Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe Video Game
Mortal Kombat Vs DC Universe (Video Game)
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Title: Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe |
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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 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 unlock-able features as opposed to past installments and toned down finishers garnered some criticism.
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. 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. 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.
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. "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. 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.
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.
During fights, characters show permanent signs of visual damage, such as bruises, scrapes, bleeding, and broken or torn clothing. 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.
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.
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.
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. 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 others universe; Darkseid is restrained in the Netherealm, while Shao Kahn is trapped in the Phantom Zone.
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Mortal Kombat Universe:
DC Universe:
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