Mortal Kombat vs DC: I'm loving it, but is it good?

"Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe" is now officially my guilty pleasure. Not "guilty" because it's bad for you, but because I'm not really sue if it's how "good" of a game it is. It has its share or problems, as well as awesome features, but there's also something to be said when reviewing a game that it effectively provides short bursts of fun to anyone who think its cool to see Green Lantern conjuring a giant hammer to kick Jax's ass, or Superman and Sub-Zero battling to see who can freeze the other quicker.

But of course as a reviewer I have to recognize that not everyone gets a thrill out of seeing this kind of thing. Just like if I were a movie reviewer, I'd have to remember that Data's death in "Star Trek: Nemesis" won't have quite as much meaning for most people as it did for me (though I still maintain it's the most underrated "Trek" movie, but anyway...).

So, with all that in mind, I tried to convey in my review (which runs in tomorrow's Daily Variety) that "Mortal Kombat vs DC" is a solidly executed fighting game that's accessible to pretty much anyone. The kind of person who has been to Comic-Con, or wants to go, will get a much bigger kick out of all the awesome fighting moves they've never seen DC heroes pull before. People who don't think Wonder Woman lassoing Sonya Blade is all that exciting are more likely to be bothered by faults like underdetailed backgrounds, horrible voice acting, clunky menus, similar character designs (Why is Flash is just as jacked as Superman?), and the fact that new features like "Klose Kombat" rely more on luck than skill.

As I wrote in my review:

Forget depth, sophistication or anything remotely resembling logic: "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe" takes gamers back to the days of cheesy arcade fighting with bravado, style and an unironic sense of fun. Pitting warriors from the "Mortal Kombat" franchise against DC Comics heroes and villains is a high-concept idea that some will find ridiculous and others brilliant. But thanks to solid execution and extremely accessible, if somewhat unpolished, gameplay, it could be the holiday hit struggling publisher Midway desperately needs.

But here's a simpler way to put it: If the the title of the game defines Midway's goal, it succeeded in achieving that goal, if not quite with flying colors. It's not exactly the most ambitious goal artistically, but as I've been proving to myself with all the time I've spent playing it since I finished my review, there's nothing wrong with that.

(As indicated in the review excerpt, I also think "MK vs DC" could become a very popular Christmas present, given the T rating, the easily understandable title, and the simple gameplay. Midway could sure use the it.)

Full review: Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe