Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks

Written by John Scalzo  on August 29, 2005

Hands-On Preview: SuperMonks to the rescue!

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The spin-off games in the Mortal Kombat series have not been received very kindly by the video game world. Mythologies wasn't a terrible game per se, but it was definitely lacking as far as an MK RPG should have been. And does anybody remember that Special Forces (the first and up until this point only MK action game) was even released? That game had so many development problems and delays I still have friends telling me it never came out. This all leads up to Midway's latest attempt at expanding the Mortal Kombat brand: Shaolin Monks. Shaolin Monks takes place between MK and MKII and it depicts Liu Kang and Kung Lao's escape from Outworld.

The demo I played dropped Liu and Lao into Goro's Lair and laid down all the basics of the game. Because the game has jumped to full 3D and the monks will need the ability to attack in any direction, the fighting system has been completely revamped, yet feels completely natural. Using Square, Triangle and Circle, players will be able to use Quick Attacks, Launch Attacks and Power Attacks respectively. Chaining these attacks together create combos and from there the game evolves into more advanced techniques.

These basic attacks are supplemented by Liu and Lao's MK special moves. While the button combinations are different, the moves cause the same amount of devastation. Holding down R1 while pressing any of the attack buttons unleashes these old favorites. Liu Kang's Super Uppercut, Flying Kick and Fireball are all available as are Kung Lao's Spin, Teleport and Hat Throw. Rounding out the more basic moves is the throw, which is mapped to R2.

If you're looking for some of those more advanced kombat techniques, look no further. Weapons are strewn about on the floor in many of the game's rooms and even the skulls of fallen kombatants can be used to crack a few heads. Possibly the best news is that the sword impale (and eventual death from blood loss) is back. Environmental hazards play a large role in Shaolin Monks' kombat including fire pits and the spikes from The Pit.

Putting all of these moves together was a snap as the combo system is a breeze. Before I knew it I had whipped off a 40 hit combo on five monsters called Oni that were circling me, killing them all with ease. A few quick attacks segued into a launching attack, which allowed me to jump into the air, catch the Oni and throw it back down at the others that had joined the fight. Another time I was able to use a power attack on an Oni that threw it through a fire pit causing it to light on fire and crash into several more Oni, lighting them on fire. I then turned around and decapitated the Oni that was trying to sneak up on me with Kung Lao's Hat Throw. We're going to ignore the fact that previously the MK mythos treated Oni as nigh-indestructible killing machines when here they go down like so many unnamed ninjas and street punks before them. But the real point is that the fighting system is incredibly fluid, easy to learn and really freakin' cool.

While hat decapitation in the middle of a fight is always fun, what about Fatalities? Thankfully, Shaolin Monks has us covered. As you attack enemies with regular attacks and special moves, a Fatality Meter slowly fills. When the meter is full you can press L1 to stun any enemy and then input the Fatality button command. If it's done right you'll hear the Fatality sound, the screen will go dark and a nicely done cinematic cutscene will kill your opponent in a variety of blood-filled ways. Hopefully this is just a bug in the demo, but the Fatality cut scenes (and story cut scenes for that matter) couldn't be skipped. I'm assuming that will change for the final game, otherwise Midway will have a lot of unhappy impatient MK fans on their hands.

Rather than be a cookie cutter brawler with no difference between the two Monks, Midway made sure to make Liu Kang and Kung Lao play a little different. Liu Kang is considerably faster than Kung Lao, but Kung Lao has much more punch in his punches than Liu Kang seems to be able to muster up. It's a little touch, but it's a nice one. For those that can't decide, Shaolin Monks even includes a very nifty Ko-op mode that places Liu Kang and Kung Lao in the fight together. Literally. The two Monks share the lifebar in a very nice twist on the "leave no man behind" concept.

The action is viewed from three selectable camera angles and the graphics in the demo level looked spectacular. There was no slowdown and everything looked very smooth even as the camera was zoomed in and out. The Normal angle gives a very wide view of the screen though while the Wide view is almost too wide. But whichever angle you pick the action is always easy to follow and very easy on the eyes.

In true Mortal Kombat fashion the loading screens boast that there is a secret in every room. And it's true for the demo as well. By throwing an Oni into a skeleton hanging from a wall in the first room you will release a hidden Art Gallery. And when you make it to The Pit if you stare at the moon long enough, Santa and his eight tiny reindeer fly across the screen. And shouts of "Toasty!" will accompany a flurry of uppercuts. In fact, almost all of the sound effects are culled from previous Mortal Kombats to give it that authentic experience.

The demo ends with a "boss fight" against Baraka. While the match starts off fairly similar to a fight in any regular Mortal Kombat game, Baraka quickly shows why he's the best at what he does. He jumps back to a prison cell that is holding several prisoners. He takes two of them, lights them on fire and throws them at you. The quickly burning poor saps aren't dead yet, oh no. They get up and start running around the room, while on fire, screaming their heads off. Baraka then uses this opportunity to jump back into the fight and now you've got to dodge the flaming prisoners and fight Baraka at the same time. Pure freaking genius! It is this one scene alone that proves the developers at Paradox know and love Mortal Kombat.