4/5 ★ – JetDusk's review of Mortal Kombat XL.

While there is a lot to enjoy here, there are a few aesthetic issues I have with this entry in Mortal Kombat. I really enjoy the gameplay, it’s much quicker than what I remembered day one. Each character has three unique variations that dramatically change how you play them, so the roster is actually much bigger than it first appears. There are also quite a few costumes, but newer or less popular characters suffer while Scorpion gets 9. Nevertheless I enjoy a lot of the costume designs and options despite the favoritism. My biggest complaints have to be the visual style and the story mode. I understand the grimy “X-Rating” they’re going for, and it makes the ninjas and monsters look pretty badass. However, the human faces suffer a lot and just look strange, especially when compared to MK11. I even prefer MK9 visually since everyone’s design was solid and super colorful despite the graphic nature of the game. The base designs in MKX are disappointing for the most part. Mileena looks way less scary, I honestly think she looks incredibly stupid in this one. The highlights for me are Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Erron Black. The story mode is okay the first time around, but it really squanders a lot of opportunities with the revenants. As an example, It really bothers me that Sub-Zero gets a pointless chapter where he fights the Kombat Kids rather than trying to save Smoke (HIS BEST FRIEND) and worse yet, they don’t talk once in the entire story. Such wasted potential. Despite my visual misgivings, the game is well made, so I would recommend you give it a try. Unless fatalities make your stomach churn, they are especially nasty in this one compared to MK11, which is more dramatic.