Mortal Kombat first made its controversial way to our hearts back in 1992, so what is it about this game series that 23 years later they are still releasing titles? The game even survived the closure of Midway Games, who were responsible for the game from 1992 until its closure in 2009, then was taken over by NetherRealm Studios in 2010 and are still making the game now. The team from NetherRealm are mainly the same team from Midway, so the game was not going to undergo any drastic changes from the development side.
Mortal Kombat holds some of the most iconic characters in gaming history: these characters are Scorpion (who is the face of the upcoming Mortal Kombat X) and Sub-Zero. Is the rivalry of these two characters better known than the majority of characters in the series’ history? Perhaps you believe the most iconic characters are Liu Kang and Kung Lao, who did get their own spin off game called Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. The series has over 64 playable characters in a fighting game, which gives players a lot of choice as well as each of those characters having their own unique moves.
From its origins as a 2D beat ’em up to the 3D style switching fighting game it has become in more recent iterations, the game has stood up well in the tests of time. The game is still being created because there is still an audience for it – some fans of rival beat ’em up games complain the controls are dumbed down or the combat is too slow; these are personal preferences, though, and some people prefer a game where you might actually have to think and need time to pull off a combo attack (some of which can be 12 buttons long).
No matter what your take on the series may be, this new iteration is a welcome attraction to my Xbox One (also Xbox 360) as I know it is a game I will be able to sit down and play with friends and try to learn new attacks for old favourites. Mortal Kombat X, which is out on 14th April 2015, will be a welcome addition to the ever growing list of games in the Xbox line up, and will fill a gap that have been left with other fighting games signing exclusive deals to other platforms. We will see the return of Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Liu Kang and quiet possibly the majority of the 64 characters seen in previous titles as well as the addition of new character to the series such as Predator and Jason who have made the leap from Cinema to Mortal Kombat.
Mortal Kombat X is out on April 14th on Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
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