After playing through the PS2 Demo a few times last night, I think I've gotten a good feel for the MK:SM gameplay. I will try to summarize it here and describe the basics. I will post my review at the top, however, so that anyone wanting to hear about the game but not learn of any spoiler information can just skip the bottom half.
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Gameplay:
Traditional MK fighting in a 3D environment. I didn't think it could work after the disappointments that were Mythologies and Special Forces. But the fighting engine is seamless. Combos are easy to maintain and switching between enemies is effortless. Veterans of the series will be pleased, and newcomers will have an easy time picking it up and playing. Though there was only one platform sequence, it seemed to be put together well.
Graphics:
Amazing. Characters and fighting arenas are instantly recognizable and there is no lag time when fighting multiple enemies. Special moves look similar to how they have in old MK games, but each has new graphical twists that make them looks even better.
Sound:
Also amazing. Each characters sound effects and screams have been directly lifted from classic MK games. It helps create an atmosphere that is instantly recognizable as Mortal Kombat. My only complaint is that Raiden's voice can be a little campy. His voice is not reused, but instead performed by a new actor.
Value:
With two instantly playable characters and more to unlock, it seems like this game will have a long lifespan. Each arena has a secret area to find, and it is possible to play through multiple times and have the experience vary each time.
And now, on to the actual Demo:
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WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!!
The Demo opens with a screen similar to the menu screens of DA and Deception, giving you the choice of single player or Ko-op modes. Selecting one will take you to the first stage of the game, Goro's Lair. You are dropped in from above, presumably after the amazing opening video sequence. Raiden soon appears to give you basic instructions on how to play the game. Square, Triangle, and Circle all perform various attacks that can be strung together effortlessly, while X simply jumps. Special moves are performed by holding R1 and pressing any attack button. Each character has their own special moves based on their fighting game counterparts. Some can even be combined, such as Kung Lao's spin and Liu Kang's fireball. Throwing a fireball at a spinning Kung Lao will have that fireball split apart and fire all around the screen. You can attack in the air, attack multiple enemies at once, use your enemies as shields, throw them into the fire, and so forth. Throughout the demo, walking through a blue MK Icon that looks similar to the Koins of DA and Deception summons Raiden to offer helpful hints. You can also pick up various items like weapons or skulls to throw at enemies. Piles of skulls in corners usually hide life-refilling power-ups.
The first few arenas find you in the familiar Goro's Lair fighting endless Oni who come forth through the shadows. These Oni were seen in previous MK games as the blinking eyes in the back of Goro's Lair. You quickly move into the bottom of The Pit stage, where you fight additional Oni. Uppercutting an enemy from the bottom of The Pit launches them upwards and back into the spikes, but walking into them also damages the player.
Upon reaching the right side of the Pit's bottom, the game switches gears to more of a traditional platformer and the player is required to run and jump onto various ledges to reach the top. Once there, you'll be treated to a nice cameo appearance by Reptile. You'll also battle with more Oni, which you can gleefully toss, punch, or uppercut back down into the spikes.
In the next arena, you finally learn how to perform the game's first fatality. Performing a string of combo hits will charge a fatality meter under your power gauge at the top of the screen. Once filled, you can stun an opponent by pressing L1, and then perform the fatality with a traditional MK string of button presses. It's amazing. It's spectacular. It's everything you could hope for from an MK game...... except you can't see it. Instead of the fatality, the demo version treats you to an amazing screen that says violent content has been removed from this demo (which is ironic, by the way, because by this point you've already split people in half and thrown them into The Pit spikes).
A few battles later, you face the game's first boss battle with Baraka. The fight is similar to those with the Oni, but Baraka is much more powerful and can use an array of special movies. Once you drain about half of his power, Baraka runs to grab an imprisoned Monk and throws him into a fire pit. The unfortunate Monk now runs all over the screen, taking life away from any character who touches him. Just as the fight is about to get really good, the demo ends....
The Official US Playstation Magazine Demo Disk also comes with a behind-the-scenes video from the developers. They discuss their favorite aspects of Shaolin Monks, and also hint at a few new characters for the upcoming MK game that they are already hard at work on. They also state that they hope SM is the first in a series of MK adventure games.
Under the Extras menu on the disk, Midway has provided a few character sketches from the game that also hint at some of the characters who may be available in Shaolin Monks.
Let's see..... maybe I can talk about what I'm up to. I just started taking an EMT-B (Emergency Medical Technician - Basic) course. It's pretty interesting. Although the only thing we've really done so far is get CPR certified. I submitted my AMCAS application to the AAMC, so I'm just waiting on a few secondary applications to come in from medical schools. I've gotten a few, but no where I'm particularly passionate about attending yet. There's still time. Meanwhile, I'm helping out in my dad's office. He's a physician specializing in Oncology and Hematology (cancer and blood). So I get some training there too. My girlfriend of 4 years, Emily, is just starting her first year of medical school at NEOUCOM (Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine). It's about 45 minutes away from my house in Cleveland. Not too far.
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