Zero Punctuation: Mortal Kombat X - Test Your Might

Mikeyfell

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Aug 24, 2010
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I like that the video progress bar on the new player has the exact same shade of yellow as the ZP background.
But it's been a while since I've posted here so saying that is probably against the new Code of Conduct or something.
 

Sledgimus

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Aug 15, 2008
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Never understood why death was supposed to mean anything in the MK universe when everyone is getting getting killed on a regular basis. Would make more sense to leave the fatalities out of the story mode and just keep them for humiliating your opponent further in a two player match.
Solaire of Astora said:
Also, kinda hard to really review a fighting game well without being a frequent player of them.
I'd partly disagree with this. Yes, a review from someone not into fighting games isn't going to be much use to people who are into them, but it's very useful for the rest of us that aren't. Some games can serve as great introductions to their genre, some are quite definitely for people already into the genre. Mortal Kombat X seems to be the latter, and as I haven't played a fighting game since about MK III, I can conclude that this isn't going to be for me.
 

garjian

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Mar 25, 2009
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There's a bit of an error here Yahtzee.
Raiden can only resurrect people with the help of Quan Chi, who dies... after which nobody else can be resurrected.

I'm not up on my Mortal Kombat lore in any way, that's just what I got from this story mode.
 

jhoroz

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Mar 7, 2012
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Aiddon said:
Like I've said before, if I were to compare MK's story modes to anything they'd be a low-rent version of Blazblue's campaign. Sure, MK's is flashier and prettier, but there's really nothing of substance to it. It's just a bunch of shallow characters in a story we don't care about. So what's the point?
Because it's goofy, campy fun and has a ridiculous and convoluted lore? MK's story was never meant to be deep, oscar worthy writing. It's your and other people's fault if that was their expectation coming into these games. I for one appreciate the presentation and direction they've taken the characters in the latest MK, but I'd hardly expect any well reasoned commentary out of Yahtzee when it comes to fighting games.
 

Trishbot

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May 10, 2011
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Uncle_Brainhorn said:
Quan Chi is dead. No more resurrections.
Like that ever stopped anyone. Johnny Cage was once resurrected by the Elder Gods "just because". The Dragon King resurrected Kung Lao, Kitana, Johnny, Sonya, and Jax. Armageddon opened a portal to hell that had a lot of dead characters quite literally waltz right out into the normal world... Mileena's ending in MKX quite literally shows her way of escaping death.

... Death in Mortal Kombat is as lasting as death in Dragon Ball Z.

That's not even a problem. It's part of their charm, really.
 

Evonisia

Your sinner, in secret
Jun 24, 2013
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Maybe it's for the best that resurrection is a thing in Mortal Kombat. It's not like anybody can be arsed writing out a proper story, let's just turn on the fireworks display and have all our favourite characters faff about doing what they do.
 

CrazyGirl17

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Sep 11, 2009
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I never got that about the Mortal Kombat games, how people could be brutally killed and just suddenly appear in the sequel. And if old fighters are squaring off their children and whatnot... doesn't that get a little awkward when they pull a Brutality on them? Or this a game where you shouldn't think about that too much?
 

godgravity

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Aug 20, 2012
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MysticSlayer said:
I think he was complaining just for the sake of it. In other words, he was being Yahtzee.
I think he was complaining *because he's a critic.* I think that's what I like most about Yahtzee. Even if he enjoys a title overall, he's going to criticize. I think he fundamentally still understands that glorifying a great game is failing to criticize it.
 

Darth_Payn

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I love the return of using large animal's genitalia in jokes. My favorite's still "mung from the flaps of a sexually frustrated hippo."
And by the sounds of it, Fatalities in story mode are like the points in "Who's Line Is It Anyway?": they don't matter.
 

TvsWanderer

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godgravity said:
MysticSlayer said:
I think he was complaining just for the sake of it. In other words, he was being Yahtzee.
I think he was complaining *because he's a critic.* I think that's what I like most about Yahtzee. Even if he enjoys a title overall, he's going to criticize. I think he fundamentally still understands that glorifying a great game is failing to criticize it.
He's not a critic. He's an entertainer.

While Yahtzee does have some critical chops, they're more often seen in "Extra Punctuation" than in ZP. In ZP, he has repeatedly felt very comfortable making jokes about a part of the game that, if you've played it in more depth than he has, is visibly untrue, which would torpedo his entire critical perspective if he were a critic. At best, ZP criticizes narrow areas of a given game's design and does so in a manner that prioritizes humor over accuracy.

For example, as was noted upthread, he makes a whole point over the introduction of magical resurrections in MKX's plot. Yes, MK has made a series-long habit out of the life-death revolving door, but within this game, which he is criticizing, as Uncle_Brainhorn says upthread, it is a major story beat that the resurrections that did occur were a happy accident that now cannot be replicated. People say as much point-blank to Scorpion several times over the course of his chapter. Yahtzee has thus based a heavy portion of his "review" of the game's narrative design on something which is provably false.

This is not to say you shouldn't enjoy ZP. I often do. It is not a useful critical analysis of anything it covers, however, and is useful only as humor. If this is what you think is a criticism, your perspective on the subject is desperately flawed.
 

DanHibiki

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Aug 5, 2009
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Trishbot said:
Uncle_Brainhorn said:
Quan Chi is dead. No more resurrections.
Like that ever stopped anyone. Johnny Cage was once resurrected by the Elder Gods "just because". The Dragon King resurrected Kung Lao, Kitana, Johnny, Sonya, and Jax. Armageddon opened a portal to hell that had a lot of dead characters quite literally waltz right out into the normal world... Mileena's ending in MKX quite literally shows her way of escaping death.

... Death in Mortal Kombat is as lasting as death in Dragon Ball Z.

That's not even a problem. It's part of their charm, really.
Doesn't Shang Tsung doesn't even bother with the whole resurrection thing and just materializes out of a dust cloud when he feels like it.
 

Feculator

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Jan 31, 2010
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Aiddon said:
Like I've said before, if I were to compare MK's story modes to anything they'd be a low-rent version of Blazblue's campaign. Sure, MK's is flashier and prettier, but there's really nothing of substance to it. It's just a bunch of shallow characters in a story we don't care about. So what's the point?
Characterization/fan service. Even a crap story keeps fighting games from being too dry and mechanical. Without some minimal lore, you might as well be playing with ASCII characters.
 

Zipa

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Dec 19, 2010
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I like the Gabriel reference you slipped in there Yahtzee.
 

Sleepy Sol

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Sledgimus said:
Solaire of Astora said:
Also, kinda hard to really review a fighting game well without being a frequent player of them.
I'd partly disagree with this. Yes, a review from someone not into fighting games isn't going to be much use to people who are into them, but it's very useful for the rest of us that aren't. Some games can serve as great introductions to their genre, some are quite definitely for people already into the genre. Mortal Kombat X seems to be the latter, and as I haven't played a fighting game since about MK III, I can conclude that this isn't going to be for me.
For me, it just sometimes results in rather vague or dry descriptions of gameplay in reviews as you could apply it to almost every fighting game, if that makes sense. At worst, it can result in erroneous information being presented. I just feel like there has to be some manner of experience playing fighting games there. Not tons of years of playing them, just a more solid understanding of the genre.

I wouldn't put off trying out MKX later down the line if you're open to getting it during a sale. I don't think it would be that off-putting to a beginner with a few tips. Though the whole line between being a beginner, mildly experienced, and a very good player has always been an issue with fighting games. The time investment it takes for most people to become even decent just isn't worth it for the return, which is usually that you can say you got good at a game and not much else.
 

Ihateregistering1

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Aiddon said:
Like I've said before, if I were to compare MK's story modes to anything they'd be a low-rent version of Blazblue's campaign. Sure, MK's is flashier and prettier, but there's really nothing of substance to it. It's just a bunch of shallow characters in a story we don't care about. So what's the point?
Why is it that whenever there's any sort of discussion regarding "Mortal Kombat", at least one person has to come in to tell everyone about how Blazblue, or Guilty Gear, or Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax, or (insert Japanese Anime style fighting game) is just SOOOOOOOO much better? I really don't get it. I don't think Mortal Kombat fans show up to Guilty Gear forums to tell everyone how much better MK is.

Anyway, off my high horse. I quite enjoy MKs story mode. It's entertaining, it's campy, it's fun, I like the characters and the setting. I could have done without the QTEs this time around, and having tag-team mode would have really helped, but that's small potatoes.
 

Frankster

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Mar 13, 2009
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DanHibiki said:
Doesn't Shang Tsung doesn't even bother with the whole resurrection thing and just materializes out of a dust cloud when he feels like it.
....That's literally one of the arcade endings (Shang Tsung popping out and being all "Surprise bitches! I'm back!"), so yeh our good old soul stealing sorcerer is definitely coming back in Mk XI, he was just taking a well earned vacation in this game.

I heavily agree with Yathzee's criticism that story mode has too much focus on some of the most boring of the new cast and even the old cast. That the story itself is full of idiot logic and campiness wouldn't be too much of a problem if story mode served as a good exercise to flesh out all the characters, but it doesn't.

Heck one of the coolest things about Mk X's story is you see former good guys and Mk protagonists Liu Kang and Kitana stay evil and become the rulers of hell, seemingly setting them up to be the bad guys in next MK. As far as character development in an mk game goes, this is pretty much the outright peak and their motivations for being baddies makes sense (after Raidens fuckups in Mk9 it's no wonder they hate his guts).
Amount of story devoted to them? 0. You just beat them up as other characters and all the cool stuff those 2 get up to conquering the entire realm of hell is summed up in an arcade ending. Same deal for some of the non goody aligned new characters like the cowboy or master blaster character, the cowboy has some decent backstory in the comics but in game he is just a goon to be beaten up.
 

Enlong

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Dec 24, 2008
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Wait, but doesn't Quan Chi get killed, and pointedly not restored to life by Shinnok, kinda removing the opportunity to either resurrect more revenents or restore them to normal life?