Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (Xbox 360)

[  « Previous Page | 1 | 2  ]

We're yet to see the full roster of characters

Now that we're playing the game ourselves, and we can see it up close, the lovely graphical detail that's been put into the game comes through loud and clear. Flash's clothing rips, exposing open, bleeding wounds on his arm. Batman's cowl tears, exposing pockets of his face, something, we're told, Midway had awful trouble convincing DC to approve. And Scorpion, after getting nailed in the back, finds his spine exposed. It's genuinely impressive - the character damage reveals the classic characters from both universes in a new light - we're not used to seeing Superman torn up and bleeding - he's invulnerable after all. The best example, however, is Sub Zero's classic freeze attacks (he has a new counter freeze block to play with). The character model freezing is something else, and up there with the best upcoming fighting games have to offer.

Talking of Superman, he's extremely powerful but somewhat slow. His somewhat sluggish style focuses on devastating close combat that cause tons of damage. Flash, however, is the opposite, with an emphasis on speed, predictably, and light flurry attacks. MK fans hoping to go online take note, senior designer Brian Lebaron tells us Flash will be one of the most popular characters among hardcore players when the game's finally released. Batman falls somewhere in the middle of the two comic superheroes. His Batorang projectiles are useful for keeping close quarters enemies at a distance and on their toes (one Batorang attack flies up into the air and hits behind). This, coupled with a teleport attack, leads us to believe that the Caped Crusader will be one the pros will get lots of satisfaction from.

 Advertisement

Of course the biggest MK related topic for discussion at E3 is the game's fatalities. At Midway's Gamers' Day in April Ed Boon told us that the team was trying its best to squeeze every last drop of blood out of the teen rating. Thankfully we can confirm that there is blood in MKVSDCU. Plenty of it in fact. It sprays from Superman, Batman and anybody else's face when they're hit. And fatalities are in the game, too. The only catch is that not everyone has them.

All the Mortal Kombat characters, (Sub Zero, Scorpion, Shang Tsung and Sonya confirmed), and the DCU villains (Catwoman) have fatalities, and many are very similar to the gruesome finishing moves that have gone before. Scorpion, for example, still pulls of his face mask, reveals his skull and toasts his hapless enemy. "The DC villains will be able to do some bad s**t!" reassures Brian. Still, he confirms that there will be no ripping off of heads, which will be a big disappointment for many MK fans.

The DC heroes, however, are a different kettle of fish. The comic company has obviously put its foot down and said no to Superman, Batman and co killing, and thus their finishing moves can't be called fatalities. In the build we're playing they're called Brutalities, but this isn't final. Brian performs one of them for us to get a flavour of what Midway is talking about - Superman roars, his eyes glow then, like hammering a nail into wood he pummels his opponent into the ground with both fists. It's not a fatality, but it's still a shocking sight to see Superman, the Man of Steel himself, perform such a brutal, unforgiving action.

Hands on time with the game has eased our fears somewhat

So, as our E3 hands on comes to an end, we find ourselves enthused by what we've played, but buzzing with unanswered questions. We're reassured by the graphics, depth, old school MK feel and, crucially, by the solid gameplay. Will that, and the guys and girls from the DC Universe, be enough to make up for the lack of flying heads? We'll need more time with the game to work that one out.

Another question is the roster, confirmed to include 10 from MK and 10 from DCU. We've been told all on the DCU side will be iconic characters, so it's not a giant leap to expect Midway to announce the Joker in the coming months. What about Bane, Scarecrow and Two-Face? And on the hero side, how about Robin, Green Lantern and Wonder Woman?

This year's E3 has come in for a lot of slack, a lot of it warranted, but we'll remember it fondly for rekindling that beat-em-up fire that burned so brightly in our early teens, a time when Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter were the two biggest games on the earth and children everywhere took sides in the playground. Midway and Ed Boon are bringing Mortal Kombat back and, across the hall, Capcom is bringing Street Fighter back. We can't wait for the two to collide.

Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is due out for Xbox 360 and PS3 this November.

[  « Previous Page | 1 | 2  ]