| Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe | |
|---|---|
USA cover displaying three protagonists of each side facing one another. |
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| Developer(s) | Midway Amusement Games, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Midway Games |
| Series | Mortal Kombat |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 3[1] |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 3, Xbox 360[2] |
| Release date(s) |
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| Genre(s) | Fighting, Adventure, Crossover |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | Blu-ray Disc, DVD-DL[3] |
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (also known as MK vs. DC or MK vs. DCU) is a crossover fighting game from Midway Games and Warner Bros. Games. The eighth game in the Mortal Kombat series, MK vs. DC was released on November 16, 2008. MK vs. DC contains characters from both the Mortal Kombat franchise and the DC Universe. Its story was written by comic writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray. This was the last title to be developed and published by Midway Games, as it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and sold the rights[4] to Mortal Kombat to Warner Bros. (also owner of DC Comics). This is also the first console MK game to have an unrestricted rating by the ESRB as well as the first MK game to be published by Warner Bros. Games.
The story of MK vs. DC takes place after Raiden, Earthrealm's god of Thunder, and Superman, hero of Earth repel invasions from both their worlds. An attack by both Raiden and Superman simultaneously in their separate universes causes the merging of the Mortal Kombat and DC villains, Shao Kahn and Darkseid, resulting in the creation of Dark Kahn whose mere existence causes the merging of the universes that if continued would result in the destruction of both universes. Characters from both universes begin to have a flux in power, some becoming more powerful and others becoming weaker.
MK vs. DC was developed using Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 and is available for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms. It is the first Mortal Kombat title developed solely for a seventh generation console. The majority of its ratings range from 7.5/10 to 8.5/10. Most reviewers agreed that MK vs. DC was entertaining and made good use of its DCU license; however, a lack of unlockable features as opposed to past installments and toned down finishers garnered some criticism.
Contents |
MK vs. DC features a story mode, playable from two different perspectives. The perspectives consist of one segment from the DC Universe side, and one from the Mortal Kombat side, each split up into various chapters.[5] Depending on which side players choose, the characters see characters from the opposite universe as the invaders of their own. Ed Boon, creative director of MK vs. DC and co-creator of the Mortal Kombat franchise, did confirm that the player would have the ability to play as all the characters in the story mode at one point during development, but the story mode instead had a few characters not having their own story arcs.[5][6] Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe also contains a mode called "Kombo Challenge". This aspect of MK vs. DC is individual to the Versus and Story modes, where players must perform ten precreated combos of increasing difficulty.[7][8]
Intertwined within the fights are new gameplay modes, such as "Free-Fall Kombat" or "Falling Kombat," which is activated automatically after throwing the opponent to a lower level in the arena. The players can fight in the air during the fall in a quasi-mini-game, with a player having to hit certain buttons to be on top during the fall and deal out the damage when the fall ends.[9] "Klose Kombat" is a mode the players can enter during a fight, causing the characters to lock with each other and the perspective to change to a close-up shot of the two, to make for an interval of close-quarters fighting.[5] A "Test Your Might" mini-game is also worked into the gameplay. While fighting in certain areas, the player can smash the opponent through a series of walls and engage in a tug-of war with the damage meter at the top of the screen. The player on the offense mashes buttons to increase damage, while the player on the defense mashes buttons to decrease damage taken.[9]
Another in-fight feature called "Rage mode" is also a new aspect introduced in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. The Rage mode is governed by a rage meter placed below the player's health meter, that fills progressively every time the player receives damage or attacks. Once the meter is completely filled, Rage mode can be activated which lasts for several seconds. Rage mode causes the hits of the attacker to break the opponent's guard on the second hit; prevents the attacker from experiencing hit stun, knockdown or pop-up, and increases the damage of an attacker's moves.[9]
During fights, characters show permanent signs of visual damage, such as bruises, scrapes, bleeding, and broken or torn clothing.[10] All of the characters except Darkseid, Shao Kahn, and Dark Kahn have finishing moves; the Mortal Kombat characters and the DC villains can execute fatalities, while the DC heroes can execute moves called "heroic brutalities," which function in the same manner but do not kill opponents, in order to stay in tone with the heroes who have an established reputation of never taking a life.[11]
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe does not follow chronologically with the other games in the Mortal Kombat series, and is considered an "ultimate-Elseworlds" for DC Universe continuity by story co-writer Jimmy Palmiotti.[12]
After Shao Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm is defeated by Raiden's forces of light, Raiden destroys Kahn by blasting him through a portal. At exactly the same time on Earth, Superman stops Darkseid's Apokoliptian invasion by blasting Darkseid with his heat vision as he enters a boom tube. These acts do not destroy either of them, but merges them into Dark Kahn, and causes the DC and Mortal Kombat universes to merge.[13]
As the worlds merge, the characters' abilities fluctuate, causing violent "rage" outbreaks that are actually the feelings of Dark Kahn being fused into the characters from afar. Because of this, certain characters either gain strength or vulnerability. This allows things such as the possibility of Superman being defeated due to his vulnerability to magic, and giving the Joker the ability to fight Raiden. With each world thinking that the other is responsible for the merger, they fight each other in Mortal Kombat until only one fighter from each side remains: Raiden and Superman. In the final battle, Raiden and Superman fight while Dark Kahn feeds on their rage. Both realizing that the other isn't working with Dark Kahn, they overcome their rage for each other and defeat their fused enemy, restoring the two worlds to their normal separation.[14] While everyone else has been sent to their original universe, Darkseid and Shao Kahn have been switched and are both rendered powerless. In the end, they both face eternal imprisonment in the other's universe; Darkseid is restrained in the Netherealm, while Shao Kahn is trapped in the Phantom Zone.[6]
According to interviews, the characters were chosen for their popularity, and for parallels between characters from both universes.[5] Boon has said that some of the characters' abilities, especially those from the DC universe, had been toned down to make them balanced within MK vs. DC. For example, Boon specifically mentioned that Superman became vulnerable because of magic.[15][16] Boon revealed on the morning of July 7, 2009, via Twitter that two new characters were developed as downloadable content, Quan Chi from Mortal Kombat and Harley Quinn from DC comics but had been discarded.[17] He had also earlier hinted at the prospect of Kung Lao and Doomsday being downloadable characters.[18]
^a Unlockable character
In February 2007, Midway revealed they were planning a new game in the franchise, inspired by having seen a showcase of Gears of War. This eighth Mortal Kombat game would have been "dark, gritty, serious" and a "back to basics reboot" to the series.[22] Eventually, at some time during planning, a deal with DC Comics was settled and this project was dropped, thus leading to the development of the current game.[23] An announcement in April 2008 confirmed the game as a crossover, and a trailer was released.[24] From the original project, the only notable aspect that remained was the use of the Unreal Engine 3, also used in Gears of War. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe was co-published by Midway Games and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and was the final Mortal Kombat title to be developed under the Midway label prior to its purchase by Warner Bros. Interactive.[25] According to an intereview with Maurice Patel, entertainment industry manager at AutoDesk, AutoDesk software was used to develop Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe.[26] For the lighting in MK vs. DC, Midway used lighting solutions provider Illuminate Labs's products.[27]
The use of a DC license in MK vs. DC implied some restrictions be made to the characteristic violence in Mortal Kombat games. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe thus was restricted to a "Teen" rating. Therefore, various fatalities such as Sub-Zero's "Spine Rip" from previous titles were replaced due to their violent nature.[28] In order to keep that rating, two of MK vs. DC's fatalities were censored in North America.[29][30] In the United Kingdom version of MK vs. DC, both the Joker and Deathstroke's first fatality feature them each finishing their opponent with a gunshot to the head, with each respective shot shown uncut from a distance. However, the North American version had the camera quickly pan toward the victor before the shot is fired, thereby cutting the victim out of the shot completely.[31][32][33][34] Additionally, one of Kitana's fatalities which involved impaling the opponent in the head and the torso with her fanblades was modified so that both fanblades impaled her opponent's chest instead.[35][36]
Downloadable content had been confirmed in an Xbox 360 podcast interview with Major Nelson, but was canceled due to Midway's financial issues.[37] Creator Ed Boon had stated that they would have been updating MK vs. DC periodically with new content all the way up to the release of the next installment of the Mortal Kombat series. Ed Boon had stated "I'd like to have [DLC] as soon as possible. I think that might be a great Christmas gift to reinvigorate the game".[38] Ed Boon informed on his Twitter page that the plan for downloadable content had been scrapped. As clarified by 1UP, this removal occurred because Midway had filed for its bankruptcy and was purchased by Warner Bros. Interactive after the promise of downloadable content.[17]
For the release of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe's Kollector's Edition, a Kollector's Edition cover was done by Alex Ross, also included in the Kollector's Edition is a 16-page comic book which was illustrated by Mortal Kombat co-creator John Tobias.[39]
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 77.33%(PS3)[40] 75.36% (X360),[41] |
| Metacritic | 76 (PS3)[42] 72 (X360),[43] |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| Game Informer | 8.5/10[44] |
| GamePro | [45] |
| GameSpot | 7.5/10[10] |
| GameTrailers | 7.4/10[46] |
| IGN | 7.5/10[8] |
| Official Xbox Magazine | 8.5/10[47] |
| Giant Bomb | [48] |
| X-Play | [49] |
MK vs.DC was released and received generally positive reviews from critics. Adam Sessler of X-Play gave the game a 3 out of 5, in which he said: "Whether it's a decade-late answer to the Marvel/Capcom team up games or an off-the-cuff boardroom joke gone wildly too far, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is destined to make just about anyone's shortlist of bizarre video game team-ups. Still, sometimes two disparate things can merge to create a unique synergy that makes the melding work, however unlikely it may have seemed at the outset."[49] In the November 2009 issue of GamePro, Sid Shuman called it "surprisingly enjoyable."[50] On a preview of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, it was stated on Wired.com that the concept of the game was "nose-pokingly ludicrous" stating that Superman's powers could be used to easily defeat a character with the comment, "From Sub-Zero to Well-Done in eight seconds flat."[51]
ABC News praised Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe's story stating that it did "a great job of giving players a cohesive, if far-fetched, story line that's fun if not engaging." They also praised its dialogue, even going as far as calling it "comic book-like."[52] MK vs. DC's Kombo Challenge mode was criticized as a thin and frustrating mode with combos that required very exact timing.[8][44][49] The modes of Klose Kombat and Free-fall Kombat were praised as concepts but were criticized in their execution as they appeared to slow down the gameplay and took the player out of the fast gameplay experience.[8] Critics noted that the change in the amount of gore was disappointing to longtime fans of the series who were used to the "insane amounts of gore."[10]
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry approved of MK vs. DC because of its departure from the earlier M-rated games of the series praising its, "simpler play, familiar graphics and adjustable gore content" but still not recommending it for younger players.[53]
Midway Games announced that as of January 26, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe had shipped 1.8 million copies since its release in mid November 2008, not including the sales of Kollector's Edition.[54] The COO of GameStop stated however that the Kollector's Edition of MK vs. DC made up 55% of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe total sales at GameStop locations in its first week.[55] In their 10-K filing, Midway Games revealed the title had sold over 1.9 million units, making it one of the company's most successful titles since 2002.[56] According to Wired.com Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe also, "...holds the distinction of being the most pre-ordered MK game of all time."[57] According to a ranking by Rentrak, the Xbox 360 version of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe was the 6th most rented game of 2009.[58]
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