Sadly, Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) is at an end, even though we all still wish it was here. Though there were many great panels and great times to be had, one of the biggest parts of PAX was getting hands on with all of the new games we'll be seeing in the coming months.
While their competitors packed their booths with games, Midway showed up at PAX with three different multiplatform titles, one of the smaller offerings amongst developers and publishers in the exhibition hall. However, they turned out to have one of the most solid all-around booths, including two games I completely changed my mind on.
(Note: All games previewed were played on the Xbox 360.)
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (Release date: Nov. 10, 2008)
The buzz around this game had been lukewarm at best, mostly because there were some concerns over just how the game would play and if it would be violent enough. After having played the game at PAX, I can tell you that while Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe isn't the gorefest previous Mortal Kombat games have been, this game stands a chance of stealing Soulcalibur IV's title of Best Fighting Game in 2008. Fatalities are in fact in the game for all Mortal Kombat characters and DC villains, but DC heroes like Superman and Batman will have brutalities instead. The difference between this is negligible (brutalities don't kill the opponent, but do deliver a supremely brutal beat down) and shouldn't really detract from the overall experience.
Two somewhat newer additions to the Mortal Kombat franchise appear in this title. The first of those is Close Kombat, in which the action focuses in on the two fighters while they pummel each other at close range. For characters like Batman and Superman, this adds a sense of realism to them in this game, especially considering that is how both characters tend to fight. However, even for characters that don't normally fight close-up, Close Kombat is a welcome addition, letting you see your opponents be brutalized in full HD glory.
By the way, remember the old Test Your Might button-mashing mini-games? They're back, but not as you remember them. Instead of breaking blocks like in the old-school games, you'll be testing your might by slamming your opponents through the environment. For example, if you're fighting in Gotham or Metropolis, you'll be able to pick your opponent up and slam them through the buildings around you. As you do so, you'll be prompted to press the right buttons at the right time. Doing so not only looks cool, but it does a ton of damage. There's nothing quite like watching Batman do this to Scorpion.
The game's controls are pretty tight and very similar to previous 3-D Mortal Kombat titles, especially Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. Having liked Armageddon, though, I can't say I am displeased that the controls haven't changed much. MK vs. DC is definitely a game that anyone can pick up and play, but has enough technique to it for core gamers to master.
Running on the Unreal 3 engine, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe looks great on the visual end of things. The DC characters feel like a natural fit in the environments of the game, almost as if they had always been a part of the Mortal Kombat universe. It's especially fantastic news for me, as that had been one of my personal concerns about the game.
All in all, MK vs. DC appears to be everything you'd hoped for when the game was first announced. It will easily be Midway's biggest title in years and will likely be getting a lot of praise in the weeks to come. Don't sleep on this game at all.
TNA Impact! (Release date: Sept. 9, 2008)
Started up to counter the might WWE, Total Non-Stop Action (TNA) Wrestling has had its share of good times, bad times, and downright awful times. However, when I heard Midway had acquired the rights to make a TNA game and saw the first videos of it, I was generally excited. Midway has actively worked with TNA talent like Samoa Joe and A.J. Styles to help make the game as good as possible. That hard work seems to have paid off, because in some areas, TNA Impact! is great. In others ... not so much.
To start out, TNA Impact! looks fantastic. Wrestlers look like their real-life counterparts and the animations are fluid. The game play mechanic and grappling system is reminiscent of the old school THQ games on the Nintendo 64, and once you learn the controls, it's pretty easy to pick up and play.
But there are some huge issues here, things missing from the game that are a direct result of Midway's LA development team. There are no rope breaks in the game, reportedly because they did not know what they were. Figure 4 Wrestling, a wrestling news Web site, also reported that there are also no refs and a maximum of four wrestlers in the ring at the same time because the development team could not do more than four animations simultaneously. The latter issue is unconfirmed, but playing TNA Impact!, I did find that there were no rope breaks in the game, which takes away from the realism.
Overall, TNA Impact! lays the groundwork for some future TNA titles, but it's clear they have work to go. If Midway is serious about this series, they need to shift it out of their LA studios and probably let a third-party develop it. The mechanics and graphics are fine... it's just the little things missing that really, really hurt TNA Impact!.
Blitz: The League II (Release date: Oct. 13, 2008)
The first thing I heard about Blitz: The League II was that you could smash someone's testicles; among other gruesome animations you'd get to see when you injured an opponent. So when I stepped up to play the game at PAX, I expected to see something that was totally brutal in every way possible. I did get brutal, but I also found an extremely fun game underneath that reminds me of the way the Blitz series used to be: completely over-the-top and not giving a damn.
The "rubber-banding A.I." appears to no longer be in the game, but what has been added is tremendous. In addition to new teams, Blitz II has several new features, including the ability to create your own player and touchdown celebrations that you can select from by pressing the right combination of buttons. The biggest addition, though, has to be the inclusion of late hits. When you hit an opponent late, you can press a button to activate a "mini-game" where you can put a beat down on a downed opponent. Doing so will increase the damage done to an opponent's body. In addition to that, on especially vicious hits, you can now target the point of impact on the opponent's body. Hitting the right spot with the right amount of force can cause a debilitating and gruesome injury. During the play through, I saw players knocked out cold, get their ribs broken, or in one case, watched as a running back's arm was snapped backwards. Add in the fact that all these injuries come with animated sequences actually showing the damage done inside the body, and Blitz II becomes a football game that's not for the squeamish.
Campaign mode is also new, this time featuring your character as the first player in the league to play on both sides of the ball. After selecting your offensive and defensive positions, you are once again tasked with the challenge of rising up through the ranks to become the best player in the league and lead your team to glory ... by any means possible. Plus, it certainly helps that the game looks light years better than the first Blitz: The League game.
Midway has stepped up their game and addressed a lot of issues from the first Blitz: The League title in the second installment, creating a much better and much more fun experience. The only thing I can suggest to Midway is to come up with a version of Blitz II for the Wii, because there are so many things - from the late hits to touchdown celebrations - that could be amazing with the Wii remote and Nunchuk combo.
Brian Szabelski
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