New Kombat is arcade fab, simulation drab

Mortal Kombat fans everywhere were surely enthused about, “Deception,” the latest title in the Acclaim Series.

Most of the hype was due to the first-person gameplay highlighted in the new Acclaim title. In Konquest Mode (note the ever-present “K” motif) a user can follow the character Kenshi through an epic storyline meeting each character in the game through six diverse worlds. The game feels as if it were a ninja-style Grand Theft Auto, only without the guns, an ability to jump and visceral landscapes.

The only problem with Konquest Mode is the obligatory motions players are forced to go through to advance the game. Kenshi meets nearly every player in the game while completing arbitrary missions and follows a storyline that couldn’t fight its way out of a paper bag.

When Kenshi finally fights someone, he has to learn each character’s moves in ascending difficulty to advance. This becomes tedious because most anyone can figure out how to perform simple one button attacks. After about 15 different characters, players realize that there isn’t much difference between the combinations, and the only reason to play the first-person Konquest mode is to unlock secrets and earn coins to unlock even more secrets (some of which make you feel quite nerdy).

What’s more disheartening is that while fighting in Konquest mode, the player can’t perform any fatalities – the flagship of the Mortal Kombat series.

In arcade mode, where fatalities are allowed, the finishing moves are just as frightening as they were in the early Mortal Kombat titles. However, over the years the people at Acclaim have decided to shy away from the realistic characters and opted for animated pixel figures instead. Still, arms are ripped off, torsos are split and bodies are disintegrated – and all of it is as bloody as ever.

Each character in the game has two unique fatalities and several levels contain their own brutal death traps that can cut any match short. The death traps utilize objects such as sharp steaks, crushing machines and falling rocks to brutally finish enemies.

Two other interesting features are the mini-games in the Deception. Kombat Chess is a game sort of like regular chess, only the pieces don’t move as traditional pieces. The game is still like most battle chess titles; only an arcade battle is used to determine the winner of each confrontation.

Prize Kombat is a basic head-to-head puzzle game; only caricatures of the Kombat characters provide hilarious antics below the puzzle screens. Each level of Prize Kombat has its own fatality, which are equally as disgusting as those in Kombat mode.

Gamers are allowed for to play online in Deception for the first time in any Kombat title. Finally fans are able to fatally finish off foes from far across the fan forum. Online play is available for all modes of gaming, with the exception of Konquest mode.

As a straight arcade game, Kombat doesn’t disappoint. The characters from the good ol’ days and new heroes and villains work well together and the violence is as far out as ever.

Just don’t mistake this game for a first-person fighter.