"Mortal Kombat X" Review

     Blood, blood everywhere. You're going to see lots of it in Mortal Kombat X. Hell, there's even a trophy for spilling 1,000 pints of blood in kombat. MKX is the latest entry in NetherRealm's gory fighter and it's a hell of a step up from the last one. The story here is the best story I've seen out of any Mortal Kombat. Shinnok, a fallen Elder God, is attempting to exact his revenge on the other Elder Gods and Earthrealm. Told in chapters by bouncing back and forth between different time periods, each chapter focuses on a specific character, giving many of them their moment to shine. MKX employs the previous storytelling method from its predecessor. You watch a cutscene, then take on a few different opponents, advancing the story. The cutscenes transition into the fights seamlessly without breaking the experience as well. There are QTE's, but they're barely noticeable.

     Certain characters such as Sindel, Baraka, Stryker and Rain from the previous Mortal Kombat return in the story, but unfortunately, aren't playable outside of it. Jacqui Briggs and Cassie Cage, the daughters of Jax and Johnny Cage are main characters of the story, along with their parents. Seeing the interactions between the parents and their children was a really cool concept and only pulled me further into the story. While there is sequel bait here, it's actually a cool twist, opening up intriguing possibilities for the next installment in the series. The only way I could see the story getting even better is if they were to bring back Konquest Mode.

     Combat has been ramped up with the addition of interactive, environmental objects from Injustice. Each combatant now has the option to choose one of three variations before a fight, essentially adding a modifier to their character. For instance, Scorpion's "Ninjutsu" variation gives him a specific set of attacks using his dual swords. In addition to the twenty-four character strong roster, these fighter variations give players even more opportunities to study MKX's combatants. I applaud NetherRealm on making the bold choice of adding eight new characters to the roster instead of relying on past ones. The new characters are all well-designed and unique from the returning veterans. For example, "Erron Black," a gunslinger whose main weapons of choice are dual-wielded pistols. While in the pause menu during a fight, frame and damage data are listed for the more "skilled" players. The game also runs in sixty frames per second for that buttery-smooth experience. The best part about the combat in MKX is how simple it is for newcomers and professionals alike to learn to play.
     GET OVER HERE!!! Prepare your stomachs people, because MKX's fatalities, X-Rays (and Brutalities) will make you cringe like you've never cringed before. Want to watch Cassie Cage whack the lower half of her opponent's mouth off with her baton then take a selfie with them, followed by posting it to a social network? How about watching Scorpion launch a raging fireball through his opponent's chest, followed by slicing their face off with his sword? I seriously don't understand how NetherRealm comes up with original, better-than-ever fatalities for every new MK game. These people are sick-geniuses! For the more skilled players, try pulling off a Brutality. Brutalities are basically fatalities built into a combo. You'll have to meet a specific set of requirements during your fight to pull them off though. Perform an X-Ray and watch your fighter wreak carnal havoc on your opponent's detailed muscle and bone structure. If you ever need any help learning the ropes with a particular fighter, just enter the game's training mode and practice away. You can also "tag" moves to the screen during a fight to further study them.
     With everything that I've discussed so far, you might be thinking, "He's going to give this game a perfect score for sure." Well, you're wrong. Whether it's Warner Bros. or NetherRealm to blame, somebody screwed up along the way. MKX has the worst kinds of micro-transactions! The kinds that you DON'T NEED for any reason whatsoever. There are "easy fatalities," which are tokens that can be purchased for $1 to $5, enabling players to perform simplified fatalities. There is also the option to unlock everything in the Krypt for $20, as well as purchasable skins. Sidenote, the design of the Krypt is marvelous. It's in first person, with multiple-hidden areas to explore, tons of unlockables and even little enemies that will scare the crap out of you. Oh, and want to play as Goro? Well, unless you pre-ordered the game, he'll be listed on the main menu, as well as the fighter-select screen with the bold words, "Purchase Goro," below him. The only micro-transaction I'll let slide is the "Kombat Pack." A season pass if you will, the "Kombat Pack" costs $30 and gives players access to four new characters and skins which will be doled out over time. Because how else are you going to unlock those cool new characters? I suppose you could wait for the inevitable "Komplete Edition" of the game, but you probably don't have that kind of patience.

     The sound of any Mortal Kombat game is integral to the atmosphere. Here, every popping-bubble of blood, every bone breaking and every cry of pain is heard crystal-clear, making every cringe worse than the last. The music here makes you feel like you're in a fight-to-the-death gladiator match, which you kind of are. From loud, unrelenting drums to war cries to metal guitar riffs, it's all here, and it only further draws you into the world of Mortal Kombat X. Graphically, NetherRealm did not squander the new-generation console power. The attention to detail with character models, such as the sweat covering Scorpion's arms or the damage done to you/your opponent in combat are sharply detailed. While some models are a little more rough around the edges than others, they are nonetheless impressive. Blood pours out at an enormous rate during fights, all while sparkling under the lighting of areas. The environments always surprised me because of how realistic they were. Whether it was the glistening water in the background of a fight taking place on a wharf or the desert with inhabitants in the background just milling about their business, it again, only sank me further into the game's world.

     Online is significantly more stable when compared to MKX's predecessor. When you start the game for the first time, you'll be asked to join a faction. I joined the "Lin Kuei." When you join a faction, you are battling against other players of their factions. At the end of every week, the winner with the most faction points is announced, awarding things like in-game currency or new finishing moves. Faction battles have specific challenges to be completed with the added bonus of more points, but aren't required to be completed. You earn points for your faction by simply playing the game. Also, specific teams can battle each other. Another new addition are "Living Towers." These are just like the regular towers from the previous MK where you work your way up them by fighting enemies and completing challenges, except now, they are only available for a certain amount of time before switching to another different tower. These add more replayability to an already highly-replayable game. "Test Your Luck," where you take on your opponent with a set of randomly selected modifiers, also makes its return with new, even more ridiculous modifiers than the last game. If you're feeling lucky or particularly skilled, try the returning online mode, "King of The Hill" where you fight consecutive opponents until you die.
     Want to further improve your skills? Online matches that you participate in are all automatically recorded and viewable in game. That's not even the best part though; when watching the replays, the buttons you and your opponent pressed during the fight will come up on each side of the screen for enhanced learning. On a slightly disappointing note, there really isn't a way to solve the still-existing problem of people who just endlessly spam you with the same move over and over again in online. Although I got my ass kicked in online many times, I still found myself happily coming back to try again.
     Mortal Kombat X just about delivers on every level, aside from its sickening micro-transactions. It's a more engrossing experience, with ballsy-experimental changes made that paid off in a big way. Another one of MKX's visually appealing features is how cinematic everything is. When a fighter is selected, they will walk up to the screen and pose. When a match is started, the fighters will turn and walk away from each other. Before a fight begins, the fighters will exchange a little banter just like in Injustice. I can only hope that NetherRealm further expands on the changes they made here in MKX in the next game of the series.
PROS:
- Best story yet
- Combat deeper than ever before
- More brutal than ever
- Pretty graphics
- Overall sound of the game
- Stable Online
- Bold experimental changes
CONS:
- Micro-transactions
- A few rough character models
Final Score: 9/10

"Bloodborne" Review

     From Software, known for their creations of the Dark Souls series and Demon Souls has released a new game made exclusively for the PlayStation 4. If you could not already tell from the picture above, its name is Bloodborne. Bloodborne is both a brutally difficult and incredibly satisfying game at the same time. First off, I'd like to state that I am a newcomer to From Software's games. I only recently experienced Dark Souls for the first time. Bloodborne drops players into the city of Yharnam. There is a strange illness spreading all over the city infecting its residents and turning them into your worst nightmares. Although the story here may not necessarily wow you, there's plenty more to be wowed by. You may start off in Yharnam, but soon after you will be traveling to many other locations. There is a fast-travel system in place with the fast-travel method being done using lanterns. Only one or two lanterns can be found in most areas of the game making for tense, sweat-inducing hysteria as you search for one to save your progress.

    As long as you've lit any lanterns you've come across, you'll have fast-travel access to those lanterns from within the "Hunter's Dream." This is essentially your main hub for purchasing/upgrading weapons, purchasing items and purchasing stat upgrades. You may also further customize your character here by purchasing new clothing. Bloodborne has a customization system in place for creating your character when you first start out. It's fairly deep, with the ability to shape many of your character's defining traits. There are also classes that you can choose at the start of the game based on your preferred play style. Assigning "Blood Gems" to your weapons also adds buffers to them for extra capabilities such as a damage increase or health boost. Weapons do have a durability counter, so be careful to check how much damage your weapon has taken and whether or not you need to repair it. Bloodborne's main currency is known as "Blood Echoes." These are obtained through killing

the game's deeply-varied enemies and or by collecting/selling certain items. Spend your echoes wisely though to ensure you're playing how you want to play. The game's secondary currency is known as "Insight." "Insight" can be used to purchase limited items from the "Hunter's Dream" as well as summoning other players for co-op play.
     Co-op in Bloodborne is a bloody-disaster. First off, to play with friends, both of you must be within ten levels of each other. Secondly, you both have to be in the same area and must each have the same game password set to play together. Even if you aren't planning on playing with friends, it still takes forever to have someone join your game. Other players, provided they have the "Sinister Bell," can also join your game as your adversary and murder you. While this has only happened to me a couple of extremely frustrating times, it's a brilliant feature of Bloodborne adding to the fact that you never know what awaits you in From Software's stunningly crafted world. When co-op does work though and someone joins you, it makes for quite a bit of fun as you and your "partner" traverse Bloodborne's world fighting enemies and bosses. You as well as other players can also leave notes for each other warning against a certain path or a note telling you to explore a certain path for loot. Other players' "ghosts" can also be seen by viewing "specters" throughout the environment, showing their demise.

     Bloodborne also contains "Chalice Dungeons." These are procedurally-generated dungeons that all have multiple layers with different loot to collect and different bosses to fight. "Chalice Dungeons" can only be accessed using "Chalices" you'll either collect from defeating bosses or from exploring the dungeons themselves. Perhaps one of my favorite features of Bloodborne, I loved the dungeons so much in part because of how separate they felt from the actual game. They're like a whole other world.
     Exploration is central to Bloodborne and if you don't do it, you're likely to miss out on some vital tools. For instance, there is a "badge" you can collect that allows for the purchase of a new weapon called "Ludwig's Holy Blade." The door that is used to access the area that the badge is in can only be opened after defeating a boss though. Other times, exploring is necessary to maybe find a hidden shortcut to a lantern or around a few nasty enemies. The game does an excellent job of making you feel like you need to inspect every nook and cranny of your surroundings.
     

Combat in Bloodborne is fierce and heart-pounding, and good luck, because is there no option to pause the game. If you don't dodge at the right moment or attack at the wrong moment, you'll end up severely damaged or worse, dead, losing all of your Blood Echoes. Your echoes can be retrieved though if you go back to where you died or kill the enemy that killed you. You'll know he has them because his eyes will glow. Enemies are fast and relentless and getting too close can either allow you to inflict massive damage or have massive damage inflicted upon you forcing you to quickly roll away and consume one of your blood vials (health potions). As your health bar deteriorates from enemy attacks, you have the ability to regain your health by striking back.
     Luckily, you have an arsenal of "Trick Weapons" and guns at your disposal. These "Trick Weapons" have two versions. One usually for close-range (Moderate damage) and the other, for long-range (Heavy damage). These really give the player the ability to fight how they want. For example, the "Kirkhammer's" short-range version is a sword, while its long-range version is a much larger hammer. Primary weapons are held with the right hand and when switched to their long-range version, typically become two-handed. Secondary weapons are held with the left hand. These include guns and even torches (more for lighting the way in dark places). Parrying is done by shooting an enemy right before they are about attack. This staggers them to the ground allowing the player to inflict massive damage with their primary weapon or by performing a visceral attack where you shove your hand into an enemy's body and essentially rip out a piece of them. Enemies can be locked onto for easier targeting as well. Having played Dark Souls recently, I can without a doubt say that in comparison to its combat, Bloodborne's is far more fluid.
     Aesthetically, Bloodborne shines or rather darkens with beauty. The city of Yharnam is Gothic around every corner and I love it. Blood spatter from your enemies soaks your clothes and glistens in the darkness. Rendered in a smooth 1080p, everything looks great. Other parts of the game also look like they're straight out of the Victorian Era. I did experience some frame-rate hiccups from time to time, but they did nothing to dampen my experience. Load times however were annoying to say the least. Being the brutally difficult game that it is, I died a lot. Every time you die, the game's title, "Bloodborne" in large, bold letters is centered across the screen for a solid forty seconds to a minute and every single enemy that you slaughtered, respawns.
     Boss-battles are a huge corner stone of Bloodborne, most of the time being painstakingly hard. Many bosses are actually optional, but are still an angry-joy to participate in due to how accomplished you'll feel after and the rewards you'll earn such as a chalice and or many Blood Echoes. Bosses are usually much, much larger than you with tremendously more health than you. With this being said, it is best you pay close-attention to a boss's move set so you can out-maneuver them. Grotesquely well-detailed, From Software's genius art design stands out amazingly well against anything else I have ever seen.
     Is Bloodborne a "fair" game? Yes, because as long as you pay attention, you'll be just fine. It's designed to be difficult, but learning from your mistakes is what makes you better. One minute you'll be cursing From Software's name and the next you'll be praising Bloodborne, calling it a masterpiece. Employing a stellar equation of risk with reward, Bloodborne is near-perfect in all its glory.
PROS:
- Deeply varied enemies
- Chalice Dungeons feel like a whole other world
- The necessity of exploration and strategy
- Deep combat system
- Absolutely breathtaking to look at in every way
CONS:
- Co-op
- Loading times
- Poor story
Final Score: 9/10