Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe - Gameplay

Gameplay

It features a story mode, playable from two different perspectives. The perspectives consist of one segment from the DC Universe side, and one from the Mortal Kombat side, each split up into various chapters. Depending on which side players choose, the characters see characters from the opposite universe as the invaders of their own. Ed Boon, creative director of MK vs. DC and co-creator of the Mortal Kombat franchise, did confirm that the player would have the ability to play as all the characters in the story mode at one point during development, but the story mode instead had a few characters not having their own story arcs. Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe also contains a mode called "Kombo Challenge". Its aspect is individual to the Versus and Story modes, where players must perform ten precreated combos of increasing difficulty.

Unlike previous "Mortal Kombat" titles, which used a control scheme of four buttons of high and low punches and kicks, four buttons on the game controller represent attacks that correspond to each limb. The same control scheme is used in the follow-up game Mortal Kombat. Intertwined within fight matches, which are played in a 3D fighter style, are new gameplay modes, such as "Free-Fall Kombat" or "Falling Kombat," which is activated automatically after throwing the opponent to a lower level in the arena. The players can fight in the air during the fall in a quasi-mini-game, with a player having to hit certain buttons to be on top during the fall and deal out the damage when the fall ends. "Klose Kombat" is a mode the players can enter during a fight, causing the characters to lock with each other and the perspective to change to a close-up shot of the two, to make for an interval of close-quarters fighting. A "Test Your Might" mini-game is also worked into the gameplay. While fighting in certain areas, the player can smash the opponent through a series of walls and engage in a tug-of-war with the damage meter at the top of the screen. The player on the offense mashes buttons to increase damage, while the player on the defense mashes buttons to decrease damage taken.

Another in-fight feature called "Rage mode" is also a new aspect introduced in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. The Rage mode is governed by a rage meter placed below the player's health meter, that fills progressively every time the player receives damage or attacks. Once the meter is completely filled, Rage mode can be activated which lasts for several seconds. Rage mode causes the hits of the attacker to break the opponent's guard on the second hit; prevents the attacker from experiencing hit stun, knockdown or pop-up, and increases the damage of an attacker's moves. During fights, characters show permanent signs of visual damage, such as bruises, scrapes, bleeding, and broken or torn clothing. All of the characters except Darkseid, Shao Kahn, and Dark Kahn have finishing moves; the Mortal Kombat characters and the DC villains can execute Fatalities, while the DC heroes can execute moves called "heroic brutalities," which function in the same manner but do not kill opponents, in order to stay in tone with the heroes who have an established reputation of never taking a life.