E the Shaggy
Junior Member
It's funny that they added in the "Easy Fatalities" button because I think MKX has the easiest fatalities to pull off of any game in the series.
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Angry Joe Mortal Kombat X Review.
- Thread starter Gamezone
- Start date
BumblebeeCody
Member
As much as I love Angry Joe, he isn't the person I go to for fighting games.
Gunslinger
Member
8/10 is a bit high, with a netcode like mkx no fighter should rate above a 5-6/10. IMO.
I don't think the score validates anything. I felt like the review was not proper. It was nit picky. Here's an example. I am reviewing a guitar. Say I'm ok and can play jimmy crack corn. I pay $200 and it comes with a lot of bonus stuff like a rocker hat, an album cover and signed scrapbook. My review is somewhat on the strings and build, but I harp and harp on the bonus crap, and ignore the life that I could put into the instrument.
I would rather a true professional break down the components and tell me their expert advice. Joe doesn't even know how to pull off combos and wishes there were in game tutors. Maybe he doesn't appreciate that MK is a community game and it takes getting used to and by watching how others pull off moves.
I would trust a critic if they could name all the moves, tell me how they were able to pull off difficult moves. Broke down unbalanced attacks. Said that the 3 variations were a needed addition because it was used for this and that. Instead, Joe is like, oh the variations separate moves. Yeah dude, maybe the designers are experts and there's a philosophy behind it. If you delve into it and still find a problem, its a different story.
BreezyLimbo
Banned
Then I'm sure you'll also ignore all the reviews for the games since I'm pretty sure most reviewers aren't pros who can name all the moves who can break all of them down.
Irishmantis
Member
I wouldn't say every point, im only halfway through but his point of those story mode npcs are gonna be paid DLC obviously didn't realize they only have one variation and is a complete copy of their MK9 fighting style
I know. I acknowledged in my post that I was ignoring everything else in the base game. The point is that even if you reduce it to nothing but characters, the DLC characters--especially Goro--seem terribly overpriced.
What I'm saying is that the base game offers exponentially more bang for your buck than the Kombat pass or any of the DLC. Taking everything else (stages, story, unlockable skins, challenge tower) into account only makes that all the more evident. I can understand the unfinished characters costing more money than typical, since they're still spending money on developing them. But Goro was completely finished. Charging $5 for him is terrible.
Well, online isn't everything. I wouldn't cut the entire game score in HALF just because online isn't the best.
I've still had plenty of great matches, local offline is astounding, and there's enough single-player content to last someone for weeks on end.
The netcode is still better than MK9 and Injustice's were, for instance, and it's already better than it was at launch.
Then again, I might be biased; see, I'm having FUN with the game day...
Ivan Amiibo
Banned
Beelzebufo
Banned
Yes, it's for trivial stuff lol
Deified Data
Banned
To be fair he pushed it aside by saying it's super-polished and improves on MK9 in almost every way - he didn't need to dwell on it because good combat in a fighting game kind of speaks for itself.
Keep in mind the review is from a casual fighting game fan's perspective and meant to appeal to casual fighting game fans (like myself). I'm sure someone else could expound on the minutiae of the game's systems for 30 minutes, but I don't think Joe is that person.
It really is. I can't even conceive of someone spending money for easy fatalities. There is literally zero gameplay benefit.
I would say for the most part. Can't really name any awesome reviewers that stand out. Used to like Adam Sessler. If you can find me some good ones, I'd tell you what I think.
I like what he states around 3.01 where he says you should play to adapt. [ur]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWbvXB85BZc#t=186[/ur]
AJ review of TF cried about how it was not worth $60
BumblebeeCody
Member
That's reviews in general. It's something that I think needs to be stressed. I guess I shouldn't care too much since I don't read reviews, and while Joe isn't a journalist, he still falls under the same category(someone that a large amount of people will follow).
This goes for any genre that has in depth mechanics. You can't just look the graphics and story of a fighting game and hold them to the same standard. You can easily see this with games like SFxT where all the journalists and reviews praised it with high scores while the FGC shat on it(and rightly so). You have to be educated on the genre before reviewing. It's why I go to places like SRK, Eventhubs, the pros or even friends of the series because they can actually give us the specs on what it brings to the fighting game genre. Not that the back story of Mileena isn't as fleshed out, it's that Takeda's opener combo is +3 on block and is has a high low mixup.
The fact that Joe said "FOUUUUR HOOOOOURS" and that being bad is worrying. I cannot name anyone who plays competitively wanting MORE time wasted on irrelevant modes. It might be novel, but at the end of the day when you go to your arcade or have fighting game sessions at friends, no-one cares about any of that. I can also guarantee in 10 years time when MKX is still being played and all the 'casuals'(not an insult) have left, that they won't care about it either. It'll be this wasted space on a disc that could've gone to more characters or tightening up game-play.
That's not to say MKX story is terrible or something that I feel NetherRealm wasted their time on, it's great and well done...but who really cares? It's about as pointless as a story mode in Guitar Hero or Farming Simulator.
I care, if I were to buy a fighting game 90% of my time would be spent going through the story because I don't give two flying poops about becoming uber elite at a fighting game and competing in competitions. That was the case with injustice and I felt that story was worth playing through. He also prefaces his complaining about the story by telling you to either skip it or fuck off if you're an uber elite just here for the competition fighting game player so I don't get why you're upset that he tackled the included story mode for players like me.
Honestly I agree. "Why not both" is a nice sentiment, but not one grounded in reality in a world where budgets and deadlines are a thing. Story mode offers a handful of hours worth of extremely cheesy cut-scenes and that's it, you're done with it on day one. All that time and money could have gone towards having a half-decent netcode or making sure the PC launch wasn't a train-wreck.
IMO, of course.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
Goro would have been cool as an unlock in the tower. I like the character boards where you had to got to unlock someone by finishing the arcade with different people. TTT1 and SFIV were like that at first.
Goro is like family to the MK universe.
Goro is like family to the MK universe.
'Nickel and dime' presumes that this dlc is tied to advancement or that the product is somehow crafted so the player is progressing via micro transactions over a flat sum, or even tying further core content to dlc. That is not the case at all here.
The only threat that exists is a potential future where say... fatalities at large are micro transaction based only. As of now it's a nightmare scenario that is pure fiction.
The dlc is utterly pointless aside from online where you may not have the time to check the mivelist if not memorized. Still pointless and entirely not worth the blowback. But I get the overall need to obfuscate reality for the sake of bitching about dlc as a concept. Podcasts and forums have been doing just that, silly in this case but it speaks clearly the sentiment from gamers on the direction the future shouldn't hold.
killdatninja
Banned
The review was obviously meant for casuals, I have so many friends that simply won't play fighting games once they fall behind in terms of skill. Mortal Kombat differs in this, where you can play the game and not worry about the more advanced stuff (i.e. frame data like you were implying). Something like USF4 where the game is literally just arcade mode, training and online lobbies... I can see how the casual gamer would get bored if they aren't interested in online play and bare bones arcade mode.
Dash Kappei
Not actually that important
PLEASE guys I need a .gif of 00:00:54 to 00:01:17!
That was fucking ridiculous how he moves and gesticulates in a rapper-like manner... so hilarious that I gotta have it! XD
That was fucking ridiculous how he moves and gesticulates in a rapper-like manner... so hilarious that I gotta have it! XD
Dash Kappei
Not actually that important
Don't see what the issue is and even why there's an argument around it: there's merit in this kind of review even for a fg and especially for MK, there's thousands of people buying the series who don't care at all for the FGC pow and instead want to hear about gfx, length, story mode and such: Joe caters to that audience and serves them well enough, it's not meant for you and I.
FollowTheWind
Banned
Thats not exactly fair, so a professional of said video game genre cannot give his opinion on the game because he isn't highly skilled? Sure there are better critics overall for MK X, but such critics are typically best viewed by fans of the genre/game. Angry Joe's review is perfect for the majority of gamers, who have tried a variety of genres, not particularly skilled in any but not a noob either.
Also I would semi-agree with you if a lot of his problems were gameplay oriented... but they were not. His biggest gripes were the transactions and the story (rightfully so imo). Yes he made some complaints about there not being much of a guide, but I have to agree with that. Recently I bought Killer Instinct, first time with a game in that genre (SF style). Sure I could have went online and read up some combos, but you know where I spent most of my time? In the Dojo.
If there was no Dojo, I doubt I would have played the game much, or bothered going online to do some research. Because I prefer the game to teach me, until I get to a high level.
Agreed.
It may not work that way, but if any development budget got spent on the story mode, a 2-4 hour affair, that could have otherwise gone to improving the actual online performance of the game, that would be a shame. At the end of the day the performance of the game online where people want to be playing for years is far more important than a couple more hours of cutscenes.
If the vast majority of your time playing a fighting game is with the story, that doesn't sound like a very worthwhile purchase, quite frankly and shouldn't be a gauge for the quality of the game in any way. I honestly don't think it should matter much for rating the game, as that's not what the the game itself is about. It's fun bonus fluff, but nothing more. Oddly enough it seems to drive sales and it seems to me like those who complain about it being lacking are the ones who would be dropping or selling back the game after a weekend.
I'll take SFIV's barebones versus modes over a 4-hour amazing movie experience with crappy online play, because I want a fighting game I can play online for months or years, not just a one-and-done experience.
BumblebeeCody
Member
I never said anything about being uber good though. Joe's reviews are open to criticism(which is ironic since it's a review of a review in that case). I'm someone who does enjoy single player elements too like Missions modes, arcade or Tekken volleyball.
And I did state I'm not against them putting in story mode for people who want it, but like it or not, the most valuable people you have within a player based of a genre that's heavily based on gameplay, are the ones that will be playing your game not only 10 years from now, but even 25+ years from now, much like Melee, Tekken 2 and as far back as Super Turbo.
Even if Joe stated he isn't good at fighting games, then his opinion is pretty much useless as a review. As I said before, you have to be educated on the game/genre BEFORE giving a review as reviews are used to inform your audience. It's like asking me to review the next Starcraft or DOTA. Yes, I'm a fan but I know nothing of the in depth mechanics or PvP elements. So I could give a generic superficial review of Starcraft 2 but it wouldn't be worth anything. Instead Joe points comes from the fact that certain characters don't have much of their story expanded and that the cutscenes are worth watching? Why would you want to watch Quan-chi get QTE'd to death?
What's more is that, since this is a review, it's also a way of spreading misinformation about a game. Much like SFxT, to those who know nothing about how to actually play fighting games, it's praised, but to everyone who does spend 8 hours a day getting 1 frame links down, it was a pile of wank. It was terrible and panned by everyone. It's being ill informed of a genre and expecting the "hardcore" fans to accept your review as well researched. Casual or not, you shouldn't put up reviews like this. Why is it fair that fighting games are consistently getting ill informed reviews that barely cover what the game play is actually about?
As I said before, I'm not against the single player aspects nor am I saying the more laid back and "I just wanna play on my own have fun" player shouldn't be catered to, but it's such an incredibly large amount of wasted space on a disc and as well as time and money that could be put to making an overall better game. No fighting game player (as a very VERY broad generalisation) is going to care about any of that single player cutscene silliness and nor are the casuals(again, not an insult) it was intended to going to care in only a few months time.
Zxrophantom
Member
I kinda agree with him on all of those points.The limited amount of koins you get seems like a mistake to me because i feel it make going into the krypt more of a hassle than having fun exploring. You end up grinding towers or the story mode to do a decent run in the krypt. This become even more troubling when you like a few characters and want to unlock their stuff first. Granted i'm sure it was done so people will play the game for longer and not burn out and do everything in a weekend.
The story does feel like a step down from what they did before. Too many things are just thrown out there without a deeper look into it. It feel more like they were shooting from the hip when piecing the story together this time. I'm surprised how little important characters matter in many of the bigger story points. Also many characters seem to have new outlooks on life but you are not really given the full story as to why. Still a good story but it does have some rough spots that hurt it quite a bit.
Zxrophantom
Member
You don't always need a pro to review something. You don't need an expert in cheese making to tell you a curtain kind of cheese is good. Reviews often take on many shapes for different people. So a review by angry Joe is not made for elite players and at the most an elite player will watch angry Joe reviews for pure entertainment. They will do their own research and listen to other elite who understand the inner workings. While the average player will listen to angry joe first to see if this is worth playing as a game first before encountering elites who know the game in and out. Also you need both groups of people to make a fighting game stand the test of time in the public's eye.
PHOENIXZERO
Member
I don't get it either... Games have review threads I thought for a reason, including MKX.
The game was shorter because the fights were easier. Injustice and MK9 had those 2v1 gauntlets that seriously extended your playing time. That said I still agree the story was flawed. The whole Kotal rebellion was my biggest pet peeve. I didn't like how they didn't go into his rise to power. They really needed to show why he gained the support he did over Mileena. That brief one liner those 2 shared about leadership was way too simplistic.
JoduanER2
Member
Yeah wtf, they should moderate this.
SapientWolf
Trucker Sexologist
The thing they moderate is thread shitting.
The overreaction over dumb but inconsequential paid DLC is getting really tiresome. There is a massive difference between DLC that affects gameplay and DLC that is cosmetic, or simply provides some minor convenience. Would it be nice if all DLC was free? Sure. Is the sky falling? No chicken little, it's not.
They're pretty damn good. Better than most every written review out there.
Valkerionseven
Member
This.
Why MKX is getting crap for stuff that other games have done for 5 years at least, now I will never understand. EA has car unlocks for their racers for years now, no one gets mad and says "because its unlocked in game, its just for people who want it now" when MKX does it, its a huge deal all of a sudden?
Same thing with the easy fatalities. Those coins are available in game too, and no big deal. They do not make you better at the game nor are fatalities a "reward" or w/e how some outlets have called it. And sorry but there is nothing complicated about a fatality. IMO if you can press up and down and x to select a mode, 4 directions and x to choose a character, and buttons to do moves in a game to even get to the fatality at the end of a match, you should be able to press back back down back square for a fatality.
I'm all for optional dlc that unlocks stuff for the lazy whales, because I actually like to play games, some people don't. Not my business or anyone elses problem honestly so I'd really wish people would stop acting like this is affecting gameplay.
Joe always rails against this. You think Corporate Commander is some new character he came up with for that review?
Ivan Amiibo
Banned
Oh c'mon. It's Mortal Kombat. In MK9 everyone but just few characters died. One game later and some of those fallen characters are alive again. Death means nothing in MK world.
Ivan Amiibo
Banned
wow, spoilers for MK9 too. ok, just joking on that one, but MKX is a brand new game.
Spehornoob
Member
I don't mind easy fatalities. That kind of small, somewhat inconsequential stuff is what I think DLC should be used for. The character and Krypt Unlock DLC bugs me more, and sours what is otherwise a fantastic experience.
I actually disagree with Joe on the story mode a bit. I think the story mode was shorter, but had way less filler and was ultimately better told than MK9's. I do admit that I would have liked to see some of the new characters get some time though.
Honestly, I think they should drop the "one character per chapter" aspect and just do fights as they naturally come.
I actually disagree with Joe on the story mode a bit. I think the story mode was shorter, but had way less filler and was ultimately better told than MK9's. I do admit that I would have liked to see some of the new characters get some time though.
Honestly, I think they should drop the "one character per chapter" aspect and just do fights as they naturally come.
It's crazy to me how one unsubstantiated post on Reddit propagated its way into forums, articles, and reviews.
The story mode is shorter but they're mostly done away stupid ass fights (i.e. Jax vs. Cage because Cage was vibing Sonya, Jade vs. Smoke because Smoke thought Jade was Kitana).
The story mode is shorter but they're mostly done away stupid ass fights (i.e. Jax vs. Cage because Cage was vibing Sonya, Jade vs. Smoke because Smoke thought Jade was Kitana).
If there is any fighting game that appeals more to the casual player than the FGC crowd it's going to be Mortal Kombat. I would bet that a lot of people play MK who don't really touch other fighting games (me included) so it seems weird to try and say that there is no value in Joe's review.
I will say I disagree with his story complaints. While it is shorter, I feel it's overall a much better paced and compelling narrative overall because it doesn't overstay it's welcome. I was totally satisfied with it - it gives you a good introduction to the new characters and the gameplay.
I will say I disagree with his story complaints. While it is shorter, I feel it's overall a much better paced and compelling narrative overall because it doesn't overstay it's welcome. I was totally satisfied with it - it gives you a good introduction to the new characters and the gameplay.
But even as a casual player, wouldn't you agree that he barely commented on the gameplay? I have seen a couple of his reviews posted here, and that's not the case with other games.