 and 20 record. At times the matching can be extremely slow as well, which can get pretty frustrating just sitting there waiting for a match to come up.

It would be far better if there was a way to play arcade mode while waiting for a challenger like the Street Fighter series does. Either way, multiplayer needs some improvements, whatever they may be.

In The End…

At the end of the day, I love this game. It is a throwback to the old Mortal Kombat style, with updated graphics, and new moves to please even the die hard fans. If you are a Mortal Kombat fan at all, go out and get this game asap. If you’re not, become one, because this game is great.