Cert: 18+
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: Beat 'Em Up

I'd forgotten the excitement two little words can inspire - 'Finish Him'.

The biggest surprise about Mortal Kombat is that it's taken Warner Brothers this long to publish a modern version of the arcade classic. Along with Street Fighter it was the Beat 'em Up to play during the early 1990s. The latest release features almost all of the popular characters (Reptile, Kung Lao, Jonny Cage etc) from the first three Mortal Kombat games and whether you love it or loathe it, it's still a 2D affair. The finishing moves are as entertaining as ever and watching Raiden or Noob Saibot dismember their opponents is both funny and gruesome.

There's a fully realised story involving Raiden changing the future, a knockout ladder and a tutorial system for newbies. There's also a diverse online mode supported by a community that's been waiting for this game a long time. However, Mortal Kombat doesn't look as good as Street Fighter IV. The game is not as polished either. The single player campaign is unbalanced and if the difficulty is set to medium or below, its hardly worth turning up for. Similarly, on higher levels the AI fighters play to a different set of rules than the human players.

Now, about those Babalities...

Rent or Buy: Rent
Graphics: 4/5
Game Play: 2/5
Replay Value: 3/5
Overall: 3/5

Reviewed By:Bryan Collins