PlayStation 2 Review
Mortal Kombat: Deception

I doubt there is one single person out there who doesn’t know what the initials MK mean. Much like Grand Theft Auto has done today, Mortal Kombat—during the nineties—kept a violent grip on the minds of countless youths. Years have passed since MK’s spine dangling debut and although many of its fighting competitors seem to have sunken into mediocrity, Mortal Kombat remains. By reinventing itself MK proves that this series can not only survive, but flourish as well. One of their most recent releases, Mortal Kombat: Deception is just one more step in Midways stunning evolutionary ladder.

The instant after Deadly Alliance ends is the setting for Deception. The first cut-scene depicts Raiden slugging it out with both Shang Tsung and Quan Chi while an unfamiliar voice narrates the story. You’ll cringe; perhaps even weep when you see Raiden fall victim to the decadent duo. Then, possibly, you will chuckle as that same duo can’t stand on common ground for more than one minute and begin to battle each other for complete control of their newfound army, failing to notice each soldier is now bowing down row-by-row to their true leader—The Dragon King. Eventually they drop the antics and focus their attention on the true threat, slinging every ounce of magic they have at the lizard but it’s not enough. Even when Raiden stands, gives Tsung a brief glance and throws himself into the mix the Dragon King continues on his relentless pursuit. Survival ends up out weighing pride and Raiden has just enough time to obliterate everything around him and reassemble his essence elsewhere. A lot of foreshadowing is done in that first scene. You find out what happened to the deadly alliance, you garner information about the Dragon King, enough to know that he is the final boss. But who was narrating?

Patience, Grasshopper, patience. You will find that out soon enough. Well, possibly. You may figure it out simply by watching a few endings and reading a few bios or you may have to drag yourself all the way through Konquest mode to shed some light.

Don’t be sad, though. Konquest mode is no longer a boring, mapped out tutorial that forces you to suffer through retarded dialogue while you learn the mechanics of each character. This time you take on the permanent role of newcomer Shujinko, a young man training to enter the Mortal Kombat tournament under the tutelage of Bo Rai Cho. Although Shujinko has the desire to compete his skills are only average and he is forced to continue his schooling. Eventually, a weakened elder god who has seen his conviction and needs his help approaches Shujinko. Desperate to make his name known, he accepts—leading him and you on a quest that will span his entire life and allow you to free-roam through all six realms the MK universe has to offer.

Konquest is huge, but if that wasn’t enough to divert your mind from the fighting there is also puzzle and chess mode. Chess mode is rather self-explanatory except for a few minor changes. The teams aren’t pre-rendered; any unlocked character can be used to play any part on the board. If you’re like me and you suck at chess don’t fret. It’s also up to you and your skills who takes over your square, barring invasion. You fight it out, every time, and winner gets to keep the square. Your bishop can even use spells to resurrect fallen comrades, protect or heal and warp certain allies to key points on the board.

Puzzle mode is a bit simpler but involves a lot more strategy. You only pick one character, each with their own special move. Then the cartoon characters fight below an empty rectangle as colored MK dragon icons drop down to fill it up. Match any three colors and they “break”, freeing up some space. If you fill your special bar up, you can use anything from jumble, freeze or sort to help you get the edge. If you are the one person that bought and played “Mean Bean Machine” you’ll feel right at home.

Although these mini-games add an element unseen before and they can provide you with a much-needed break, Mortal Kombat doesn’t need glitter and trinkets anymore then it did when it first came out. Toggle with the mini-games and kiddy puzzles all you want. I picked this game up for one reason and I wasn’t left disappointed in the slightest.

When I found out MK stuck with the same 3-D formula from Deadly Alliance that was enough to hook me but I had no idea how tight they could make the mechanics. The controls have an undeniable precision. Wasted movement or accidental jumping is a thing of the past. Sidestepping can be done in the blink of an eye and a follow up combo pulled off even quicker.

The environments are so massive it’s enough to rupture your peripheral vision and so dangerous it may end up doing the same thing to your chest cavity. Fatal backgrounds have always been synonymous with MK, but this time you don’t need to see the words “Finish him” before you can take advantage. Timed right and any moment you can lay waste to your opponent by launching them off a massive pagoda, violently coerce them into a steel press or nostalgically toss them onto waiting spikes. If you prefer to do it the old fashioned way, each character has two fatalities and a Hari Kari. If you can punch in the code before your opponent does, you’ll save your honor by ending your own life in a very violent way.

Graphically, this is the most gorgeous MK to date. Every outline is smooth and the rendering is seamless. The movement is never choppy or segmented. The design is outstanding, both for the returning favorites and the newcomers. Tiny details have been taken into account as dresses follow the movement of the owner and every special move has a glittering originality to it. The blood and guts is still a bit hokey in my opinion but it’s a huge step off from the sequels.

The sound is still lacking for the most part. All the background noise—the laughter, the screams—are flawless don’t get me wrong. But would Mortal Kombat suffer from having a soundtrack? There’s nothing wrong with violent metal to go along with brutal brawling.

Saying Deception reiterates the fact MK is far from dead is an understatement. Strictly as a fighting game the roster, appeal, beauty and downright violence allow it to stand out as one of the best. Tack on a huge krypt, brutal side quest and two entertaining mini-games and you’ll find—despite the genre—Mortal Kombat: Deception leaves a lot of things soulless.

Overall: 8/10

By: Greg Knoll