Let's discuss Mortal Kombat X (Part 2).

Credit where credit’s due -- MKX deserves some props for being the first game to have an item-unlocking shop where a virtual wolf can attack you.

The Krypt could have been a simple menu, but apparently the guys at NetherRealm went the extra mile and created a faux-dungeon crawler for you to move around in.  It’s not what I’d call amazing, and it’s probably an annoyance to anyone who just wants a menu to buy costumes/concept art/Fatalities, but it has its purpose.  Seeing as how you have to get in-game currency to unlock stuff, it incentivizes players to get in deep with the other game modes -- which is good, because it makes them practice without necessarily “wasting time” in training mode.

There are multiple “towers” for players to tackle at their leisure, each with their own unique conditions (the Test Your Might tower being the place to button-mash your way to glory).  Okay, sure, playing against CPUs isn’t exactly the best way to train, but it’s something; it lets the player get used to the game before they take the fight online or against friends.  Or, alternatively, it gets them ready for MKX’s Faction War, wherein you choose a clan at the start and complete challenges (online or off) to boost your Faction’s rank and gain rewards.  As far as I know, that’s a bust -- because surprise, surprise, everyone wanted to be part of the ninja team and there’s no point in even trying to fight back.

So forget it.  Let’s move on to the story. 

Spoilers are about to GET OVER HERE, so watch out.  Also, I thought about replacing all the Cs in this post with Ks, but that would’ve been stupid and annoying, so screw it.

Let’s discuss Mortal Kombat X (Part 1).

I’d just like to take a moment to mention that in my first match of Mortal Kombat X, I managed to pull off a Fatality just by mashing a couple of directions and hitting a button.  It was complete luck, but somehow I found Jax ripping open Reptile’s head and stuffing a cigar into it like an ashtray.  Almost immediately, my brother accused me of looking it up on the internet beforehand -- the greatest of sins to be committed when trying out a fighting game raw.  (Though it’s worth noting he spent a fair amount of time with vanilla Marvel 3 before our inaugural match.)

I think at that stage, he drastically overestimated how much I cared about winning.  As I’ve said, I’ve never cared about Mortal Kombat, and anyone who assumes that I hate it is justified in doing so.  I’m not saying that anyone who does like it is wrong; it’s just that it isn’t for me.  I’ve got an armada’s worth of biases, and unfortunately they’ve kept MK from even setting sail on the metaphorical ocean. 

But hope springs eternal.  Maybe this, NetherRealm’s latest attempt to bring in new fans and old loyalists, and offer up the TRUE next-gen fighting game, is the chosen one.  Does it have what it takes?  If nothing else, can it win me over at last?

Well, let me say this to start: I think I get Mortal Kombat now.

Mortal Kombat X: A Very Special Post

Full disclosure: I’m pretty sure I’m on record -- maybe even here on this blog -- saying something along the lines of “I hate Mortal Kombat” or “I’ve never like Mortal Kombat”.  So yeah, I can’t exactly claim that I’m fair and unbiased here; that said, the latest Mortal Kombat installment is out, I played it, and…yeah, it’s all right.  Neither its story nor its gameplay are mind-blowing, but it’s still serviceable.  And I’d bet that it IS mind-blowing for the true fans.  I’ll try and get a post uploaded explaining my thoughts, but only after I’ve spent more time with it.

Until then, there’s other stuff worth talking about.    Stuff that I really don’t want to wait to get into, seeing as how it’s been fresh on my mind, and it’s a pretty important subject.  For those unaware: MKX’s story mode brings us newcomer Kung Jin, who was recently confirmed to be the canon’s first gay character.  In typical internet fashion, it caused quite a stir, with harsh words thrown from both sides.

So.  Assuming that I have the tact for it, what do you say we have a little discussion on it?