A discussion about DLC and its very nature

Downloadable content, along with digital distribution, is commonplace among contemporary gaming. Not only does it allow developers to fix issues with their game post-release, but it also gives gamers the ability to augment their experience with extra features and content, if they so choose. Great as it may be, what about flagrant issues that prevent a game from being completely playable? How much content do developers hold back, so as to put it on the marketplace at a later date? When do we say that enough is enough?

My reject awards for 2011

 

The year came and went, just as it always does, and for those of us in the gaming press, that means the requisite 'best of' lists must make their appearance. Trust me, it's for everyone's own good. However, with a myriad of games lying about that I still haven't played to their fullest, I'm not one for rolling out a conventional list of the best games in each genre. That's something you can find on literally any webpage and I'll leave it to you and Google to solve those differences.

Instead, I've put together groups of games that surprised me in various ways, both good and bad. So if you're coming here to see Skyrim at the top of the list, or perhaps to justify your purchase of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, you'll be disappointed.

My personal top 10 games of 2011

 

The end of the year is always a hard time for a videogame journalist. Not only do we have to recall every experience we've had over the course of the year, but we then need to match each title up against one another, like some kind of digital Mortal Kombat tournament, in order to find that elusive 'game of the year.'

Keep in mind that this list is my personal favorite games of the year, not a list of the 'best' or most popular out there. That means some of the more abstract titles out there might take the place of the greater ones. Let's start things off with a game that was neglected, but is great in its own way.

Mortal Kombat Review

The extraordinary history that encompasses the universe of Mortal Kombat is a thrilling - albeit abhorrent - experience. Having essentially created the rating system for the video games of today, Mortal Kombat was a striking, mature, showpiece of a fighter that wasn't afraid to get imaginative. That was true of the games of old; cut to its 3D-centric brethren and that philosophy existed beneath pillars of filth no-one dared spring free. Suffice to say, Mortal Kombat has been through quite a bit. Fortunately, this experience has given the franchise another chance. Under the banner of new studio NetherRealm, Ed Boon and company have turned back time on the famed fighter, finding a winning formula in the days of the past.

The top 10 Mortal Kombat kharacters I'd like in the new game

In just a day or so Mortal Kombat will grace our living rooms with another dose of its trademark violent tendencies and indecent mannerisms. To celebrate this joyous occasion we've compiled another list, but this time we're focusing on the slew of kombatants that should have made the cut and been placed on the upcoming game's roster, not the ones who make you hemorrhage by simply staring at them. Whether we see these dudes and dudettes via DLC or not, this is the cast NetherRealm should implement into the new game.

The Top 10 Mortal Kombat characters we don't want to see in the new game

We’re just about a week away from the release of a brand new Mortal Kombat, and while reminiscing is quite fun, I couldn’t help but point out one key item: DLC. Ed Boon has already confirmed that DLC in the form of Kenshi and Skarlet will be made available close after release, but what about the seemingly hundred other kombatants out there? Would you hurl yourself into a bog of human fecal matter for a chance to play Rain? No need to stress over your chosen fighter's gallery, I’m here with my own decisive list of the “wants” and “hell no’s” to help you decide who you would like to see enter the ring as future DLC for the new Mortal Kombat.

Remembering Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks

Classic fighting game fans are in the midst of a joyous occasion: the new Mortal Kombat release is imminent. However, before we explode with nostalgic glee at the re-emergence of the legendary fighter, let us take some time to remember an experiment, a venture into the implausible. Does Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks mean anything to you?

Mortal Kombat's true rebirth

Truth be damned, Mortal Kombat is not going to become a realistic aberration and, alas, we’ll not get to see Reptile as a head-refrigerating, skin-diseased, human psychopath. Wonderful as it was, MK is anything but realistic. With this new trailer displaying that a game exists and actual gameplay, it appears the stagnant MK formula is going back to what made it awesome. 

It’s important to note that I was fully supporting the apparent “new” direction the series appeared to be taking. Nothing seemed fresher, yet eerily awesome to see human forms of my favorite fighting game characters mutilating themselves and taking what they said very seriously. The direction was so awry from what anyone would expect it was simply impossible not to like it. But of course, it just turned out to be some kind of super-pitch to Warner Bros. in regards to creating a new MK movie. Sure, I’d love to see something that deals with a legendary franchise in a way that doesn’t relate to the games at all (see Super Mario Bros. movie), but the games are what really matters. 

Shortly after the video short’s release on YouTube, a very real, very excellent looking MK game was surprisingly unveiled. After watching the teaser, I cannot sate my hunger for more ruthless and nonsensical killing. Putting my lust for blood aside, I was able to determine the most important thing about the trailer which is MK’s departure from the 3D fighting style and its reemergence into the 2D realm it practically shaped. This news alone should get every MK fan to jump out of their seat in belligerent shouts of joy. Obviously classic characters will be returning, along with classic stages and stage-specific fatalities, unique character fatalities, and hopefully brutalities. 

Though it was short, the trailer confirmed MK is definitely going through the change it so desperately needed to stay relevant. The 3D realm certainly works for fighters like Tekken and Soul Calibur, but Mortal Kombat never felt right when it made the transition. Animations felt slow and stiff and worst of all, absolutely terrible characters began to stuff themselves into an already bursting line-up. Bo Rai Cho, Kobra, Kira, Havok, Frost, the list is massive. About the only new addition I truly cared for was the inclusion of blind-psychic Kenshi. Something about punching and kicking your opponent mentally was unprecedented. Clearly, NetherRealm Studios also dislikes at least some of the newer characters as the trailer shows Kira in the background chained to the ground. Hopefully we’ll get to see much, much more of this.

Dumpage of Armageddon’s atrocious create-a-fatality seems apparent and that’s already one of the top highlights. As far as I’m concerned, each fighter should receive at least two unique fatalities since that’s how it always was. Bringing back brutalities would be nice and by the showcase of Kung Lao’s fatality in the video, I think we’ll be seeing some suitably violent and hilariously horrific stuff. This, of course, is what MK has always done best and as long as they don’t take any cues from Deadly Alliance’s set of awful fatalities they’ll be in good shape.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that there has never been a good fighting game “story.” MK quite literally feels like it’s making things up as the games progress in number, much like every other game. If you need an example, here’s an excerpt of Noob-Smoke’s ending in Deception: "With Smoke as his template, Noob Saibot planned to return to the Netherrealm and use Smoke's nanotechnology to create an army of cyborg demons.” Between the conception of cyborg demons and fighters being tossed into “Soulnadoes” it’s difficult to think that people actually work hard on delivering this laughable script. I highly doubt it’ll be any different with the new game, but if they’re smart and really truly reboot the series, a touch of actual storytelling would be nice even if it is unnecessary. Oh, and the whole Liu Kang being a zombie thing… enough is enough.

It’ll be nice to take the fight online, but what’s even better is the inclusion of a tag-team mode. You and a friend can now definitely fight two other dudes in what appears to be something like Marvel vs Capcom 2’s style. Juggling also appears to be a pretty large part of advanced gameplay, but that’s always been something extra for the series. I just hope we don’t have to force ourselves through another Konquest/Krypt mess in order to enjoy any of this. 


There’s a large wish list and for a game like Mortal Kombat, anything is possible. Certainly much more will be revealed very soon, but NetherRealm has already done a tremendous job in locating the things fans have abhorred. Perhaps, like Street Fighter IV, we’ll see the successful return of a franchise too long removed from gaming society.
 
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Why Mortal Kombat's change is necessary

I can’t think of too many franchises in need of a fresh start, well not nearly as much as Mortal Kombat. With overly stale installments and the total collapse of parent company Midway, it’s painfully obvious that the legendary series has been in trouble for quite some time. But with a recent unveiling of what seems to be Mortal Kombat’s new direction, this perpetual dilemma could be drawing to a close.

 It’s no secret that Midway flat lined and sold its once seminal, highly popular Mortal Kombat franchise to Warner Bros. last year. Despite the new owner, with how bland and derivative the series had become, one would assume that the glory days were long since passed for Ed Boon and company. However, recently a video has surfaced showcasing a completely different take on the Mortal Kombat universe. As a matter of fact, it’s so unique that it’s anything but typical Mortal Kombat. Whether that’s tough to swallow relies solely on your affiliation with the games, but like it or not, no one can deny the need for change here.

Sure we don’t know exactly what this “trailer” means yet but being released merely a week away from the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) practically screams the intentions. Mortal Kombat, responsible for copious amounts of blood, the ESRB, and over-exaggeration at its finest is finally getting an overhaul. This presents a tough choice, and if the new home for Mortal Kombat is to be successful then they must choose their destiny.

What I mean is, Mortal Kombat is dead. It has been for some time. Ever since Mortal Kombat 4, characters have been forced into what could conceivably be called a story. As awesome as being thrown into a “soulnadoe” sounds on paper, it’s just downright stupid. Almost as stupid as killing off main character Liu Kang and bringing him back as a zombie. Almost as stupid as characters named Bo Rai Cho, Kobra, and Mokap. Almost as stupid as pitting Scorpion against Superman in a duel to the death. It’s nonsensical, inflated, and is further exacerbated by the clunky and stiff animations of each and every fighter. That being said, the charm of the fantastically morbid tones of violence is intoxicating. What other game allows you to freeze your opponent, pull his head off, and shatter their body by flinging their head directly through it? None. But if Mortal Kombat is to succeed, we as the fans need to realize that enough is enough and tuck away our world destroying grenades.

Mortal Kombat has always been about exaggeration, multiple rib cages bouncing around after a massive death-dealing explosion, being uppercut through solid concrete, but no more. This new video depicts our favorite characters with their trademark abilities albeit humanized. You won’t find Scorpion ripping his mask off to reveal a brightly burning skull ready to incinerate his opponents. Reptile may look like an abomination but that’s because of a rare skin disease. Baraka wasn’t born with swords in his arms; this guy actually put them there. You might find yourself crying foul here, but you must look at the picture in a panoramic view. Mortal Kombat has gone nowhere. Fantasy powers and ridiculous plot devices worked at first, but this reboot will give us what we really need; a totally new take on the series in realistic form. Ice grenades are great and morphing into a dragon to chomp down your opposition is immortal, but retiring these things is the best thing for everybody.

The realistic approach can still convey the motif of violence and gore, and more importantly it brings with it a creepy, dark atmosphere I’ve only found compelling in Twisted Metal Black. The characters and stories in that game were so messed up you simply had to keep playing. Having this unknown mechanic practically manifest in the laps of the designers is incredibly exciting. Not only does it give the creators room to mold an intense environment around each character, it also allows them to give us a true, deeply violent, disturbing story. How will game mechanics and functions be implemented? It’s all still very much up in the air.

It can be hard to let go of something you’ve been tethered to for so long, and as ridiculous as it may sound, the positives finally outweigh the negatives. We’ll all miss freezing and electrifying dudes with just a touch of the hand, but all this paves the way for some of the biggest change a legendary series has ever seen and ever needed. Bring on the humanized Mortal Kombat. I won’t settle for anything less than outstanding. 


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