I did this when MK:DA came out and I shall do this again...so far we have seen 12 characters in action, and it's my job to review these 12 and rate them thusly (in my own opinions.) Feel free to write your own!!!



SUB-ZERO
Hand-To-Hand: Shotokan, Dragons
Weapon: Kori Blade

Sub-Zero is a classic MK staple. Can anyone recall a classic MK game without at least ONE Sub-Zero in it? Fans would start frothing at the mouth and bombing Midway's offices if they found out he wasn't in it.

And if I do say so myself, fans shouldn't be disappointed. Sub-Zero has been given a fresh new look that separates him nicely from his ninja counterparts. He is now unique, especially since the game is now Frost-free...my only gripe is that he has the exact same styles as MKDA. Eew. Playing exactly the same would = bad.

But I must say that fatality we got to glimpse at E3 looks just plain nifty.

Overall Pre-Game Evaluation: 8/10



SCORPION

Hand-To-Hand: Hapkido, Moifah
Weapon: Ninja Sword

Scorpion is what defines Mortal Kombat, obviously being the immediate favorite of Boon as well as the ultimate fan-pleaser.

In my opinion he seems a little dry, since the vengeance gig is getting a little old, but considering his ending in MKDA I expect a pretty compelling storyline. He looks well, he looks very basic. Then again, Scorpion is classic, and you just can’t improve on him, really. Adopting Moifah instead of Pi Gua should spice combat up while sticking to the same feel from MKDA and that teleport kick should prove very interesting in 3D.

And let’s not forget that he learned a thing or two from Quan Chi it seems arm-rip fatality, anyone?

Overall Pre-Game Evaluation: 9/10



BARAKA

Hand-To-Hand: Silate, Hung Gar
Weapon: Blades

Baraka was always a very interesting and unique character, and I was pretty disappointed after his relative fall in popularity after MKII. A very abrasive mutant who’s all blades and teeth can’t be bad for the MK universe, right?

He seems to be the most publicized character in the game, and for good reason. He looks to die for I seriously can’t get that nasty FMV image from that first trailer out of my head. Nasty! I’m assuming he keeps his nifty blade moves for specials, which is a good thing. I’ll go out on a limb, as well, and say that he’s gonna have a major storyline role, considering that he and his wife were the first characters confirmed and the Deadly Alliance is nowhere in sight.

A fatality that completely decimates his opponent? Mmmmm toasty.

Overall Pre-Game Rating: 8.5/10



MILEENA

Hand-To-Hand: Ying Yeung, Mian Chaun
Weapon: Sai

Mileena finally, the sais go back where they belong.

The second-most publicized character in the game and indisputably both the sexiest and the most frightening, Mileena has a very promising future. With a fresh, hey-look-I’m-not-Kitana’s-clone-anymore look that puts lots of nifty fabric where absolutely no one needs it (a classic staple for animated hotties), styles that will make her quick, fierce, and unforgiving, and the most grotesque fatality in quite a while, she’s sure to shine. In the sense that big, long, pointy white teeth shine.

Overall Pre-Game Rating: 9/10



ERMAC

Hand-To-Hand: Huachuan, Choy Lee Fut
Weapon: Axe

Last time he saw Ermac he was just a lowly ninja clone with crap for a story and only his unique telekinetic smashes that made him slightly distinguishable. Now he looks rather impressive, something of a tortured hell-demon who’s actually reminiscent of Shang Tsung. He’s got styles I’ve never heard of so I can’t exactly comment on those, but his weapon—a big axe—makes me wonder shouldn’t Scorpion have that?

Of course, his telekinetic slams and tosses are back, comforting old Ermac fans but raising the question of who will win the battle of the TK warriors (Kenshi). He’s an old, musty character whom the boys at Midway decided to bring up and dust off, and they’ve done marvelously with what they had, but overly-inspired, Ermac is not.

Overall Pre-Game Rating: 7.5/10



SINDEL

Hand-To-Hand: Zha Chuan, Fu Jow Pai
Weapon: Kwan Do

Let me get it off my chest: I absolutely adore Sindel, above all other MK fighters, and I nearly wet my pants when I found she was returning.

That said

She looks like she has before, but as with gems like Scorpion, that’s enough. Following Midway’s pattern of breathing life into old characters, she has been brought back from the depths of MK3, with her classic dead-looking complexion, purple bodice-like costume, and lethal coif. She’s always had a rich storyline I thought was dreadfully untapped, and you just can’t beat the originality and creepiness of that damn flying and screaming.

Overall Pre-Game Rating: 9/10 (I’m biased, sue me)



HOTARU

Hand-to-Hand: Pi Gua, Gojuryu
Weapon: Naginata

Hotaru. He seems to be of a strange breed he’s a samurai. An EVIL samurai, no less. Doubtlessly this was what came of the MKDA concept Dairou is it me, or does Hotaru seem pretty dull? He’s got a vaguely interesting weapon, otherwise, he doesn’t thrill me. Obviously the storyline won’t be anywhere near based on him, and all he’s got that make him stand out is basic fireball attacks. He seems to be rather a filler character of course, my taste is my taste.

Smashy fatality? THAT’s never been done before.

Overall Pre-Game Rating: 5/10



ASHRAH

Hand-to-Hand: Choujaio, Bagua
Weaon: Kriss

Ashrah...a mysterious, white-clad demon huntress. Well, first off she gets points for being the first female in MK history not to show ANY skin whatsoever, which is refreshing. She reminds me a little of a nun. Well...a KICKASS nun, but a nun all the same.

There seems as though there's quite a bit one could do with this character to make her very interesting, but then again Midway has a history of spoiling great ideas. Time will tell.

Overall Pre-Game Rating: 7/10



NIGHTWOLF

Hand-to-Hand: Val Tudo, Tae Kwan Do
Weapon: Tomahawks

While he wasn't exactly the hugest fan favorite ever to come out of MK3, I though he was original (at least...snicker.) Ok s fine, I was waiting for the other two sexually ambiguous gentlement to come out so that he and Stryker could finish their homage to The Village People.

Joking aside, they seem to have improved on him. Greatly. No more is the homoerotic Indian-painted white man of MK3. He seems more fleshed out and much more believable...though his basic face-stab with the tomahawk is a tad uninspired.

Overall Pre-Game Rating: 7.5/10



LI MEI

Hand-to-Hand: Baji Quan, Lui He Ba Fa
Weapon: Melon (wtf?)

After Drahmin, Li Mei was my least favorite character to come out of MKDA, and truth be told I was a little heartbroken when they decided to bring her back and not someone absolutely kickass like Jade or Reptile.

She seems...well, still kind of crappy. She has the new samurai-chick thing going for her, indicating that she might have an actually interesting storyline this game, but they even screwed up the outfit (explain to me HOW a pale pink samurai outfit is believable?)

She still has the same sucky fighting styles, and a very dumb looking weapon (melon? Okay, she's fighting with steel maracas...) We can only hope that Midway makes improvements on absolutely EVERYTHING she was.

Overall Pre-Game Rating: 5/10



BO' RAI CHO

Hand-to-Hand: Drunken Fist, Mi Zong
Weapon: Jojutsu

It appears as though everyone's favorite fighting drunkard is back. Yeah.

Contrary to popular opinion, I thought that Bo' Rai Cho was at least a cute member of the MKDA cast, it not at least actually a good one. He fought well, and he provided severely lacking comedic relief.

And here he is back...the exact same way.

He has the exact same styles, and the exact same look...I'm sorry, Bo' looks a tad too dry where there could have been loads of development.

Overall Pre-Game Rating: 6.5/10



KENSHI

Hand-to-Hand: Tai Chi, Judo
Weapon: Kitana

Well, here we have a blind man who kicks ass with a sword. I like Kenshi quite a bit in MKDA; he was classy, he was fresh, and he could fight like a beast. He had neat telekinetic moves and a great fatality.

It'll feel weird using Judo with him, because it seems to fit its previous possessor, Jax, a little better, but Kenshi seems to have his same great flair in MK:D.

My only gripe...does he look EXACTLY the same to anyone else, too?

Overall Pre-Game Rating: 8/10