Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (All) Preview
Posted by Andrew Mellick on 10.06.2006
The final showdown for this generation of consoles. Midway is ready to head to the next generation with its final bow. With all the fighters from the MK universe involved, many questions will be answered. Who will live? Who will die? How many times will the letter K be used in this review? Click this preview to find out!
How'd they get them all to stand still for the picture?
The time has come. As dawn sets on this era of consoles, the original game that got politicians and parents in an uproar is back to finish it.
Since Mortal Kombat first tore the eyes out of the collective game world's head in 1992, we have been clawing at our bleeding open sockets for more.
It released with just 7 combatants. The roster over the years has evolved and ballooned to over 60.
It is pretty amazing to consider that Midway has gone from competing with the likes of street fighter to Soul Caliber and has still been able to make money. Granted the level of fighting may not be as evolved as SC but the nostalgia and the intriguing characters have helped this fighter to continue on in a fully evolved gaming world.
With a bulging roster, Midway has chosen their latest incarnation to purge themselves and tie up a good many loose ends in the Mortal Kombat Kannon.
Mortal Kombat Armageddon is set to release on October 9th. The game looks to be the most ambitious effort yet. So who will see the next console and who is going home? Better yet, who lives and who dies? Next week a great many questions will be answered.
What to expect
The Roster At the moment MKA has a roster of 62 characters. Virtually everyone from the Mortal Kombat universe is returning with signature moves and deadly finishers.
The Locations As of right now there are 17 arenas in which to fight, including fan favorites such as "The Bell Tower", "Goro's Lair", and "The Subway".
Fighting Styles MKA fighters will have two fighting styles that combatants can cycle between, one with a weapon, and one without. Some fighters will be more apt to use hand to hand combat over a weapon and vice versa. Also, some of the larger characters will only have one fighting style which reflects their massive size.
The parries and breakers seen in Mortal Kombat Deception are back and can now be performed in the air. Also, several characters have received new special moves.
What is new
Kreate-A-Fighter If you can't find somebody to suit you out of MKA's roster; you can create your own fighter. With many customizable options there are literally millions of different combinations.
There are at least 14 different character classes which include Tarkatans, Ninjas, Black Dragon members, and Geisha assassins. Players can give their fighter unique stances and attacks. Also included are a variety of weapons and special moves.
Something that really brings your created character to life is the inclusion of personal storylines and outcomes. Beat the game on single player with your created character and you are treated to a tailored ending based on the character's story. You can also take your created character online and battle it out.
Kreate-A-Fatality Yes you read that right! Finally we gamers can come up with our own twisted ways to bring our fallen foes to a brutal end. At the moment, there will be at least ten levels of fatalities (for example, three attacks equal a level three Fatality). These fatalities will be graded by difficulty (i.e. fatality, brutal fatality, etc.). The longer the string of attacks the higher grade of fatality achieved.
Motor Kombat Never one to take itself too seriously, MKA is included a new mini-game for those of you who ever wondered what a Mortal Kombat Mario Kart would be like. There will be 10 characters to choose from including: Scorpion, Baraka, Johnny Cage, Jax, Raiden, and more.
Courses will feature death traps and each character while have their own vehicular fatality.
Impression
This game is looking like a lot of fun. Midway seems to be dead set at making this last edition on their current gen consoles a memorable one and they look to be well on their way.
A full story mode, new creatables, tons to unlock, and endings for the games sixty some characters, makes this the most ambitious game for the franchise. While it stack up? Check in here next week when I'll have a full review up.
