Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance Preview

"Finish him!" or "Finish her!" are slogans that are probably familiar to a majority of gamers around the globe. Yes ladies and gentlemen, we're looking at yet another sequel which resumes the stories of the popular Mortal Kombat franchise. Well, I've just been through all of the fan sites that are currently available for MK and there's one obvious and commonly shared thought that most fans keep in mind. It has so far been a great disappointment that Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance will be created strictly for next-generation consoles. Which means, no PC version folks. Not yet anyway. And I have to admit, that I've enjoyed those Mortal Kombat games and I've been playing them like crazy (even when I tried the first game MK on the old Amiga), but somehow the PC versions always looked more appealing than the console titles. Anyhoo folks, forget the PC for a while, because this time the developers will stick to the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube platforms.

Scorpion poses for an I.D. photo.

A little morning exercise.

After a few press announcements, I think that even the team at Midway were surprised themselves at the enormous feedback they received from countless fans. Almost immediately after the first press release, the official web site for MK: DA launched along with a huge number of fan sites to follow.

OK, I'll stop babbling now and just get to the point. The concept from the original game is maintained in terms of the storyline; which means that the legend of the tournament continues. Throughout the ages, many skilled and valiant fighters have desperately tried to gain control over the so-called Mortal Kombat tournament, which would also grant them an immortal life. Two malevolent sorcerers, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, have been trying to gain the prize of immortality for ages. Since they had little success individually, they have decided to unite their powers and attempt to take the tournament together. As always, the winner of the tournament will determine the fate of all. Should the sorcerers triumph, that would mean the destruction of Rayden and every other mortal. Your job is to enter the contest and ensure the safety of Earth and every living thing on it. Sounds fairly simple doesn't it?

Assuming that you're all familiar with the wicked character Shang Tsung, here are a few details you should know about the new menace you must face - an extremely powerful warrior called Quan Chi. Quan Chi is a sorcerer who conquered the mysterious dark arts and is determined to utilize his sinister powers, in order to obtain the ultimate prize of the tournament. So, there you have it, next to the "cute" and familiar Shang Tsung you'll now have another nasty arch-villain to deal with. Since we're already deep in the character stories, you should also know how many of them will be returning from the previous MK titles. So far, we know that the following characters will be returning for sure: Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Quan Chi, Reptile, Shang Tsung, Jax, Sonya, Rayden, Kitana, and Cyrax. And here's a quick glimpse at the new-fangled characters you'll see in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance: Blind Kenshi, Drahmin, Malvado, Moloch, and there's even talk of a female Sub-Zero (this is something I personally found rather intriguing just by thinking about it) (dude, you dig frigid chicks - ed). Also, GamePro mag recently dispatched info about the Kung Lao - another old character returning to Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance.

Now we come to the good stuff. Ever since the first game, the world of Mortal Kombat has experienced fundamental changes. In terms of gameplay, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance is going to offer a lot more than the previous title. For example, for the very first time, the game will feature full 3D movement. In addition to that, the creators have stressed that the purpose of this title is to take the focus off the magic skills and put it more on basic martial art moves adding the some pretty zesty hand weapons too.

Look, I just smashed the living hell outta that mosquito.

Err...you forgot your contacts Scorpion.

Apart from the diverse combat moves, each character will be able to perform a unique set of combo hits. Yet, this is not the only thing that awaits players. The spiciest feature of all is that every contestant in the Mortal Kombat tournament is going to have the ability to alter his fighting technique at any time during a duel. For instance, if you're using Kung Fu, you can switch to Tai Chi whenever you wish. Of course, this switch from one combat style to another doesn't just apply to your kicks and punches, but also to your weapon fighting skills. You can imagine how important this feature is going to be for gameplay. For all of those MK fans out there, I'm sure you'll find the next piece of info exciting. Apparently, Midway plans to add all-new "fatalities" to each character (and that goes for the old characters as well). So, choose your favorite fighter and prepare for Mortal Kombat!

Visually, as you may have guessed by now, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance also has innovative things to offer. Next to the full 3D movement, the game designers have greatly enhanced many details that are going to assure a more realistic atmosphere. Among the many improvements, the most interesting one would have to be the inclusion of bruising and dripping of sweat and blood from the bodies (severe blood loss also carries certain consequences, which will significantly influence gameplay - meaning, when your character losses blood he will gradually begin to loose his energy). In-game models have clearly gone through some serious changes. It was revealed that there will be around 7,000 to 10,000 polygons per character.

Up to now, nothing was mentioned regarding the game's multi-player duels or any kind of two-player mode. It was uncovered that the makers intend to focus on the single-player mode, brining an in-depth storyline, brand new fighting skills, and many other cool features. The current release date is firmly tied to the end of this year (the fall or winter season most likely). Don't worry; just stay put and be patient, as we bring you more info after the E3 hype has passed.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Some of the info was borrowed from MK fan sites such as www.mk5.org, http://www.mkwarriors.net/, http://www.planetmk.com, and so on.