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And now, X-Play takes a look at the latest in the long running, once controversial fighting series with our review of Mortal Kombat: Deception. Or, as we like to call it, Mortal Kombat: The Kitchen Sink. his is not just one game, but several in one package. Midway has gone out of its way to give gamers big, big value in that tiny plastic case!

Kombat Evolved

Evolving the martial arts action of the previous games, Mortal Kombat Deception has the usual array of overdone kung fu melodrama in its plot, and the whole title seems intent on raising itself into the realm of some strange sort of mythology. The characters are so full of dark, angst-ridden drama that you can’t help but laugh, and with the inclusion of a sort of “you are there” pseudo RPG, you get an extra helping of commercialized plastic Asian atmosphere.

When the original Mortal Kombat came out, it became a sensation almost entirely thanks to the use of live action characters and (at the time) bloody fatalities. Since 3D technology today works better than live action and, well, bloody fatalities hardly get a yawn, the series has striven to continue to look and play better with each revision, while refining the core gameplay. To that end, Deception is quite good. It’s a lot like Soul Caliber (ital) in several key ways, though it still feels slightly coarser in comparison.

Mortal Minigames

For one thing, Deception’s arcade tournament is only part of the package here (still the most important part, thankfully). Much like Soul Calibur, there are a ton of secrets to unlock, and you’ll do so mostly through the other game modes -- especially the RPG portion, called konquest. In this sub game, you take the role of a young fighting hopeful on his journey through the many realms of the Mortal Kombat universe. The game is really just a primer for the mythology of the game, but fans will really appreciate the free roaming ability to run across the landscape meeting all their favorite fighters.

Technically, it’s by no means a great game. If konquest were a standalone game, in fact, it would suck. The graphics are mediocre, the story lackluster, and the dialogue and voice acting is easily some of the worst ever heard. However, since this is part of a bigger package, konquest manages to rise above its noticeable flaws and be a fun diversion from the other modes. More importantly, as you journey through the admittedly vast landscape learning how each fighter moves, you find chests that unlock new arenas, characters, and plenty of other goodies.

The other inclusions are, of all things, chess and a falling block puzzle game a la Dr. Mario. Chess kombat invites players to create their own team for a variation on standard chess that includes one-on-one fighting, spell casting, and points of power. Puzzle kombat is a Tetris-derivative where you stack colored blocks while competing with an opponent, but the twist is that in order to get rid of the blocks; you have to hit them with a properly colored kombat symbol. Both of these games are a lot of fun, and like the main fighting game, playable through Xbox Live, which is a huge plus.

Fighting On and Offline

Finally, despite all the bells and whistles, the meat of the game is still the combat. As a straightforward 3D fighter, Deception might not be the best, but it’s still very good. The graphics are excellent, the menacing arenas cool looking, and character animation is top notch. The control scheme has stayed remarkably constant through the series' history and this time around is no exception. While the timing for the advanced combos can be brutal, the overall gameplay is easy to get into.

Thanks to broadband-only support, the online fighting is generally very playable, making this an incredibly well-rounded game. The fatalities are still brutal, special moves are plentiful, and the multi-layered arenas offer up a variety of landscape kills and obstacles. There are even suicide moves this time to prevent your opponent from having the ultimate victory, which is amusing in a bizarre, sadistic kind of way. As expected, most of the old characters are back with several new ninjas and martial artists to take on as well. There are 24 characters total, though only half are initially available.

Excellent

With tons of secrets to uncover, and a surprising array of different gameplay options, Mortal Kombat: Deception is a surprisingly fun package. The fighting action looks great and plays well, and while the puzzle and role-playing portions might not be great, these freebies really add a lot of value to a series that was in serious danger of dying under its own weight.