Life has some interesting rules when it comes to the quality of ideas and concepts. The idea behind mixing two things together is quite simple. When people mix two good things together, they hope for an outcome that will be of greater quality than what the ingredients were when separate. This concept works on paper, but not really for every case. People like milk and oranges because they both have good quality in taste and are healthy, but I don’t see many people blending milk and oranges together because though they are both good things, they are incompatible. This concept is where Mortal Kombat fans began to fear the idea of Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe.

It’s easy to fear something you’ve never tried before, but all worries can be pushed to the side. MK vs DC Universe at its core is a true Mortal Kombat game, and inviting some DC characters to the party does not ruin the experience. However, it’s what wasn’t included in the game that takes away from what could have been, and I don’t mean the high amounts of blood or the overly violent fatalities in favor of the T rating.

It is understandable why so many people felt that the two were incompatible, so Ed Boon and Co. have introduced a new Story Mode to give an explanation. The non-canon story begins at the end of the second Mortal Kombat tournament (Mortal Kombat II for those who don’t know) after the defeat of Shao Kahn.

The realms of Mortal Kombat and the DC Universe are beginning to merge and it’s up to whichever side you choose (MK or DC) to figure out why and put a stop to it. This story is an interesting one if you’re a diehard fan of either series, but it’s nothing amazing. It has about the same depth and importance of an NBA All-Star Game or NFL Pro Bowl in that they showcase the best of both sides, but they don’t really mean anything and only serve the purpose of being shallow entertainment.

Though the story lacks purpose and meaning, the developers managed to use some creative thought with this game. Seeing that the story takes place after Mortal Kombat II, I found it interesting that the gameplay takes after Mortal Kombat II as well. Long story short, MK vs DC Universe plays a lot closer to the 2D classic than the previous three games in the series with the exception of the new Klose Kombat, Free-Fall, Test Your Might, and Rage features.

The fighting style/weapon style gameplay of the last generation did help to add a whole new layer of strategy to the series, but many long time MK fans felt alienated by the significant change that slowed down the pace of a game that was once fast and simple. I personally enjoyed both the fast and simple, and the slow and strategic, but those who weren’t fans of the latter will find a welcome feel with MK vs DC Universe.

Of course, the gameplay would just feel like a lazy effort if all it was was fast and simple, so four new features were implemented, as stated earlier. Klose Kombat (a close up boxing style fight) and Free-Fall (fighting while falling off a high ledge) work very similar to each other as guessing/timing games using the four face buttons.

Test Your Might is an old face with a new body as the classic mini-game has been added as a button masher for fighting while running through buildings. Lastly, there’s Rage, a feature that feels related to the Aggressive meter found in Mortal Kombat Trilogy and has been written into the story as the main plot device. The transition between the first three is smooth and allows the gameplay to feel more cinematic, but Rage can sometimes be as cheap as a Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Visually, everything looks very well detailed thanks to the Unreal Engine 3, but seeing games such as Gears of War use the same engine makes you feel like the engine wasn’t used to its full potential. Face detail is one great aspect of texture that stood out in my mind, especially with the DC heroes. Character models look best when close up (I sometimes go into Klose Kombat just to see the detail), and in general, work better with the atmosphere of the game over previous MK games such as Deadly Alliance, due to a better use of shading and lighting effects. Arenas are nicely detailed and constructed as well, but again, they miss the mark of potential.

Once you’ve played through Story Mode twice (once for the MK story, and again for the DC story), there are other game modes to keep you occupied for a while such as Arcade Mode, Kombo Challenge, and online play, but that’s pretty much it. The overall game lacks substance. Kombo Challenge is a tedious mode, and seeing as most people who actually try will only be able to do a bit less than half of the requirements for most characters, its only purpose is to serve as a practice mode of frustration, therefore rendering it unplayable after only a few hours.

The biggest question about the game’s substance is, “Where are the unlockables?” It was quite a surprise to see such a lack of bonus content, especially after half the fun of the last generation’s MK games was about unlocking things such as alternative costumes and production art. There are unlockables in MK vs DC Universe, but two characters who are rarely used just doesn’t cut it.

Luckily, the shining point in this game is the online play. The menus are set up very well, allowing players to quickly jump into match after match. I found that I was able to get into and finish ten ranked matches within about 20-25 minutes, but what I also found was character imbalance. I’m specifically talking about Green Lantern. His ring makes him the easiest fighter to win with, and the most annoying to fight against.

Another issue I ran into online was the matchmaking. For example, at a record of 3-2, I faced an opponent that had over 500 wins and about 300 loses. The win/loss ratios were close, but there was an obvious gap in experience. Another example was when I started off 0-2 and faced an opponent that had over 100 wins and about 60 loses. Besides character imbalance and matchmaking issues, playing online is usually smooth and efficient.

Overall, it came down to the major risk of creating a nonsensical combination, and the impossible happened. To the surprise of fans everywhere, the result is a good and entertaining game. Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe (though missing the mark in several areas) is a shining example showing how two incompatible things can be compatible if you believe and work hard enough against all odds.