Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks Xbox Review

Ed Boon, Co-Creator of the Mortal Kombat series is one dedicated man, his love for games in general had sealed Midway’s place in video game history. He has also been on the receiving end of critics, anti-violence groups and I bet his name is in Hillary’s book, and not her black book. Despite the controversy over the whole Mortal Kombat series, the man is still trying to bring the series to another level. Fans that know their MK history already know that Ed has a habit of placing hidden items and things to unlock in every game he is involved in. He is after all a gamer first in his own words and a creator second.

The last MK game was decent, had an online mode, and was well received by fans. There are always those who want to say the series has passed its time and let it go. I disagree and I know Ed Boon would second that. The latest game takes you out of the arena, well sort of, and has a story. Normally, when you take well-known characters from a fighting game and try to build an action adventure game around it, the result is pretty lame at best. This time it works and is pretty decent but has a few areas that may make the long time fans of the games ask why is this character showing up? Read on as I review Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks.

Gameplay

Once again besides the single player game there are plenty of other modes including the full version of MK II, the normal videos, moves and secrets that the series is known for. The basic story is taken from right after the events of the first game or story of the Mortal Kombat world. Raiden must guide Liu Kang and Kang Lao back to the Earth realm to find Shang Tsung and his followers to protect the Wu Shi Academy from destruction. I will not go into the deeper storyline and ruin the fun. I will say surprisingly the story is well thought out, but you will need to be open to the fact this is all based on a fantasy world.

In the single player mode you will meet up with fellow members from MK 1 including Johnny Cage, Sonya, Blade and a few of the villains as well. Now even long time fans are going to wonder how a few of these characters return when in the series timeline they are either dead or have moved on. Again, thanks to the way the story is based on the events up to the end of the first game, it is believable and really makes sense. At first the game was pushing the fact you are out of the arena and into the adventure. A catchy tag line true but its not the whole truth. There still are the classic arenas. On the single player mode you can also play with a friend using the Ko-Op mode and play as a team one playing as Liu and another controlling Kung. This is cool but the problem lies in the fact to get all the items and hidden secrets you will need to play the Ko-Op mode to unlock everything.

The levels are well-made and fit the story, but there is a lot of back tracking and that maybe frustrating for some. Although the game has this like many others, there is a purpose more than just keeping you busy. The fighting and the moves are dead on and yes the fatalities and combos are back. A bit revamped and to be honest for the better when it’s on the go so to speak. Fighting while trying to get somewhere is a bit different than fighting inside an arena. Of course no Mortal Kombat game would be complete without the destructible areas and using the surroundings as weapons. The game is actually interesting and at times a bit irritating, but it was fun to see the old classic characters one last time.

Of course with Ed Boon you never know and if the game takes off, I am sure we will see another adventure soon. The fighting is just as important in this one and you will still earn new moves, combo and fatalities as well as having to buy certain ones. The one part of the game I enjoyed the most was the tests of the old days. You will have to test your might, skill and all the other tests found in the old versions of the series.

Control / Playability

The controls are laid out well and you won’t need a six button controller to be good at it. In fact if you attempted to play with one, I don’t think you would get very far. The basic controls are the same as far as controlling the characters using the left analog stick and the right one controls the camera and it’s pretty decent for a fighting/action adventure game. They did revamp the fatalities and a few of the famous moves. You will be guided by Raiden on the screen at times to get the hang of the more advance controls and use of the map.

I like the fact they changed things up in the controls making you learn the new moves. I thought I was going to breeze through the game having played many hours of the first Mortal Kombat game and the whole series. It also shows the game is trying to offer new things. Pulling off the moves is not as simple as remembering the button combos this time. You will need to know when the right time is and this adds more of a challenge for the players. The learning curve varies on this one and anyone can get the basic down in about 30 minutes. The more advanced moves and controls you need to earn. You will get the chance to buy or unlock more and that will also vary on the time spent playing.

Graphics / Presentation

The game uses a new graphics engine and looks great for the most part. Each character has the basic same looks from years gone by only more detailed and 3-D rendered. When you trigger an event or cue a certain scene, the graphics look really good. Now there a few times in the game where they look unpolished and hurried or rushed but I could really say that about most of the games out today. The new engine helps players get into the story and once you unlock the MK II arcade game it looks exact to the arcade version.

The load times are not bad and there are a lot of new areas to be seen. They revamped the old settings which look really good. Of course the game is gory and that’s a part of the games history. The gore is not overdone and they really added more effects than the old time splattering of blood here and there. They did manage to capture the classic bicycle kicks and are done at times in a slow motion mode as well as a few of the fatalities but they don’t over use the effect. The landscapes and key areas show the game was not just thrown together and is well laid out. I would have liked it if you did not need to back track from one area to the next but again that’s part of the fun.

Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks Xbox Screenshot

View all Mortal Kombat:Shaolin Monks Xbox Screenshots

Audio

Being a long time fan I was really wondering how the voice-over artist would do trying to reprise famous characters. I have to say Midway’s choices where great and each voice fits the characters almost perfectly. Raiden is always hard to impress a fan of the series but even he sounds good. All the voice-over actors seem into the roles and not just reading from the script. In fact I did not mind Raiden popping up telling me clues and advice it fits his character so they really went the extra mile trying to make the players get into the game by the music and voices.

The other sound effects are great you hear the clash of steel the roar of a creature and even the snapping of a twig to let you know you’re about to enter another battle. The sound effects really add to the overall game and even at times play an important part as a cue to help solve a few of the puzzles if you want to call them that. Actually, it’s more of how to get to a certain place put there is some puzzle aspects in the game so it fits.

Replay Value

The chance to play Ko-Op adds to the games value and is a cool idea although an online mode would have made it better. The added features and all the hidden items will keep fans busy. The single player mode is a bit short but enjoyable and not that easy for most players. Of course there is the normal hidden Kontent that is a running gag of the series and the videos or really interesting. It’s still a fighting game with an adventure added. Long time fans may need to remember that the time frame is right after the first game or may wonder why certain characters are suddenly showing up. To unlock everything will take longer than beating the single player mode and I enjoyed that.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 8.5/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

Long time fans are going to get the most enjoyment out of this one that’s for sure. I like the fact they are trying new things with the series. The new concept works I would have liked it a bit longer. The Ko-Op mode again is a neat idea but making it so you need to play it to unlock everything may make a few fans ticked off. It is not perfect but for any fan of Mortal Kombat its worth playing. Hopefully they will add an online mode to the next one and really that was the only thing I missed.