Mortal Kombat: Deception

Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance was a bit of a sleeper hit last year, and brought the series back to life with the best game of MK in many years.  Mortal Kombat: Deception, the sequel, features similar core gameplay as Deadly Alliance, but it adds a few new tweaks and game modes to the overall formula.

While Deception feels the same as Deadly Alliance, each character has some new moves and special abilities, a few even brought back from 2D Mortal Kombat games.  Like in Deadly Alliance, fighters have the ability to switch fighting styles and stances in the heat of battle and use weapons.  However, unlike Deadly Alliance, you can uppercut enemies once again, something that was tragically missing from Deadly Alliance.  You can also make use of interactive environments, smashing your opponents through different stages, an effect pioneered in MK3.

Deception’s roster will be made up of returning characters as well as brand new ones. Of the 24 characters scheduled to be in the game (only twelve were revealed at E3), series favorites like Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Ermac, Sindel and Nightwolf made an appearance.

Deception will also offer gamers three new game modes, Chess Kombat, Puzzle Kombat, and Konquest.  Chess Kombat plays like a cross between Chess and Stratego, blending the concept of chess with more strategy elements, like the ability to set traps on the board.  Puzzle Kombat is an intriguing little puzzle game, and Konquest is a pseudo-RPG mode that allows players to build up their fighters like a character in a role-playing game.

Deception will offer gamers a bevy of fighters, some innovative new game modes, and online play when it’s released this October.

For All E3 2004 Previews