MK And Portal 2: The Coolest Launch Contrast Ever?
Portal 2Both Portal 2 and Mortal Kombat launch this week and you know, it might just be one of the coolest contrasts ever.
Thing is, one of the most annoying game-related stereotypes is the one that says "all games are the same." Most over the age of 40 seem to believe that every last game is about shooting something or killing something or jumping on something. What I find most compelling about this week's special contrast is that on the one hand, we have a game that freaked everyone out back in the '90s. Best of all, the new effort is a reboot designed to recapture the glory days, which - on the one hand - is bound to "support" the aforementioned stereotype. Hey, it's MK. Everyone, and I mean everyone, knows all about it.
On the flip side sits Portal 2, Valve's new puzzle-oriented game that twists the mind and forces one to think on a different...well, plane, I guess. There is no shooting anything, and most will probably find that it's ingeniously designed. Puzzle-based at its core with just a wee bit of platforming, it'll challenge the intellectual problem-solving side of the player. Obviously, this form of entertainment sits on the exact opposite end of the spectrum from Mortal Kombat. Personally, I kinda want to lure the out-of-touch anti-game activists into a room, turn on MK, let them feel all vindicated, and then jump into Portal 2 and watch their heads explode.
Expect reviews for both games this week, but regardless of score, the contrast sort of helps prove that diversity is alive and well in this industry. An over-abundance of shooters can't stop that, damnit.
Related Game(s): Mortal Kombat, Portal 2
Tags: mortal kombat, portal 2, mk9, games industry
4/18/2011 9:03:24 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (51 posts)
Dridion
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 9:38:10 PM
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frylock25
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 9:39:57 PM
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mortal kombat on the other hand i will have to wait on. i do want to play it but fighters are not my main attraction. its some old school greatness though and i do like mk more than sf. glad to see it making this reboot.
i look forward to reading reviews of both
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WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 10:50:16 PM
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JMO_INDY
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 11:03:17 PM
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frylock25
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 12:11:32 AM
world my pc is
amd athlon II 630 quad-core processor with 6 gb ddr3 ram. its an integrated ati radeon 4200 graphics card. it only has 256 mb for the video but it is running fine with minimal slowdown. i know i can upgrade my system to 16 gb ddr3 max and i am looking into a video card but will have to upgrade the power supply.
do you play games with the mouse and keyboard? i just can not do it. i would love to have a way to make the ds3 compatible with the games but for now the 360 controller is way better.
edit: also i used steam to make sure that all my drivers were up to date. i was having a hard time finding the right driver for my computer and spore was running so-so. portal was the same. i used steam and updated everything and now i can max out spore, half life 2 and portal. i was also doing some research on my system and found that if i were to try to run crysis at full specs i would get about 7 fps. so video card is a must at some point. as it stands i now do now need an xbox 360 because my computer will play any of the games on there i cant get on my ps3, all 4 of them.
Last edited by frylock25 on 4/19/2011 12:21:31 AM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 12:26:58 AM
1 up, 2 down
faraga
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 1:36:18 AM
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Cavan1
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 5:34:16 AM
1 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 8:58:33 AM
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Crabba
Thursday, April 21, 2011 @ 12:26:27 PM
That's the problem with most pc's you buy in the store, the cheap out on the graphics cards which is by far the most important component for games.
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Temjin001
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 9:51:00 PM
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I haven't been able to get seriously competitive with the MK's in the past, but this new one has me curious. The depth and balancing will go under the microscope. I'm not expecting VF or Tekken in combat detail, but I'm thinking it;ll have some quality goods to make it worth the time.
I still need to finish the first Portal. While I can't say I'm a big puzzle game fan, there's no denying Portal has a completely fresh presentation and play design that feels foreign, yet welcome, to the norm of everything else. It also helps that it's quite humorous.
I love Valve and what they've accomplished with the Half Life series. I'm hoping either Episode 3 or HL3 aren't too far away. It'd be a day 1 purchase for me.
1 up, 0 down
CHAOS THEORY X
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 9:55:20 PM
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2 up, 0 down
RebelJD
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 10:04:37 PM
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WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 10:51:45 PM
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LegendaryWolfeh
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 10:26:36 PM
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frylock25
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 10:45:35 PM
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frylock25
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 12:24:25 AM
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DarthNemesis
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 10:51:55 PM
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1 up, 10 down
Shams
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 12:20:01 AM
0 up, 5 down
Shams
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 8:41:11 AM
I'm getting $150 Socom 4 FD bundle tonight with LPB2 ($30 off reg 49.99 for $20) with $10 towards Portal 2 ($10 off reg 45.99 for 34.99). So, I'm psyched about that.
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Temjin001
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 9:38:48 AM
What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk...
HAVE AT YOU!
*that'll learn 'em for talking trash 'bout MK*
3 up, 0 down
Douchebaguette
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 10:52:42 PM
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I then continued to write a long review of how awesome the game was to realise I wasn't even signed in...and I didn't copy any of it...OH WELL. Still bought it. Now I can't wait. Noob Saibot ownage.
------------
And yesh, this is a cool contrast. If you include SOCOM 4 which releases a by day then it's obviously more cool. Not cool for anyone's wallet though, very uncool.
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WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 10:54:34 PM
4 up, 1 down
Douchebaguette
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 8:04:48 AM
It's hard to admit but Socom: Confrontation was the most enjoyable online experience that I've had so far. Yup. Even more than my streak of dominance in Killzone 2 =P, messing around with friends on Halo, MGO & RDR, praise Uncharted 2, Tekken 5: Dark Ressurection & LBP, even more than the fun I had in Modnation Racers & COD4. I know. It's sad, isn't it?
@ frylock: I do need to try out Portal, badly. But I'm going to have to wait until the credit in meh bank account inflates again.
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WorldEndsWithMe
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 10:53:24 PM
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Skipping Portal 2 and waiting on MK though. But I still wanna read the reviews here of course. C'mooooon L.A. Noire.
5 up, 0 down
Lord carlos
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 10:53:50 PM
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Sorry socom 4 but portal has taken your place in my game collection.
2 up, 1 down
CrusaderForever
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 12:14:32 AM
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3 up, 0 down
frylock25
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 12:23:27 AM
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Beamboom
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 5:33:14 AM
Play is about to lose one loyal, good customer in me!
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Lawless SXE
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 1:53:16 AM
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Really can't wait to see the two reviews. It's an interesting year for gaming.
Peace.
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___________
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 4:06:53 AM
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really enjoying it so far.
its definitely one of those different weeks, one old style game and one newer.
socom 4 releases tomorrow too, doubt ill get it after the pathetic beta and reviews, will see how long it takes me to finish portal 2 and when my MK arrives.
ive been playing army of two the 40th day for a while now, just reminds me why i enjoyed it so much!
its so open, you can literally approach each situation how you want, countless weapon customization, and i like the way after you choose a decision the game shows you the consequences, not like every other game that either leaves you hanging or has no consequences.
especially the boss battles, allot of games throw different enemies at you, but how you kill them is the same as any enemy in the game.
this though forces you to experiment, find what works best and exploit it.
unlike every other game you cant sit behind cover all day and shoot from there!
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Beamboom
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 5:31:25 AM
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Cavan1
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 5:35:44 AM
1 up, 6 down
___________
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 5:45:08 AM
maybe rent it first, im really enjoying it though.
nice to be able to play something different for a change.
best part about the game is the agro meter and the way the AI reacts.
most games enemies can magically see you no matter where you are.
cough crysis 2 cough KZ3.
this though, you can get your partner to cover fire which makes the enemies focus on them instead of you allowing you to flank and take them out.
its much better when you have a friend to play online or offline with, though the AI works well enough.
its pretty cheap too now, i got it for 30 bucks brand new.
O, and Cavan1 do me a favor if your not going to contribute to the conversation dont bother posting.
i dont insult you so i would appreciate if you had the same respect!
kids these days!
4 up, 0 down
Lawless SXE
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 6:04:09 AM
I just get a bit tired of the near constant bashing of Anon. I mean, sure he's written some inflammatory things, whether intentionally or not, but it's generally good entertainment value. He's almost persuaded me to look into Alpha Protocol.
Peace.
4 up, 1 down
Beamboom
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 8:27:45 AM
Regarding 40th day, there's no rental of games here in Norway, unfortunately. It's "buy or begone".
Oh well, someday maybe. This year the shopping list is flooded with top notch titles already!
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aaronisbla
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 2:20:17 PM
A lot of the guns kinda lack that oomph that a shooter should have and to me it seemed swapping guns made a minor difference, a lil bit more accuracy here and there.
The morality choices given to you on the game make a small difference but nothing major like a role playing game.
If i had to score it, I'd give it a 5.5 - 6. Its too short of a game. The story is barely there, which makes caring for any moral choices that much harder. I think there was maybe one moral choice i thought was cool out of a bunch of them. It did tone down the macho behavior they had one the first game, almost to the point you would think they changed the main 2 players. Whether thats a plus or negative is up to you.
Since where you live there are no rentals, i couldn't suggest you plunk down the money to buy it when there are plenty of other games worthy of your hard earned money. Hell, if you need a 3rd person shooter, put it towards Gears 3 or UC3
Last edited by aaronisbla on 4/19/2011 2:22:48 PM
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tridon
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 8:29:47 AM
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1 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 8:59:18 AM
If there were no such thing as exclusives at all I'd still chosen the PS3, and recommended it to others based on a few simple facts:
- It's got blu-ray
- It looks better than the competition (objectively speaking ;)
- Free network features
- For Bravia tv owners and Sony Surround (as I have) it merges into this setup with shared remote controls etc.
Plus stuff I don't know if xbox too has, like media server support and web browser. All in all, PS3 owners have every reason to be happy, exclusives or not. :)
Last edited by Beamboom on 4/19/2011 9:02:59 AM
4 up, 0 down
TheOldOne
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 9:32:34 AM
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I'm on the 30-40 range and many 40+ people I know are gamers of the Atari-Coleco generation and appreciate the different gaming genres (I know many who had played the Orange box and are into shooters, rpgs, etc).
I wonder if 20 years from now many of us will be referred as "the 40+ people who think the PS6 is a single genre console"!.
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BikerSaint
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 6:59:06 PM
Hell, I'm even thinking of getting a Etch-A-Sketch.
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Excelsior1
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 9:46:47 AM
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i was going to get socom 4, but all the people not using headsets on psn drives me nutts. the number of people using a mic in the beta was pathetic.
even in kz3 your lucky if a couple of others have a mic. the matches are much more lively when your teamates have a headset. met this kid with a headset, and we worked as a team. it was a blast. we saved each other from melee attacks, and scored in the top 2 of every match.
i wish more people would use a headset on psn. it adds to the online experience. it's not just a bunch of whining kids. i've learned a lot from my fellow gamers.
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Temjin001
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 9:58:37 AM
Heck, I try to mute all of the chatter when I can in such games. As it's usually a bunch of cursing and loud breathing.
I just try and pay attention to what's happening in the field of battle by the mini-map. What spawn points need capturing. What objective needs a group of invaders, opposed to just streaming in one by one getting killed. I think if people just played smart they wouldn't need to do much talking.
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slugga_status
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 11:36:12 AM
Majority of people on my friends list I met through online play with mics. It's a huge difference the amount of people who use mics on Xbox compared to PS3...which is sad...
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Danny007
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 6:31:53 PM
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Oyashiro
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 7:40:30 PM
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This is how you reboot a franchise! Congrats Nether-realm studios!
Any one want to add me on PSN? FFVIIguy is my ID
Last edited by Oyashiro on 4/19/2011 7:41:14 PM
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Qwarktast1c
Reply
Monday, April 18, 2011 @ 9:29:29 PM
gotta add this for emphasis on how kool MK will be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrQ2pKMwQC4