Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance

Long in coming, Mortal Kombat returns to the bloody fighting arena, but is Deadly Alliance a long-time contender?

After a long absence from the fighting scene, Mortal Kombat returns to the arena with a brand-new look, revamped play engine, and a host of unlockable secrets. Despite being the first MK developed exclusively for home consoles (let's ignore the ill-fated Special Forces action/adventure spin-off), some of Deadly Alliance's game elements are still very arcade-minded?such as ludicrously difficult bosses and schizophrenic A.I.

"Fight!"
Going full 3D, Deadly Alliance's play engine is more button-tap-heavy Tekken than two-in-one Street Fighter, and it includes three different fighting styles per character?two martial arts and one weapon-based?that you can switch between on the fly. The triple-style system opens up seemingly endless combos and other chain attacks, but the timing's so tight that it never becomes intuitive; you'll almost have as much success by mashing buttons.

Furthermore, enemy A.I. ranges from passive to unfairly aggressive, and you'll fight matches either schooling the opposition or quickly getting schooled. Plus, bosses?such as Moloch?are an unkind flashback to the unfair tactics of past MK wrecking balls Motaro and Kintaro: They'll shake off almost every incoming attack, and quickly retaliate by smacking your sorry ass across the screen.

"Finish Him!"
Not that Deadly Alliance lacks any positive trademark MK qualities. Fights are brutal and intense, and gore hounds will be more than satisfied with the game's excessive use of the red palette. This is a very straightforward MK: It lacks past gimmicks (Babalities), focuses more on bloody brawling, and features the right balance of foreboding music and gloomy fighting arenas. Plus, the revival of "Test Your Might" mini-games is a nice nostalgic touch.

Taking full advantage of the at-home gaming experience, Deadly Alliance has a host of time-consuming unlockable secrets. As you progress through the game, you can accumulate Kurrency to purchase concept art, character costumes, fighting arenas, and other goodies?an aspect that provides excellent replay value.

"Fatality!"
Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is a decent next step in the evolution of the bloody fighting franchise. It probably won't convert any non-fans to the series, but long-time Kombatants will kill many happy thumb-busting hours with this one.

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