Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe Preview
Monday, September 1, 2008 – by Jereme Puik, Staff Writer

It can still baffle one to this day wondering why the latest Mortal Kombat game somehow achieved a Teen rating which seems like a first in the games long history. It can still even baffle another person to wonder why Midway would choose to pit Mortal Kombat characters against DC Universe’s finest. There are plenty of pros and cons to tie along with this and many die-hard fans of the series are probably still scratching their heads despite the amount of gameplay footage we’ve seen popping in the last half year. This was certainly a big opportunity to bring the DC Universe from DC Comics because it’s just like combining the Star Wars characters into the Soul Calibur franchise.

Brutality and Fatality?

Obviously there isn’t much expect from character line ups, as from people who’ve played and read the comics know full well the possibilities this title could hold. This was also an opportunity to take the Mortal Kombat series to the next level. With MK vs. DCU earning a T for Teen rating from the ESRB, it can only mean that the violence factor is a tad toned down, which was disappointing to say the least. It’s hard to look at this game and still call it a Mortal Kombat game then again, Midway could surprise. The character line-up runs with the likes of; Batman, Superman, The Flash and even Green Lantern are all making an appearance to fight against the classic foes like Scorpion, Sub Zero, and Kitana. Even the Joker was announced recently with leaked footage showing his finishing brutality which looks quite comical, I might add.

Not to get too stressed over the T rating, one feature that I find intriguing to note is that DC characters will only be fitted with Brutalities. Brutalities are your finishing move to knock out the opponent instead of tearing his limbs apart into pieces as Mortal Kombat fans have been so comfortable in doing over the last decade. The only DC character that we know of to have a straight up Fatality is the Joker, which many of you may have seen already when it leaked or on the developer commentary on Game Trailers. It brings up the point that since DC characters fight for justice and not for the kill, they would not be suited for Fatalities. While this may bring disappointment to some fans wishing to see Superman or Batman beat the living hell out of each other and tear one another apart, the fights do seem thrilling enough to dismiss the fact you can’t rip Superman’s arm off in an amazing combo.

Moving on, we have a new technicality announced at Midway’s press conference at the Games Convention in Leipzig Germany. Rage mode gives players the ability to put in a last ditch effort and give it all before their opponent has a chance to finish them off. As you start to near towards death, your Rage meter will build up, which is a green bar located underneath your health bar. You’re damage will be increased and you’ll be able to throw in some hard punches or combinations to try and take down your opponent before he does you in.

The unique storyline arcs allow players to choose their favorite character from either the DC or Mortal Kombat universe, as both storylines intertwine to open to a fresh Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe world. This will bridge together why the two universes have combined for the ultimate battles and every character interacts with each other. Midway made sure to sign on top comic writing talent, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Justin Gray (Countdown. Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters).

To make the close-quarter combat more interesting, a Freefall mode was introduced which gives the battle a more open-ended feel. If a combination move is placed correctly, players enter a Freefall mode which pushes the two characters through a certain trial of sorts. Freefall is mid-air combat that can switch on the offensive or defensive side of the fight. One player could be throwing the punches but all of sudden be flipped to block those same punches. The fall puts players into another part of the arena and every arena is hooked up with a Freefall mode of some sort, no matter what character you choose.

It seems like Midway isn’t done with releasing the final list of characters to bring the depth of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe to full circle. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, which is also powered by the all too familiar Unreal Engine 3, will be releasing this November and be available for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.