Reviewed: December 19, 2008
Reviewed by: Peter Shaw
Publisher
Midway Games
Developer
Midway Amusement Games
Released: November 16, 2008
Genre: Fighting
Players: 1-2
8
8
9
7
8.1
Supported Features:
Screenshots (Click Image for Gallery)
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe isn’t as good as Marvel vs. Capcom 2. While the comparing a brand new title with a game that is almost 10 years old now may seem unfair, its inevitable. To be fair though MK vs. DC had an uphill battle to start with. With the second rate fighting game franchise combining with a second rate comic book publisher the game should have been a disaster of mediocrity. But it salvages something into a game that can be very entertaining and almost great at times.
Mortal Kombat’s interest has waned in recent history. With a character roster that is getting to be a little too uncomfortably large and poor 3D fighting mechanics the series has failed to spark much interest. Much the same can be said about DC comics when compared to the blockbuster juggernaut Marvel. The pairing of the franchises seemed doomed to failure.
The game starts fighting that stigma off right from the start. Instead of just throwing two completely different franchises together for little to no reason, MK vs. DC actually sews together a plot with the two factions. The story isn’t really a hallmark for the video game genre but it is impressive by fighting game standards.
As a fighting game most of the MK vs. DC lives up to most expectations. It has a 4-button attack layout with two kicks and two punches. The rest of the moves are done through button combinations, which feel very traditionally Mortal Kombat in execution for better or for worse.
The game introduces several new game controls to the series as well. To start with they have changed the controls to more of a 2D focus on controls, they also have introduced a form of on screen button commands for a few different modes. When you grapple with a character and engage in what’s called “close fighting” or knock another player off the stage for a long transitional section the game enters a bit of a Simon says game. The attacker pushes buttons and the defender needs to match them. It mixes up some of the tedium of fighting. The rage function also gives your character a desperation mode where your attacks are more damaging.
The game feels fresh enough with its changes but still suffers from shortcomings. Notably the control scheme isn’t fluid and can be random. Because Midway chose to stick with traditional MK style inputs rather than the more standardized Capcom quarter rolls and back and forth movements. MK will still respond to rolls with the joystick but is extremely fickle about it.
This fickleness rears its ugly head once again for the fatalities. While they had always been hard to execute the controls make matters even worse. The same movements can be applied and will almost never have the exact same result. And when the moves are successfully completed another ugly problem rears its head. While the fighting itself is on par with MK’s previous outings, the fatalities have been gimped into mediocrity.
In pursuit of the Teen rating all of the glorious spine ripping, head smashing, gut wrenching goodness of the old MK fatalities has gone and replaced with moves that could have been in the standard move set for the characters. Anyone waiting to rip Superman’s still beating heart from his chest is going to have to wait.
The look of MK vs. DC has extremely strong points and some slightly weaker ones. The characters look crisp and wonderfully detailed. As the fights continue their clothing and bodies show the damage of the battle. Particularly long matches leave both players looking as if they’d been in a bus accident together. The special moves have a wonderful amount of visual flash and don’t disappoint for look.
The stages on the other hand suffer a bit for graphics. A couple stand out as interesting but most are a dull oval arena with nothing of interest in the background. It makes most of the stages have a redundant feel to them and makes stage selection a more arbitrary choice. The color choices on most of the more dull areas suffer from a lot of gray and brown and look overly drab as well.
With bone breaking snaps and the thuds of tenderized meat the sounds of MK vs. DC are up to snuff. The character’s voices are well done as well. The sounds are visceral enough and are a good standard that most other fighting games could follow.
While the game lacks the huge list of features versus previous titles and the secret character list is down to two, an entertaining story covers most of the single player experience. The rest of the game is focused in the multiplayer with entertaining 1v1 matches local and online.
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe could have ended in failure. Even close to launch with a Teen rating and gimmicky looking combat the game seemed doomed. What Midway pulled off is almost a miracle. While not an epiphany of brilliance the game revives MK and makes the series at least relevant again. And if you’re a DC fan there’s no excuse not to get this game. This is the best game to use the DC license in years.