The guys at midway pull off another home run Mortal Kombat game!
When I first heard of the games release, I was a little hesitant, since Sometimes the MK games get a little too much like each other, save for the exception of a new character or whatever. Not the case in Mortal Kombat:Deception, it brings some new modes to the fray that turn things up a bit. Below are my thoughts of the major game play modes in the game.
Konquest Mode: The new and improved "story/adventure mode" of Mortal Kombat. If your expecting something like Metal Gear Solid, you're in the wrong place. It felt to me a little sloppy, but sadly, you must painstakingly get through this series to get most of the games best un-lockables. And I'm not talking about give it the fastest run through you can to complete, you are going to have to LOOK and LOOK until your eyes bleed for chests which contain keys that unlock "koffins" in The Crypt. The coffins contain secret characters, concept art, alternate costumes, music, etc. Though it is probably the most un-fun mode in Deception, any true MK fan will make it through it to get all the hidden goodies. My advice to those out there is to get a guide and get through it as fast as possible.
Puzzle Kombat: An amusing bow to the Tetris fans out there. it follows those same rules, save for the fact that when you break enough blocks, you get your super move. (each super move depends on which mortal kombat character you choose.) Simple, yet effective, and in my opinion, HARD.
Chess Kombat: Simple, yet interesting. You get to build a team, and then take it to the chess board, which in Mortal Kombat's realm, is something in the way of a tournament platform with squares on it. You have 5 groups on one team: The Leader, Champion, Sorcerer, Shifter, and finally the grunt. The differences between them being the number of spaces your allowed to move, the power you have, and the quantity of them. (ie: there is one leader, two shifters, two champions, two sorcerers, and about 5-6 grunts.) The objective of this mode is simple: Beat the leader and win. With a little strategy, and some skill, you'll pass this mode no problem.
Arcade: The oldest living thing in mortal kombat: the Arcade mode. In this mode alone, MK fans from around the globe have spent hours upon days upon years playing in this mode. It is the grand-daddy of them all, The Arcade Mode. In this mode you battle through several competitors, each harder than the last, until finally, you reach the Boss, Onaga. WARNING: He is cheap, very cheap. Playing against him may result in controller breakage from frustration. After (if you can) you beat Onaga, you get a satisfying ending for the character you beat the Arcade mode with. I beat it with every different characters on novice just to get their endings. Now I know most of you are saying "Aw man, that was cheap, wuss couldn't beat the game on Max." I assure you, you play this mode on "MAX" difficulty, and you'll see why I took the easy way out. If you think Onaga is hard normally, wait until you meet him on MAX.
All in all, a great game, some drawbacks, true, but most any MK or fighting game fan can't stand but not to love it. A definite rental worth, if not a purchase.
-DRIFTIMUS PRIME