Scorpion, Subzero and the Mortal Kombat "krew" do battle with DC's greatest superheroes in Midway's upcoming brawler, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. Now video game fans can finally answer the age-old question of who would win in a fight, Batman or Sonya Blade? OK, so that's probably not the only burning question on most people's minds, but there's no denying this game's appeal, despite its lack of traditional fatalities.
Like most fighting games these days, MK vs. DC Universe is fairly easy to get into, no matter your skill level. Hardcore fans will learn each character's move lists and test their skills against fellow brawlers online, but you can still kick the crap out of Catwoman with uncontrollable button mashing. Just a few presses launches your chosen character across one of the game's many stages and sending their opponent reeling.
That's but one of the many reasons we dig this game, the second being fatalities. No, you can't rip off Batman's head, since DC would freak out. Instead, you'll perform a less violent activity, such as watching Scorpion remove his mask and burn his victims alive; horrifying, but not bloody. Actually, while the Mortal Kombat fighters have fatalities, the superheroes, since they don't kill anyone, have brutalities, which are basically the same thing. So instead of yanking a guy's spine from his body, Superman will pound them into the street. Not exactly a signature MK move, but it gets the point across.
We're also jazzed about the 2-D and 3-D mechanics, which fill us with warm nostalgia of arcade days gone by. Although the game runs in full 3-D and you have 360 degrees of movement using the left analog stick, you're still able to switch to the d-pad, just like in the old school Mortal Kombat games (although you can only move left, right, up and down.)
In addition, you'll battle in multi-tiered stages that let you humiliate your adversaries in what Midway calls Freefall Kombat. In one environment, we picked up Scorpion and used his body to plow through several walls. In another, we threw Sonya through a brick wall, off a cliff and traded punches on the way down before whipping her carcass into the ground, which left a nice crater.
If you prefer to get a little more personal, there's Klose Kombat (activated by pressing RB on Xbox 360, R1 on PS3), where the screen zooms up close and the action slows down. What ensues is a cool looking fistfight, where both fighters follow onscreen prompts to pummel each other.
Doing this gives you a great look at the game's graphics, which are the best in the Mortal Kombat series. Characters sport tremendous detail, and as you fight, their outfits tear. Repeatedly punching Scorpion in his face, for instance, causes his mask to degrade, revealing his skull, but you'll also see shirts and pants rip. Obviously, Midway is doing what it can to make sure Sonya Blade's large breasts poke out without getting nailed by the ESRB.
Despite these additions, the game still feels like previous 3-D Mortal Kombats, which is bound to disappoint gamers looking for more depth, though Midway added a bit more strategy with Pro Moves. These are special and difficult to pull off maneuvers that let you deal another dose of damage to your enemy, so if someone does a ground pound, a Pro Move allows you to sneak in one more, right after the other.
Forget about trying to make sense of the story (which is still under wraps) or why Scorpion can beat up the Man of Steel (Superman is vulnerable to magic, if you must know) and just enjoy the frantic, 3-D fighting action. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe won't have as many characters as SoulCalibur IV or the art style of Street Fighter IV, but it has plenty of action as well as good crossover appeal. Prepare to fight this fall.
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