Mortal Kombat Armageddon
The new era all started with Mortal Kombat 4 and was integrated fully with Deadly Alliance. While the Street Fighter series has stayed with 2D (apart from the EX branch) Mortal Kombat has decidedly taken steps to going blow for blow with Tekken and Soul Calibur. Over the years the tournament has changed as new competitors have become selectable and the presentation has been altered. At its heart (before a fatality rips it out) the latest installment, Armageddon, is every bit as fun as the Kombat of old and most recent.
As is the case with most fighting games you don't really need to have a plot in order to enjoy beating your friends senseless. While some series tend to recognize this many incarnations of Mortal Kombat have tried to offer up a story as a backbone to the fighting tournament. This time around the focus is on the forces of good and evil taking part in a major battle that could eventually destroy the universe. A fiery critter arose in the midst of battle atop of a pyramid; his sole purpose is to defeat each of the combatants and essentially save the universe.
Gameplay:
As Mortal Kombat has grown as a series the fighting roster has swelled to insurmountable proportions. With 62 fighters in all picking your favorite warrior is a daunting task to newcomers or anyone who hasn't played the game since the days of the 2D presentation. Fans that have grown with the franchise will recognize just about everyone here, though for those of you who want something more you could always create a fighter from scratch (I'll get into that later).
The core gameplay in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon hasn't changed much since Deception though there are a few minor alterations afoot (like aerial combat and better AI). Fighting and unleashing combos is still as fluid as ever and every character has a series of special moves with which to bludgeon their opponents with. By utilizing the attack buttons (two punch and two kick), throw button and defense you will be using the otherwise simplistic set up to its fullest complexity in no time. Timing reversals and combo breakers will become commonplace as will finding a way to hit your foe as many times as possible before they can react.
The weapon fighting system returns once again and ups the ante in terms of gruesomeness. There's nothing quite like pounding the crap out of someone and then unsheathing a sword to add some slicing and dicing to the beating. Each character has a hidden weapon that can be used by pressing L1 and in many stages there are armaments scattered around that can be picked up as well.
As far as the stages themselves they can often be used as a weapon of sorts with various pitfalls and traps to damage your opponent with. By knocking them against a particular section you can bring the battle to another part of the stage. Some levels even include lava, a subway train or a round of spikes that will kill any fighter knocked into their path. It all adds a mechanic to the fighting that makes the system not only about paying attention to what your opponent is doing but also where you are on the screen. Other fighting series have done this to some extent but nobody has taken it to the brutal level that Mortal Kombat has.
As far as the actual tournament goes there are eight warriors to fight through before you can beat the game. With the amount of characters readily available and handful that are unlockable you have a long way to go before you get the whole picture. The difficulty gets progressive as you ascend the fighting ladder and towards the top the CPU can get pretty unrelenting. The beautiful part about Armageddon is that if you find yourself frustrated with fighting in the single player tournament there are several other modes to pass the time with.
Most notable of these distractions is the Konquest Mode which got started with Deadly Alliance back in 2002. This is kind of an action RPG of sorts where you run around and collect money while beating bad guys and finding other various unlockables. This time around Konquest ties into the story of the tournament and involves two brothers named Taven and Daegon. They were put in suspended animation and must battle to prove their strength and such. This mode is the best way to start out playing the game because of the rewards that you reap. Alternate costumes, weaponry and money is awarded to you as you play through and as long as you have a profile set up it all goes towards unlocking some of the extra content.
Another fine distraction is the Motor Kombat Mode, which if you can't figure out from the title is a racing game. Featuring ten characters and five tracks this mode offers the big-headed cartoon-like appearance that was offered in Puzzle Kombat. With power ups offered on the course and varying difficulty as far as turns are concerned, Motor Kombat is entertaining but not very fulfilling in the end. You can pull some money from this mode but it's not as fruitful as some of the others.
All of that hard earned cash that you have been collecting can be spent on the mind-boggling amount of bonus content and unlockable features or on creating a character. I've seen fighting games with create-a-fighter modes before but nothing compares to what Armageddon offers. From a wealth of appearance options right down to the selection of fighting style, moves and assignment of special attacks there is so much customization here its downright daunting. You'll want to play through the game just to make money enough to unlock more powerful moves and maybe that afro you had your eyes on. It is definitely rewarding to make a Kombatant and helps to round out the experience here.
Whether you're playing by yourself or with a buddy, Mortal Kombat Armageddon offers a rich experience that won't disappoint fans of the series. In many ways this installment is the best of the current generation for the franchise. Konquest Mode is better, Motor Kombat is fun and the tournament itself is a blast as always. The real fun lies with multiplayer though so if you have a network adapter and can get online you'll find a decent array of opponents (though sometimes the connection is spotty). If you're looking for a strong fighting game that will keep you occupied for a long time you'll definitely want to check Armageddon out.
Graphics:
Mortal Kombat's appearance has certainly evolved since the start of the franchise back in 1992. The look has become less realistic but in many ways that's a good thing because it allows for more liberties to be taken to flesh out the environments. Character models and animations are pretty much the same from Deception though real improvements can be seen within the many stages. Greater attention has been paid to detail though when you get right down to it the game looks only mildly better.
Audio:
If you've ever played a Mortal Kombat game you already know what to expect in terms of audio quality. Silly voice acting and a constant barrage of screams will spew from your speakers in all their bloody glory. What's here is decent but in terms of originality the game is lacking severely. The soundtrack also becomes somewhat stale after a while but once you're in the thick of battle you probably won't care.
Conclusion:
Armageddon is a great endeavor and worthwhile installment of the Mortal Kombat franchise. The fighting has evolved to a point where it's much more robust whether you're fighting the CPU or a buddy. Extra modes and features also add to the replayability of the game and help create a lasting experience that will not disappoint fans. Newcomers may be taken aback by the incredible roster and lack of background on the characters but if you're just looking for a brutal fighting game you'll be pleased. It's not quite a Soul Calibur or Tekken killer but Mortal Kombat was never designed to be. It is what it is and this latest incarnation is arguably one of the best.