Videogame Reviews

Mortal Kombat II
Platform: Sony Playstation 3 (PlayStation Network download)
Publisher: Midway, Sony Online Entertainment
1-2 Players
ESRB Rating: Mature, recommended for ages 17 and older


Mortal Kombat II is a sequel to the original Mortal Kombat fighting game that has turned into a successful franchise over the years.

Players have twelve characters to choose from, each with their own unique set of special moves and fatalities, but otherwise each character incorporates the same basic movements.

After choosing a character, players start off on the bottom of a ladder and progress upward after defeating each opponent one-on-one. Matches are divided into three rounds and the first player to win two rounds, by draining their opponent's life-bar, is the winner. If the two rounds are lost, players have 9 seconds to choose whether or not they want to continue from where they left off on the ladder. Continuing takes the player back to the selection screen to choose a character.

Previous versions of MKII have different difficulty levels to choose from, the PS3 version has a default difficulty level only. In single player, winning the first match and progressing upwards, artificial intelligence of opponents will significantly increase in difficulty. Online - The speed and quality of matches will vary based on player's internet connections. In a match with major slow down, sometimes it feels impossible to block or counter the other player's move because of lag. There is no ability to use a headset to communicate with other players, which is disappointing.
When going to an online match, if the other player does not press start, you will start a single-player game yourself and they will be able to watch you fight. Whenever the opponent presses start, your game will be interrupted. This feels careless on the part of the converting team, as there is no indication that the player must press the start button to begin the match. Players will remain connected to each other until one or the other chooses to leave the game, which is done by pressing the select button.

A scoreboard (for online play) is a feature that allows players to see where they, their friends and the top players rank. However, the score system is insignificant because there is no indication of what players receive points for.

There are some technical glitches present in this version that were not in others, for example, the dead pool area shows no shadows for either character. Sometimes the music in the background will stop playing. These problems make this port feel like it was rushed to completion. The graphics hold up pretty well, even today, thanks to the use of digitized sprites of real actors for the characters. However, the main menus are designed poorly and feel like an afterthought.

Mortal Kombat II has been surpassed by better fighting games over the years but MK II is not without it's own charm. Perhaps it's part nostalgia that makes the game fun to play for those who had played it years ago. Although online play could be better, all in all, people who enjoy fighting games will probably find some entertainment for the asking price of $4.99

Category: PlayStation Network
Posted by Brukaoru at 12:20 AM |