Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks Review

Fan Service

What makes Shaolin Monks stand out most of all is the extreme levels of MK fan service that have been included. You get to run around and play with all of the coolest characters in the series, you get to see all of the trademark moves, you get to see lots of blood and gore, and you even get to play in all of the same levels. All of the levels from MK II have been recreated in Shaolin Monks and it is an absolute thrill to see the living forest and dead pool again. A nice touch is that all of the levels have environmental hazards that kill enemies instantly such as spikes (on walls, floors, and ceilings) and you can even hit enemies into the trees in the living forest and the trees will eat them. Very good times.

As far as unlockables and that sort of thing, you’ll find artwork and bonus material scattered all over the place. There is also an extra versus mode where you and a friend can fight it out. Even better, if you put in an extended effort to find a secret room and complete a number of assigned missions, you can also unlock the arcade version of Mortal Kombat II.

It Isn't Perfect ...

All is not good and perfect in Shaolin Monks, however. The game relies on a lot of backtracking and running back and forth and it does become tiresome after a while. This was done, we can only assume, to extend the length of the game because it isn’t all that big so they make you run back and forth with new abilities to reach new areas. Another issue is that there are some “Test Your Might” sections you might remember from the original MK. In Shaolin Monks, these button mashing sections are used to move levers and things and are a major pain in the butt. You have to press the A button as fast as you can for about 15 seconds and it really wears you out. One section of the game makes you hit four levers in a row (and you have to hit an enemy with the gate that drops or you have to do it over again …) and by the third one my arm was too tired to continue and I had to take a break. The game is also very inconsistent in terms of difficulty. Most boss fights will challenge you but some are ridiculously easy while still others (such as fighting Shang Tsung, Kintaro, and Shao Kahn right after the other with no health pickups) are just annoying.

Graphics and Sound

Graphically, Shaolin Monks isn’t going to blow you away. The character models and environments are a definite step back from MK: Deception. The character designs are a mix of the classic and modern versions of the characters and in that respect they look pretty good. Low resolution faces and a general lack of detail isn’t so good, however. The enemies you fight and the levels you fight in also have a severe case of the blurries.

The sound is an area that Shaolin Monks excels in for those looking for pure nostalgia. I can’t say for sure, but the sound effects sound like they were lifted right out of the old games. All of the kung fu shrieks and yells and distinct sounds from all of the special moves are just like you remember them. Even the announcer that says “Excellent” and “Fatality” is back. The music also comes from those older games. Outsiders might thing this rehashing of old stuff is a bad thing, but for MK fans it is like a glorious homecoming when you play Shaolin Monks. The only negative about the sound is the voice acting, but after similar results in past MK games it is pretty obvious they make the voice acting and dialogue horrible on purpose to fit into the whole chop sockey MK universe.

Bottom Line

If you are a Mortal Kombat fan, you will absolutely love Shaolin Monks. This game takes us back to the glory days of the series and we get to play with all of our favorite characters in all of our favorite levels and see a whole lot of blood and gore. This is pure MK. You will find a ton of hidden items and references to the series scattered all over the place and there are a lot of “holy crap” moments as you do things such as uppercut an enemy onto some spikes or knock them into a hungry tree. And every boss fight is a thrill because, in all honesty, the fights in Shaolin Monks play out more like a real fight than in traditional MK games because you get to run all over an arena and use weapons and environmental hazards. For non-MK fans, Shaolin Monks is a rental at best. But if you are a big fan of Mortal Kombat, Shaolin Monks is an amazing tribute to everything that makes MK great and is highly recommended for a purchase.