The latest (and possibly the last) addition to Midway’s series of Mortal Kombat games, this fighter pits the magical lore of Mortal Kombat against the robust world of DC comics. Returning to the gaming screen are iconic characters such as Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Sonya Blade and Liu Kang. The new element in this franchise is the introduction of characters such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and The Flash. As the two worlds are merged by a being created of rage and combat, the characters from both worlds find themselves in the fight of their lives. With 22 playable characters (and two more unlockable characters), a full line of unique moves that stay inbounds of the characters’ abilities and a 3D, partially destructible environment, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is on par with the latest generation of fighters.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this game was the special moves for the superheroes. Superman’s ability to throw you in the air and deliver a devastating punch that hurls you back to the ground is nice, but it is even better because the camera pans to a three-fourths, high view, accenting the power. The Flash’s ability to run past his opponent several times and spin them, Wonder Woman’s lasso grab and the Green Lantern’s barricade slam all bring the comic characters to life in a very fun way. Also, the list of moves for each character is extensive and a simple press of the start button allows you to view directions on how to perform these moves (unfortunately, fatalities are not shown here).

Another detail the designers added was damage to the character model throughout the fighting rounds. If your character takes a lot of devastating hits, be prepared to see blood and torn clothing (that is if you have blood allowed in the options menu). It even appears the damage is relative to the fight as Sonya walked away with scratches on her chest after a battle with Catwoman.

The three trailer-highlighted features in this game were fairly interesting. These include running your opponents through walls while button-mashing in a power tug-of-war, falling with an enemy and slamming them in the ground, and grabbing an opponent for up-close combat. The latter two have a game mechanic that harkens back to Tecmo Bowl, where the player attempts to guess the button his opponent will press to stop the attack. This was somewhat entertaining the first few times, but it detracted from the fighting immersion.

The final two elements I enjoyed while playing Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe were the storyline and the speed of finding an online match. In single-player mode, you can choose to follow the DC or Mortal Kombat storyline. Both follow a simple formula for getting you to the final fight and allow you to play as almost every character. The DC storyline begins in Metropolis/Gotham and moves into the Mortal Kombat realm; vice versa for the Mortal Kombat storyline. Both have similar betrayals against friends due to “Rage,” but both were interesting enough to keep me fighting to find out what happens next (though there were moments when the dialogue was painful). Unfortunately, after playing through both storylines, the game told me I had unlocked both secret characters, but they never appeared in any choices. I could press R1 to bring their pictures onto the screen, but I could not select them. This was somewhat defeating. As for the online component, after logging on, I was quickly engaged in fights that glitched only occasionally — and this is a good thing, as I hate waiting for a match.

There are a few things I didn’t care for. Rage. I felt this was a great component for the storyline, but it really threw off the game mechanics in fights. Taking hits builds rage, delivering hits builds rage and when you are maxed out, you can unleash the rage, which is incredibly overpowered. Essentially, it keeps your combos from being broken and allows you to punch through an enemy’s block. It also knocks down an opponent if they are close to you, effectively disrupting their pummeling of your most precious organs. It seems to last too long and give the “raged” player far too much power.

A fighting game is all about balance, and the more characters you add with specialized moves, the more difficult this becomes. Games in this genre generally have large characters that cause significantly more damage but are not as lithe. Consequently, the smaller characters can deliver rapid punches, but for less damage. This game is simply not balanced well. The Flash, Liu Kang and Shang Tsung are far quicker than any other players in delivering their hits and kicks, yet they appear just as strong. This begs the question, “Why would I want to play as anyone else?”

With the controls, I found it incredibly annoying to jump back and forth between the directional pad and the left joystick. This was necessary to accomplish a jump (D-pad) or move in a 3D environment (joystick) and did not allow for evasive maneuvering while planning an air attack. Another control issue was a lack of “pokes.” In a fighting game that has combo systems, quick, low-damage hits are essential for breaking up what could be a devastating combo, but Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe appears to want to show off combos by not allowing them to be broken (unless you have one rage meter filled). Tack this on to choppy movements and the inability to break out of your own combo, and you are left with a mediocre fighting game, at best.

I do not recommend buying this game because it feels rushed and unfinished, but a rental would be enjoyable if you happen to be a fan of either franchise. Playing as your favorite superhero or trying new moves with Sub-Zero is fun. I just felt it lacked the polish and balance to give it long term gameplay.