Every once in a while, the action is broken up by puzzle elements. MK:SM does a good job of mixing up the gameplay. The only downside to ending your opponents in this manner is the fact that you don't get experience points.
There are almost no areas that don't feature a spiked ceiling, meat grinder, furnace, pool of acid, or a hungry tree to knock an unlucky opponent into. One of the best aspects of the game is the constant interaction with the environment. Even background characters like the druids and masked guards from the older games are full-fledged enemies in MK:SM. You'll fight through the Acid Pool, the Wastelands, Shao Kahn's temple, the Living Forest, and the Pit II. If it's in the background of that game, it's a level in Shaolin Monks. You'll see how Sub-Zero got his scar, how Shang Tsung became young again, and even a confusing back-story bit about Kabal.Īlmost all of the environments are straight out of MKII. The only semi-interesting parts of the narrative are the occasional "Ohh.that's how that happened" moments. It boils down to this: Shang Tsung is being devious, and you need to go kill him in a violent manner (along with everything else you see). There's not many cutscenes in the game, which is definitely a good thing considering that they're pretty inane, poorly acted, and not interesting in the least. Kang has just won the Mortal Kombat tournament, and Lao has started to get jealous of him. The story takes place between MKI and MKII. You'll gain the ability to long jump, double jump, and perform Prince of Persia-esque wall jumps, wall runs, and swinging abilities. In addition to the special attacks, you'll also unlock new platforming moves. Because neither of those gives you experience points, it's usually best to stick with the standard Fatalities. Multalities can clear a room of enemies, and Brutalities put your character in a "berserk" mode. Both Kang and Lao have almost 10 standard fatalities, along with "Multalities" and "Brutalities". At this point, it goes into typical MK fatality mode (ominous music, screen goes dark), and you input a 5-button command to brutally finish off your opponent.
Once you've performed enough combos, you'll have a fatality at your disposal, which is activated by hitting the white button. Holding the R trigger will modify any of these attacks. Basic attacks are done with X, Y, and B, while throws are performed with the black button.
The control scheme works almost perfectly, and will rarely be a problem. For all other intents and purposes, Kang is the superior character. The only real advantage Lao has over Kang is a useful air combo. Lao has all of his MKII moves as well (hat throw, teleport, spin attack). As you level up, you'll be able to shoot low fireballs, air fireballs, and perform the bicycle kick from MKII. At the beginning, Liu shoots fireballs and does his trademark flying kick. These two characters have very different fighting styles, with Liu generally getting the better moves and abilities. The first time through, players can choose between Liu Kang and Kung Lao. Shaolin Monks is a game that is clearly meant to be played with two people. It's been proven many times that a game doesn't have to be at least 20 hours long to be great. Metal Gear Solid can be beaten in less than three hours. Keep in mind, Turtles in Time could be beaten in under a half hour. Don't let this fact keep you from trying out the game.
If you're skipping the cutscenes and trying to beat the game as fast as you can, it can be done in 2-3 hours. The first time through in co-op mode (oops, I mean "ko-op"), it shouldn't take the average gamer more than 7 or 8 hours, and that's even if you're going after all the secrets. That's not to say the game is without certainly has its faults. This game is the best co-op experience since Turtles in Time for the SNES. If that thought ever entered your mind, or if you had any doubts about MK Shaolin Monks, get rid of them. Obviously, the main thought process there was "Great.another Sub Zero Mythologies disaster". Many gamers blew off Shaolin Monks when they first heard about a new MK adventure game.
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