• GamePro (80/100): "Though far from a technical fighting game, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe exceeds expectations by delivering a solidly enjoyable casual fighter. The Mature-rated gore is missed, but the core combat here feels more confident and energetic than it has in years."
• IGN (75/100): "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is fun and a solid entry into the franchise, but I doubt many folks will find it entertaining past a rental. Casual players will punch through the storyline before burning out after getting stumped by one or two Kombo Challenges, while Mortal Kombat fans will have trouble accepting the toned down Fatalities and somewhat slower gameplay."
• GameSpy (70/100): "Though MK vs. DC purports to shake up the franchise, the reality is that among the many new touches that the game adds it still lacks the depth of other fighters available today. Again, it doesn't feel dramatically different from its predecessors, save for new mini-game modes and a big facelift. The movesets are rather generic (most are a variation of "down, forward, button") and feel a tad antiquated. Its big hook (the crossover license) can't justify the relatively shallow fighting on hand."
• 1UP (B-): (Calculated as 67 on Metacritic) "MK vs. DCU is an oddly enjoyable distraction from "real" fighters. Its masher-friendly controls appeal to me in a casual-gamer way, and the midmatch minigames (damage-percentage tugs-of-war, airborne ass-kickings with the defender mirroring the aggressor's button-presses in a bid for dominance) give the fights a sort of party-game vibe."

Metareview -- Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (Xbox 360, PS3) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Pandemonium rated by ESRB, coming to PSN?

• Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Pandemonium rated by ESRB, coming to PSN?

• Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Pandemonium rated by ESRB, coming to PSN?

• Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Pandemonium rated by ESRB, coming to PSN?

• Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Pandemonium rated by ESRB, coming to PSN?

Here is an interesting curio for anybody who counts himself a fan of the Legacy of Kain series. The attached gallery shows off some artwork from the canceled Legacy of Kain sequel, including some environment screens.

The screens have been posted by artist Aaron Hausmann, whose shipped work includes Luxor 3, 25 to Life and Sin: Emergence. He has also done work on Medal of Honor: Airborne.

It's a shame that the game got canceled. I was never a huge fan of the Kain games, but I think current-gen systems are due a title starring the arrogant vampire git. On a wider note, this must happen to artists all the time. I wonder how many canceled games stuff the portfolios of videogame artists. 

Oh well, check out the rest of Hausmann's work, especially that third gallery for an unannounced title. I want that game, whatever it is.

THQ sues Activision Blizzard over box art originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why must bosses almost always be giants? Why must fighting them almost always involve recognizing patterns and targeting weak spots?

There are exceptions to this repeat boss syndrome. There are the rare bosses who are the same size as the heroes they fight: “Metal Gear Solid“’s craft old sniper, The End, and “Shadow Of The Empire“’s airborne hunter, Boba Fett. There are bosses who aren’t defeated by shooting their joints, giant hands or glowing parts: the little bug-shaped Spider Guardian in “Metroid Prime 2: Echoes” and “Geist“’s — yes, “Geist”’s — enemy soldier, against whom the player has to possess four weaker soldiers, one at a time, to defeat. There’s a boss in “No More Heroes” who you don’t even fight, because as soon as it finishes posturing, it dies.

Those unique, memorable bosses I just named are mid-game bosses. It’s at the end of games when bosses prove to be the most stale. So many are the same, like they’re action-movie henchmen hired for one similar part after another. I think I’ve fought the “Dead Space” boss before in other games. It looks like the “God Hand” boss and one of the “Metroid Prime” end-game bosses (maybe two of them, actually). I think it might also show up in this year’s “Tomb Raider.”

I think the original “Metroid” got it right. That boss couldn’t fit in another franchise. The NES classic had you against a giant brain that sat in a glass jar, followed by an escape sequence in a self-destructing space station. That’s the kind of end boss you remember. It’s the kind of end boss another game isn’t likely to repeat. It’s the kind of boss that allows a game to end feeling different rather than finish striking the note of cliché.

The makers of “Dead Space” ought to be proud of their zero-G gameplay, their innovative heads-up display, their great keep-fighting-while-you’re-getting-dragged-by-the-enemy gimmick and some other good ideas. Their end boss? I wish I hadn’t seen it before.

Next: With “Dead Space” wound down, I think I’m returning to “Fable II” next. Or should I hold off and play “Far Cry 2” or “Fallout 3“? Too many F’s to choose from this October.