Of the game licenses that are out there, it seems that Midway's Mortal Kombat has gone through the most turbulence. The series has seen its fair share of unbelievably cool titles (like the first two Mortal Kombat games and the recent Deception) and really crappy letdowns (the disappointing Mortal Kombat 3 and the recent TV Games release that feels rather cheap). But the series suffered worst whenever it strolled off the beaten path, trying for something different in terms of side-scrolling action (Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero) or pure brawling (the horrendous Mortal Kombat: Special Forces). However, the company's still got some ideas in mind for a full-fledged action game, and they could very well have the formula right this time with the forthcoming Shaolin Monks.

The game will take you a journey similar to Special Forces, but instead of falling into the trap of making a nonsense-filled game loaded with flat gameplay, Midway and Paradox are instead focusing on the Kombat essence that made the series great and are incorporating it into an action game that actually looks pretty sweet. Credit not only Paradox, but Ed Boon, one of the original creators of the Mortal Kombat series. He's lending his expertise to make sure this product doesn't suffer the same fate as the other spinoffs.

In the game, you take control of either Liu Kang or Kung Lao, both descendants of true Shaolin monks. The game basically slams them right into the middle of a conspiracy against a number of evil forces, and they must make their way through level after level, pounding enemies with a number of maneuvers and eventually getting to boss encounters with the likes of Baraka, Scorpion, and Goro, among others.

I figured if anything needed some focus with Shaolin Monks, it would have to be the gameplay. After all, if it's got nothing really great to offer, then the game would bomb. Fortunately, from what I've played so far, it really feels like it's coming together quite nicely. The ability to use some familiar moves from Liu or Kung's arsenal, like fireballs and uppercuts, is a nice touch, and the control system doesn't really feel that difficult at all. In fact, it's also pretty well varied, coming across with different ways to dispatch enemies. I was delightfully surprised to learn I could knock an enemy into some of the dangerous surroundings, like spikes and open flames.

The game also looks pretty solid as well. It appears to have pretty basic level design, but there are nice touches that scream Kombat. For instance, you start out in the dungeon where you first brawled in the original game and eventually work your way to an outside terrace, complete with a ledge leaning over the spiked pit from the first title. The animation looks rock solid and the detail is top notch, complete with lots of blood and guts for the fans. And then you have the sound, complete with great voice work and some cool background music and noise to emulate the Kombat sound.

Another thing worthy of mention is the boss fights. They're going to be more elaborate and not just a matter of "facing your opponent and pummeling them". Boon showed off a boss fight against Baraka that was rather interesting. After sparring with him for a little bit, Baraka dove across the room and began to throw people into a running flame wall, then launched them at you, so not it makes reaching him a lot more difficult. It's not the best boss fight ever created, but it is a nice change of pace from "let's face the guy and beat him up".

The game's still not finished yet, but Boon and company are promising a terrific title for the MK fans this holiday season, something to fill their need until the next full-fledged fighting game comes along, which will hopefully be for the next generation consoles. So far, it looks like he and Paradox are delivering, avoiding the pratfalls of earlier failures and delivering an action epic that could be this generation's Final Fight, and not this generation's Special Forces. Look for more great stuff on Shaolin Monks in the very near future.