Mortal Kombat: Deception

Reviewed by:
Scott Stein

Beating blood out of your opponent is fun. So is seeing them fly into a set of clockwork gears before getting shredded into ground chuck and minced bones. Which is exactly why the newest Mortal Kombat isn't just the goriest; it's also the best: 3-D-rendered versions of Raiden and other favorites populate the arcade-style setting; the adventure mode offers you the chance to explore the Mortal world; and you can even brain-up in a version of "chess" that adds a little strategy to the pulverizing. (If you're anything like us, you too have dreamed of practicing a finishing move on that punk Bobby Fischer.) Plus, the added Puzzle Kombat is surprisingly fun—Tetris-style one-on-one gaming is punctuated by miniature, big-headed characters popping each other in the skulls. Throw out your old MK games; it's time to call this one your daddy.

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