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| Mortal Kombat: Deception | |
|---|---|
 Cover art featuring antagonistOnaga | |
| Developer | Midway[a] |
| Publisher | Midway |
| Director | Ed Boon |
| Producer | John Podlasek |
| Designers | Ed Boon Paulo Garcia Brian LeBaron |
| Artists | Steve Beran Martin Stoltz Pav Kovacic |
| Writers | John Vogel Jon Greenberg Alexander Barrentine Brian Chard |
| Composers | Dan Forden Chase Ashbaker Rich Carle Brian Chard |
| Series | Mortal Kombat |
| Engine | RenderWare |
| Platforms | PlayStation 2,Xbox,GameCube,PlayStation Portable |
| Release | PlayStation 2, XboxGameCube
PlayStation Portable |
| Genre | Fighting |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
Mortal Kombat: Deception is a 2004fighting game developed and published byMidway. The sixth main installment in theMortal Kombat franchise and sequel toMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002), it was released for thePlayStation 2 (PS2) andXbox in October 2004, theGameCube in March 2005, and for thePlayStation Portable (PSP) asMortal Kombat: Unchained in November 2006. Following on from the events ofDeadly Alliance, the game’s plot centers on the recently revived Dragon KingOnaga, who upon defeating the Thunder GodRaiden and sorcerersQuan Chi andShang Tsung attempts to conquer various realms, meanwhile surviving warriors from priorMK titles join forces in a bid to stop him. In addition toonline play and newchess andpuzzleminigames, a revamped Konquest Mode fromDeadly Alliance features a secondary plot line following the life ofShujinko, a warrior deceived by Onaga into finding artifacts to increase his power.
Designed by series co-creatorEd Boon, the game was created with the intent of surprisingMK fans with surprising new and returning content, as well as providing a more realistic combat experience in order to preserve the series signature gory violence. Several parts of the gameplay, such ascombos and arenas, were redesigned to accommodate the new style of realism as well as be more interactive for players. In addition, the game was designed with the online play in mind, which had yet to be established into a fighting game.
Upon release,Deception was positively received by critics, who praised the reworked combat and plethora of new features, but criticized the revamped Konquest Mode due to its poor story and voice acting. The game managed to sell more than 1 million units by the end of 2005 and was nominated as the best fighting game of 2004 by several game publications. It has since been regarded as having been the first fighting game to incorporateonline multiplayer, which later became an industry standard for the genre moving forward. A sequel toDeception,Mortal Kombat Armageddon, was released in 2006.
The game's arenas are similar to those inMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, but include new features. Some have weapons that may be picked up and used. Others are now branching, meaning you can knock the opponent out of the fighting area in certain locations and continue the fight in a new area. Most levels now have deathtraps, killing any player who gets knocked into them. The game also introduces the "Combo Breaker", a system which allows players to interruptcombos up to three times per match.[1] In contrast toDeadly Alliance, in which characters had only oneFatality, theDeception characters have two Fatalities and ahara-kiri suicide move. The latter is used when the phrase "Finish Him/Her" is shown on the screen and the player is about to lose.[2]
Deception introduces twominigames that useMK characters, "Chess Kombat" and "Puzzle Kombat". The Konquest mode returns, but has been expanded into a roaming adventure game with its plot.
The "Krypt" returns fromMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and serves as an interface to access extra content hidden in "koffins" (actual coffins named with the series' trademark misspelling). InDeception, the size of the Krypt was reduced from 676 koffins to 400 koffins. Some koffins also have locks requiring keys only found in the Konquest mode. The Krypt inMortal Kombat: Deception includes twelve bonus characters (which was cut down to six characters in the GameCube version).[3]
Deadly Alliance'saction role-playing game-style training mode — called "Konquest" — returns inDeception and is greatly expanded from the previous version. Set before the events of the main game,Deception's Konquest mode explores the history ofShujinko, starting before his training withBo' Rai Cho and ending with the beginning ofDeception's main story. While mostly an adventure game, the combat elements occur in the normalDeception fighting mode. Mastering each character's moves is now a minor mission, and it is unnecessary to beat all of them to beat the game mode. In Konquest, a young Shujinko meets Damashi, a being who requests his assistance in collecting six powerful items, the Kamidogu, to send to the Elder Gods. By the time he collects the six Kamidogu, Shujinko is an old man, having spent 46 years on his mission. However, Damashi is revealed to be theEvil Dragon King Onaga, who deceived Shujinko to obtain the six Kamidogu. Players seeking to unlock much of the bonus content inDeception must play through the Konquest mode. Even after completing the mode, players can continue exploring the worlds for additional items to unlock.[4]
"Chess Kombat" is a minigame similar to classic chess. Each piece type is represented by a character of the player's choosing. As with regular chess, the quantity and movement of each piece are determined by its rank. The game only ends when one player takes another team's 'Champion' (or King in traditional chess). The biggest difference is that all attempts to take a square are literally contested. Players will engage in one round of combat, with the winner taking the square.
All unlocked characters can be used in this minigame. Their rank determines the health and offensive strength of pieces in combat situations. Two designated squares enhance the abilities of the entire team while occupied. Both teams can discreetly turn one square into a deathtrap, which instantly kills any opponent piece that steps on it. Both teams have two 'Sorcerers' who can cast a spell instead of moving. The spells can resurrect, move, or kill lower-ranked characters. Each spell can only be used once.[5]
"Puzzle Kombat" is apuzzle game similar toSuper Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (1996). It featuressuper-deformed versions of the "MK" characters that attack each other once a player gains an advantage. Players must win two rounds to win. The single-player game had a ladder format like in Arcade mode.
The players supervise a grid being filled with blocks. The blocks drop in pairs and can be rotated and moved by the player until they land. A player loses if the blocks reach the top of their grid. If a coloured logo touches a block of the same colour, then all connected blocks of the same colour disappear. Bombs will remove all blocks of the same colour as the one they touch. Removing blocks will cause them to be added to the opponent's grid, but their colours will be varied.
There are 12 playable characters, each with a unique special move that can be used when their 'Special' meter is filled. They either give the player an advantage or hinder the opponent. Baraka's "Blade" will remove all blocks on the edges of his grid. Kenshi's "Invisible" will briefly make all the blocks in the opponent's grid invisible, making matching much harder.[6]
The setting begins immediately after the events ofMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. The Deadly Alliance (Shang Tsung andQuan Chi) was successful in their plan.Raiden's warriors, who were meant to protect the sixfictional universes (named "realms"), were killed during their tournament. It served as the perfect distraction to defeat their enemies while they simultaneously claimed enough souls to resurrect the Invincible Army. As the sole survivor, Raiden attempts to fight both sorcerers but is ultimately defeated. The Deadly Alliance quickly dissolves as the two sorcerers turn on each other forShinnok's amulet, which allows them to control the army. Quan Chi has no time to enjoy his victory before he sees that the Dragon KingOnaga, the former emperor of the realm of Outworld, has been resurrected too. Quan Chi, Shang Tsung, and Raiden join forces to stop Onaga. However, Raiden ultimately unleashes all his powers in a colossal explosion that, apart from destroying both members of the Deadly Alliance, the surrounding palace, and himself, has little effect on Onaga.[7]
Onaga now seeks to use six artifacts called the Kamidogu (literally "Tool of God" or "divine clay"), which can destroy the realms.[7] Those fighters who survive the battle against the Deadly Alliance now stand against Onaga and his supporters. The latter includes the forces of Edenia, now led byMileena in the titular theme of deception as she masquerades as her sister, PrincessKitana. Other enemies include the former defenders from the realms, who were resurrected by Onaga and are under his control.
A young man namedShujinko is deceived into spending his entire life collecting the Kamidogu for Onaga, who uses the guise of an emissary of the Elder Gods, the beings who created the realms, named Damashi. Onaga reveals his identity and intentions after Shujinko has gathered all the Kamidogu.[8] Shujinko, led to believe he was working for the greater good, decides to continue training to defeat Onaga.[9]
26 characters appear in the game, with 17 returning and 9 making their series debuts. Only one character (the boss Onaga) is unplayable.
New characters:
Returning characters:
TheGameCube version includes two additional playable characters,Goro and Shao Kahn, who were both killed in the opening sequence ofDeadly Alliance.[11] The 2006PlayStation Portable (PSP) version of the game,Mortal Kombat: Unchained, includes Goro and Kahn along withDeadly Alliance returneesBlaze,Frost,Jax, and Kitana.
Mortal Kombat (MK) series co-creatorEd Boon wantedDeception to be an unpredictable fighting game that gave players new features "they could never imagine". To do so, the Midway staff listened to fans on bulletin boards to know what to work on forDeception, such as the playable characters. Wanting to surprise fans and make the game deeper, they added the puzzle and chess minigames (the chess minigame had first been considered forDeadly Alliance, but the developers lacked time to implement it).[12][13] Boon and John Podlasek supervised the staff, which was divided into teams to work on different areas of the game. One of their concerns was to maintain the traditional feel of theMK series as they wanted the game's violence to make it a more realistic fighting game, rather than "a fighting simulator".[14]
Character appearances were improved to make their moves "more responsive" to the player's input.[15] They also wanted to bring back several characters they felt were absent for too long — includingSindel,Nightwolf,Baraka, and Mileena[16] — and an arena with several weapons which players could use to fight; however, it was remade to become the Liu Kang's Tomb arena.[17] Characters' combos were redesigned to be distinctive so that they would be more important; as Boon noted, they were necessary for any move the player would use to inflict more damage on an opponent.[18] The Midway staff focused on the designs and functions of the backgrounds, wanting to make them as influential to the outcome of the battle as the fighting between the characters.[2]
Because of popular demand and favorable reception ofDeadly Alliance, the number of finishing moves, known as Fatalities, increased to two per character. The Fatalities were developed by a group of animators led by Carlos Pesina; they comically described Mileena's Fatality in which she eats the opponents' neck as the most disturbing due to how her "sexy moves" are modeled from Pesina. The Hara-Kiri moves were added to allow the losers to perform a finishing move, creating a race between both players. The Death Traps, meant to be introduced in the previous game, were added to give the combat more strategy as well as to give more chances to players to win a fight if they are at a disadvantage.[19] The game was originally meant to have other new finishing moves, such as tortures and falling cliffs similar to Fatalities.[20][21]
One of the main features ofDeception was the emphasis on online gameplay, which had yet to become common for console fighting games. A team of engineers took almost a year to decide if the feature was viable. TheMK team focused their energies solely on platforms that had strong online functionality available to the end consumer; this led to a greater focus on thePS2 andXbox versions. Because GameCube games require some re-engineering compared to the other platforms when porting, it was decided to exclude GameCube from the team's work until the online hurdles were cleared.[22] Some time after the game's release, Boon commented that he was disappointed that the GameCube version did not feature online gameplay as he regarded it as "the best in the business".[23] The Xbox version of the game was playable online untilXbox Live support for original Xbox games was terminated in 2010.Mortal Kombat: Deception is currently playable online onInsignia, a revival service restoring online functionality for Xbox games[24]
Details about the game were first confirmed to the general public in the May 2003 issue ofPlayStation: The Official Magazine, in which the game was calledMortal Kombat VI, and an online mode was confirmed.[25] On February 6, 2004, Midway registered the domain names mkdeception.com and mortalkombatdeception.com. When Midway Entertainment was asked if Mortal Kombat: Deception was the official title, the developers gave no answers.[26] Later that month, Midway released the first trailer from the game, confirming this title.[27]
Mortal Kombat: Deception was released for thePlayStation 2 (PS2) andXbox in North America on October 4, 2004,[28] and in Europe on November 19, 2004.[29][30][31] In France, the game was renamedMortal Kombat: Mystification after it was found that "deception" in French could be translated to "disappointment." Other countries did not change the original name.[32] A GameCube version was later released exclusively in North America on February 28, 2005.[33]
Two versions were released for the PS2 and Xbox consoles: the standard edition for both systems, aPremium Pack for the PS2, and aKollector's Edition for the Xbox. ThePremium Pack andKollector's Edition include a metal trading card and a bonus disc containing a history ofMortal Kombat, several video biographies of characters, and an "arcade perfect" version of the originalMortal Kombat, ported byDigital Eclipse. The Xbox version cover art features eitherScorpion, Raiden, Baraka or Mileena, while the PS2 version uses the character Sub-Zero.[34][35]
In October 2005, the game was redistributed as aPlatinum Hits title on the Xbox and as aGreatest Hits title on the PS2, coming in new packaging and sold for a discounted price.[36]Deception is also included along withMortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks andMortal Kombat: Armageddon in the compilationMortal Kombat Kollection, which was released on September 29, 2008 for the PS2.[37]
Mortal Kombat: Unchained is the title of the PSP version ofMortal Kombat: Deception, developed byJust Games Interactive.Unchained denotes its portability, free of cables. The game was released on November 13, 2006, in North America;[38] November 23, 2006, in Australia;[39] and November 24, 2006, in Europe.[40]
Unchained includes all the characters from the GameCube version, and 4 more characters —Blaze,Frost,Jax and Kitana — fromMortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance that are exclusive to the PSP version. 3 of the 4 characters have only one Fatality and no Hara-kiri in contrast to other characters, most likely because that was all they had inDeadly Alliance. Exclusive to theUnchained version is the Endurance mode, where players can compete against a constant wave of opponents. The system'swireless ad hoc network functionality can be used for multiplayer games. Characters who remain hidden in the other versions appear unlocked by default inUnchained; producer Shaun Himmerick explained that the staff wanted to show players characters that were difficult to obtain inDeception, such as Liu Kang.[41] Although Midway did not develop the game, they helped Just Games Interactives optimize their code and theWi-Fi feature, as they wanted to keep the frame rate very high.[42]
During its release week,Mortal Kombat: Deception shipped 1,000,000 units, surpassing sales ofthe previousMK title and becoming the fastest-selling game in Midway's history.[43] 1 year later, the game had shipped 1,900,000 units worldwide.[36]
Before the game's release,GameSpot named it the best fighting game ofE3 2004.[44] It was also the winner of the 2004GameSpot TopSpike TV Video Game Awards in the category of best fighting game.[45] InGameSpot's Best and Worst of 2004,Deception received the award for best fighting game.[46] The PlayStation 2 version was a runner-up inIGN's PS2 Best of 2004 Awards in the best fighting game category, and won the Readers' Choice.[47] On February 1, 2005,Deception received the "Fighting Game of the Year" award at the8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (now known as theD.I.C.E. Awards).[48]Deception was nominated for the "Game…Sequel Fighting" award by the National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers (NAVGTR), and the "Best Fighting Game of 2004" award byIGN, losing both toDead or Alive Ultimate.[49][50] In theGuinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2015 Ebook, the game was recognized for being the first fighting game to be given an online mode.[51]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PS2/Xbox: 81[52][53] GC: 77[54] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| 1Up.com | PS2/Xbox: B+[55] GC: B[56] |
| GameSpot | PS2/Xbox: 8.5/10[57] GC: 8.3/10[58] |
| GameSpy | PS2/Xbox: 2.5/5[59] GC: 2/5[60] |
| GameZone | PS2/Xbox: 8.7/10[61] |
| IGN | PS2/Xbox: 8.8/10[62] |
| TeamXbox | Xbox: 9.1/10[63] |
| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (2005) | Fighting Game of the Year |
| Spike Video Game Awards | Fighting Game of the Year |
OnMetacritic, both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions have a weighted average review score of 81 out of 100,[52][53] while the GameCube version has a score of 77.[54] It wonGameSpot's 2004 "Best Fighting Game" award.[64]
Louis Bedigian ofGameZone praised the interaction with stages as one of the best parts of the game, commenting that it adds more strategy to the combat. He praised the return of "classic characters", commenting on their new designs and how different their attacks are.[61] Jeremy Dunham ofIGN wrote that it was the best game of theMortal Kombat series. He also stated that the removal of special move buttons, which caused too much damage to an opponent, was one of the developer's best decisions. With the special moves removed from the fights, and the addition of Breakers, players are now able to stop any combo.[6] However, he called character designs inDeception "robotic" in comparison to other fighting games such as theDead or Alive series orVirtua Fighter 4. The soundtrack was also criticized for having "basic sound effects".[65] GameSpot's Greg Kasavin commented that the fights have been highly improved with the addition of new fighting styles which: "is clearly inspired by kung fu movies". Although he stated the fights were not perfect and noted they could end in a few seconds due to the interaction with the arenas, he liked how painful and funny some moves looked.[57]TeamXbox's Dale Nardozzi praised the characters' animations and movements, adding that the soundtrack: "sets the tone perfectly for your basic, disembowelments, decapitations, and impalements."[63]
The Konquest Mode received mixed opinions. Dunham liked how the Konquest Mode explains the storyline from the game.[62] Conversely, Kasavin commented that the Konquest Mode "is the weak point from the game" and described it as "ugly", lacking good voice acting and graphics. However, he noted that one of the "few nice touches" in Konquest was "hitting anybody you want". He added that the mode had to be completed if he wanted to unlock characters.[66] Bedigian complained that the Konquest is the biggest flaw of the game, criticizing the storyline, the trainings, and voice acting.[61] However, Nardozzi found the mini-games to be very entertaining if played online.[63]
In contrast to the Xbox and PS2 versions, the GameCube port received lower scores from publications. It has been criticized for the lack of an online mode and pixelated picture quality on the unlockable videos & cutscenes, though1UP.com still praised it.[56] Although the addition of Goro and Shao Kahn was well-received,GameSpot opined that the other ports were better, while also commenting on Goro's appearance, which looks "anemic".[58] In his review,GameSpy's Miguel Lopez wrote that the GCN version "is far from the best version of the game" and advised players to use another port to play.[60]
Mortal Kombat: Unchained received an average of 70 from 14 reviews from Metacritic.[67] Jeff Haynes fromIGN mentioned problems with the controls and criticized the long loading times.[68]
Onaga: Shujunko, please save me! Old fool! Damashi does not exist! The avatar you see before is merely a projection of my consciousness!
Shujinko: If I am to redeem myself, I must continue to learn all that I can and prepare for this final battle against the Dragon King.
Release date: 19th November, 2004
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