<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" Also available on: Xbox 360 Developer: NetherRealm Studios Publisher: Warner Bros Genre: Fighter The Mortal Kombat series has had more than its share of ups and downs over the years. After helping shape the fighting genre in the &amp;#039;90s, Midway&amp;#039;s original trilogy caused public outcry with its overzealous use of blood and ultra-violent finishing moves. Since then, subsequent sequels and spinoffs have received mixed receptions, and the publisher&amp;#039;s bankruptcy has left the franchise in the hands of Warner Bros. The studio&amp;#039;s latest offering, simply titled Mortal Kombat, is a bid to take the series back to its 2D roots; and its dedication to simplistic gameplay and over-the-top fatalities sees it recapture at least some of its former glory. The 2008 crossover brawler Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe was definitely a step in the right direction. It was by no means perfect, but it played well and the superhero licenses were put to good use. However, developer NetherRealm Studios has opted for more of a back-to-basics approach here. Ditching many of the new mechanics recent entries have introduced, the emphasis is on gore, challenge and pick-up-and-play appeal. While there&amp;#039;s more on offer than nostalgic kicks, such dedication to age-old conventions might deter sections of the contemporary crowd. It seems that a bare bones history of the in-game tournament and a few character bios no longer suffices as a backstory for a versus fighter. Since the original trilogy wrapped up well over a decade ago, the series&amp;#039; overarching plot has grown increasingly convoluted, theatrical and cheesy. Mortal Kombat does not deviate from this, revisiting the timeline of the first three games before delving into alternate universe continuity. To summarise, Shao Kahn mutilates every character from the MK roster, so the thunder god Raiden sends a message to his past self in the hope of averting the events. It&amp;#039;s entertaining for the most part and filled with the kind of overblown performances that you would expect, but if you&amp;#039;re a fan of brawlers, presumably the action is of greater importance. In this regard, Mortal Kombat delivers. Reverting back to the 2D plane has worked wonders for the gameplay, giving it that vintage mid-&amp;#039;90s feel. Basic combat and special moves are easy to execute, and since many of the commands are identical to previous editions, series veterans will feel right at home. That&amp;#039;s not to say they&amp;#039;re in for an easy ride. Dozens of new techniques have been added to each fighter&amp;#039;s arsenal, and the key to becoming an MK champion lies in the integration of these manoeuvres with the attacks of old. A new Super Gauge - not dissimilar to the power bar in Street Fighter IV - builds up as you deal and take damage. Energy from this metre can be used to hand out enhanced special moves, combo breakers and devastating x-ray attacks, which see the action switch to slow motion and characters take on a transparent aesthetic to reveal bones and organs buckling on impact. A power bar is commonplace in modern brawlers, but it&amp;#039;s used to its full potential here, enriching the MK formula. Combat is fast-pace and satisfying. While the fact that a person would no longer be standing after their spine has been broken in two places makes it a little short on realism, you really feel every bone-crunching blow. The fatalities are as grisly as ever and, although difficult to pull off, richly rewarding. Most involve your opponent losing multiple limbs in the most creative way imaginable, or see your character use their trademark attack with lethal efficiency. The Mortal Kombat franchise has long provided a gritting alternative to Street Fighter, and that&amp;#039;s just what this new entry does. If you prefer visceral brawls and buckets of blood over SFIV&amp;#039;s colourful aesthetic, this is the fighter for you. The game might cling to tradition, but the developers have fleshed out the formula by loading it with options. There are tag team and one-on-one matches on offer across multiple game modes, including a story campaign, challenge tower, online multiplayer and fatality training. Not only is there more gameplay here than ever before, there&amp;#039;s also a staggering amount of bonus content to unlock. As you win fights and complete challenges, you accumulate in-game currency to spend in the Krypt. Credit can be exchanged for the usual bonus content, such as concept artwork and alternate costumes, but there are more worthwhile inclusions too. It is possible to unlock diagrams to new fatalities, which is a much more rewarding means of discovering them than online research. There&amp;#039;s a strong multiplayer focus this time around. Local play fares better than online, as the latter suffers from a noticeable lag in certain game types. The four-player tag team option is a welcome addition, as is the winner-stays-on King of the Hill mode, although this is where the slow-down is most apparent. Much of the game&amp;#039;s shelf life will come from online play (providing the PlayStation Network isn&amp;#039;t hacked again), as the story campaign is shortlived and full of jarring difficulty spikes that make it feel somewhat unbalanced. Despite some minor issues, Mortal Kombat continues the franchise&amp;#039;s gradual return to form. The gameplay captures the essence of the original trilogy and the bonus content and new mechanics only serve to enhance the formula. It may not be the most polished fighter on the market, but it&amp;#039;s still a bloody good one.  &amp;gt; What do you think of the game? Share your views "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.digitalspy.com/gaming/review/a317049/mortal-kombat-ps3/>