I ADMIT! I'm an old school MK2 fan, still playing it today and didn't play much MK after UMK3.
I was kinda hoping to get some sort of MK2 with more and cooler moves, more free combo opportunities, new features and the same feeling when it comes to the moves/special moves and button layout.
Son, I am kinda disappoint... not totally, but still I was expecting more joy out of the demo.
I also agree with many of you guys' concerns.
I understand it's a demo... but here I go:
Things that I didn't like:
- Pressing a kick button to do a special move involving the hands of the character makes NO sense.
- Button layout is not like classic MK2... QQ
- The announcer voice... ...
- The extremely long vulnerability window/pause of some moves makes you feel like you're losing control and slows down gameplay.
- Some character art images are kinda out of proportions and look too cartoony to take seriously
- Empty black backgrounds during fatalities doesn't look too good.
- X-rays are too easy/too simple to use versus the damage they inflict.
- The voice acting is kinda good, but falls into over acting too often which make the game sound b-serie bad.
- The announcer voice... REALLY!
- Low music and atmospheric sounds
- The repetitive character intros/win
- Some classic combos don't work (some that feel like they should like Scorpion's jump kick, spear)
- I know it's details, but the delay is too long after the announcer says FIGHT, and the time you can actually move your character. Just irritating. There are many little occasions when they could've made the game more fluid like that.
Finally, looking at a fight is not as fun/impressive as it could be: some moves are too slow, there are many pauses in animations that slow down the rate of the fight, some moves are unimpressive or the response after the hit is not as gratifying as it should be. When I send someone in the air, I should be able to jump right at him without much delay, because I see an opportunity to inflict more damage, but it's not the case most of the time because of the pause after many moves. I found myself having more fun with J. Cage because his moves pack a punch, are direct and predictable and the enemy flies all over the place!
Anyways, like I said, I was expecting a more classic feeling to the game, and it's the main issue for a huge MK2 fan like me. I totally understand they couldn't just make a MK2 3D HD, but I do feel like most of the issues mentioned above would've made for a better MK experience.
I have to agree with everything moonquake said. Im having lots of fun with the demo and im glad I pre ordered the te edt but hopefully the final game will impress much more. I want a BIG smile on my face like im 10 again. My biggest non gameplay concern is the sound. Starting with the announcer and wheres the commentary like....Excellent, Outstanding! The "dun dun dunnn.." fatality sound...not cool. Sfx not as cool as 2d mks. Johnny cages projectile sounds like he's launching a turd to me. Strykers grenade explosion kill...too cartoony. I like the loud cool BOOM of 2d mks. Upercuts don't feel powerful. No Ooooh....aaawwww...all those cool screams. No blood splatter effects. Just a few examples. Also, never liked the cinematic approach to fatalities, give us a retro camera option. Oh...and that liver(whatever) on pit............. April 19. Can't wait. Hopefully I'll be slapping myself for posting this.
I was kinda hoping to get some sort of MK2 with more and cooler moves, more free combo opportunities, new features and the same feeling when it comes to the moves/special moves and button layout.
There's one of your problems right there. If you want MK2, go play MK2. I do, all the time.
I understand it's a demo... but here I go:
- Pressing a kick button to do a special move involving the hands of the character makes NO sense.
But you get used to that in fewer than 2 matches.
- Button layout is not like classic MK2... QQ
Are you kidding me with this?
- The announcer voice... ...
100% Agreed. Give me Kahn any day.
- The extremely long vulnerability window/pause of some moves makes you feel like you're losing control and slows down gameplay.
These are exactly the sort of things that can be fixed with NRS' remote balance patch system they've talked out.
- Some character art images are kinda out of proportions and look too cartoony to take seriously
I for one have never taken MK seriously, and this game is much more MK2 than MK3 in artstyle. That's already more serious than half the series
- Empty black backgrounds during fatalities doesn't look too good.
I disagree. It draws attention to what matters and keeps the eye on the prize.
- X-rays are too easy/too simple to use versus the damage they inflict.
Again, X-ray damage can be fixed with NRS' remote balance patching
- The voice acting is kinda good, but falls into over acting too often which make the game sound b-serie bad.
B-movie bad is GOOD bad. But I agree, it could use some work.
- Low music and atmospheric sounds
Nitpicking.
- The repetitive character intros/win
I could swear I've seen multiple intros/outros in videos. I think they left them out of the demo. Plus you can skip them. Anyway old school MK that you love so much didn't have any intros.
- Some classic combos don't work (some that feel like they should like Scorpion's jump kick, spear)
Again? You've gotta be joking. THIS IS A NEW GAME WITH NEW COMBOS. Dammit it would be no fun at all if I were just playing MK2 with a new coat of paint. The fun is in the experience.
- I know it's details, but the delay is too long after the announcer says FIGHT, and the time you can actually move your character. Just irritating. There are many little occasions when they could've made the game more fluid like that.
I agree also. Not sure if this is tweakable like damage/attack speed though.
I found myself having more fun with J. Cage because his moves pack a punch, are direct and predictable and the enemy flies all over the place!
And you're totally within your rights to like Johnny best. I'm sure some characters will feel more to your liking, remember this is only a demo. And things are tweakable.
Anyways, like I said, I was expecting a more classic feeling to the game, and it's the main issue for a huge MK2 fan like me. I totally understand they couldn't just make a MK2 3D HD, but I do feel like most of the issues mentioned above would've made for a better MK experience.
I've got no idea why you were expecting a 'classic feel'. Nobody ever said this was a rehash of MK1-3. It's its own game with its own features, which I personally think make it a better fighter than MK1-3. And what's more, most of your comments were not specifically "take it back to old-school" a lot of them were minor complaints that only make sense in the context of THIS game.
change is good...just not with brands.
This game may sell well, but it will do nothing to help the mk brand going forward.
What's bringing the brand forward is that this is a properly budgeted redefinition of the MK brand, bringing it on-par with the rest of the fighting game population. There's always something to be said for doing more of the same but better. And, in fact, this game is doing more of the OLD same not the NEW same, but better.
i have a cousin--casual gamer--and he and I used to play mk2 and mk3 all the time in the arcade. he quit going to arcades to play mk around 97 like i did, but when i bought trilogy we had a great time playing that. since then, he hasn't played mk at all. if gave him mk9, he wouldn't know how to play. and not just that, i'm pretty sure he'd just give up after a few minutes of frustration. by contrast, if i gave him street fighter 4 and said "remember we used to play sf2 on snes?" he could instantly turn the game on, pick....... and potentially enjoy that experience. light punch is still light punch, medium is still medium, fierce, etc...
........the...the monstrous idiocy of this boggles me. But let me elaborate. Street Fighter is a stale, rehashed, over-done piece of crap that lost its luster with SF3. SF is stagnant, never-changing. I don't want to replay (and re-purchase) the same game 7 times. I like change, especially when the end-result is as excellent as what we've gotten here. If I could actually jump in and play exactly like I used to, #1 I'd lose, but #2 I'd be BORED. This game has delivered with content in every way imaginable. Large roster, tons of extras, hidden crap, krypt, challenge tower, the list goes on.
If your friends are really that shallow, and get frustrated that easily, then I bet the only game they'll EVER play is SF. Because it sounds to me like you and your friends just can't adapt. Besides, if you ever played SF2 in arcades I have serious doubts about the casual nature of your cousin's gaming. Every single fighter behaves differently. SF doesn't feel like MvC which doesn't feel like Tekken which doesn't feel like Guilty Gear which doesn't feel like Soul Calibur which doesn't feel like MORTAL KOMBAT. Relearn characters you want to. Find ones you like now that you didn't before. Get used to the combo system. PLAY THE GAME YOU'VE GOT.
fans of the original mk keep saying what they want, and NRS keeps ignoring them. hell, i have friends who are former fans, who don't even follow mk anymore, and whenever i bring up mk they say "does it have the real people?" i say, no it's 3d models like every other game, and they say "why'd they do that?" lol.
Once again, you have REALLY crappy friends.
i've asked before, what unique gameplay element does mk9 offer that would have been severely lessened by a return to digitization? i want someone to name something. one thing.
You wanna know why? Because HD frame-by-frame digitized pictures take up HUGE file space. All of the effects and movements would look like cardboard cutouts. And you certainly couldn't mix that with 3D backgrounds, you'd have to go back to artwork and pictures. Technology hasn't caught up with that kind of game in HD. Whereas before, everything was low-res so it was easy to make it all fit together. But now, everything is HD and has to appear so, but current tech isn't advanced enough to do that convincingly. It would look terrible I'm telling you. Plus, with the filesizes, it's impossible to boot.
i'm done whining about the animations or the movements. whatever. seems like most people enjoy them. i just think mk has lost all of its creative direction and they're just grasping at anything at this point to try to soak up some of that capcom 2d revival cash. shallow money grab courtesy of mr. boon.
If this is a shallow attempt, I'd love to see a real one.
anyway, enjoy online lag, and the 10 seconds of stance change taunting or teabagging that's sure to come once the fatalities get stale (mk2 has a 5 sec fatality clock btw), the level is huge so it's a turtle's paradise, every move is telegraphed. it seems like no move in this game is under 5 frame startup. jab pressure is dead (again, turtle's say thank you). scorpion's teleport always finds his opponent (too easy), the bounce punch is slow and predictable and takes too long to get into the right spot, button layout...yeah, and it's slow. sorry dcp, i disagree bro.
You sound like you just can't adapt to a fighting engine you're not used to. Sour grapes all around. Try working with the system instead of lamenting what it's not. Every last one of those complaints is pure preference, nothing wrong with them on their face. NRS has already said that they want to appeal to a less hardcore player base with this, and me being utterly terrible at 2D fighters I couldn't be happier. You sir, are in the definite minority.
people forget that john tobias pretty much crafted this entire universe. he's responsible for the look of the iconic costumes, the deadpool, the living forest, etc...i feel like the franchise lost something very special when that man either quit or was forced out of midway.
This I'll agree with 100%. Tobias was the soul of the artwork and story. Just look at how fabulous MKM was , barring gameplay...which was sub-par.
wake me whenever MKHD surfaces.
I'd rather not.
i might cancel my preorder. i realized i dont have enought time in my grown up life anymore to really practice (which you have to do after reprogramming the way you fight compared to mk1/2/3) to get good and not get your ass handed to you by 16 year olds on the internet who werent even born when mk2 came out (which would be demoralizing to me lol). decisions decisions...
So far, the only 'problem' I've found with the game is that their link combos use the same input system as the other 3D MKs did. Which is to say, you don't push the button when the attack comes out, you push it all in sequence long before the moves appear on-screen. 'Buffer combos' if you will. It makes the timing difficult to grasp, intuitively. But I can get used to it. Because I adapt.