DLC Review: Freddy Krueger for 'Mortal Kombat'
Freddy Krueger in Mortal Kombat is the sort of idea so completely and utterly insane (like, thousand maniacs insane) that it could either work brilliantly or implode under its own ill-planned execution. Sure, Freddy is no stranger to the gore that Mortal Kombat liberally bathes itself in, but the idea of the dream-lurking killer in the long-running fighting franchise is a tough pill to swallow…in theory. In practice, it's completely amazing.
The plot getting Freddy into the Mortal Kombat tournament is threadbare and more than a little silly. Shao Kahn encounters Krueger in the Dream Realm and, knowing that he can't defeat Krueger on his home turf, drags him out into the Earthrealm to finish him off. It's contrived and silly, but then again, this is a game that features characters made out of blood and cybernetic ninjas.
What's not silly is just how well Freddy plays. For a character that could have just been dropped in for a simple cash grab, Netherrealm went all out on Freddy and made him just as versatile as any other character while still maintaining that Nightmare on Elm Street flavor. For one, Freddy is fast—ridiculously fast—yet still manages to avoid being "twitchy" like Mileena or Skarlet. Compounding Freddy's speed is a versatile move list that has something for every style of player, and they're all smooth and easy to execute. It's difficult not to feel like a badass playing as Freddy: I breezed through the arcade ladder with virtually no lost matches in record time. In fact, one could argue that Freddy plays a little too well…one could argue that he even unbalances the game a little. I smell a hotfix in Mr. Krueger's future…
Finally, there's the matter of fatalities. We showed ‘em to you just the other day, but they're so awesome that they deserve revisiting. Again, Netherrealm has paid beautiful homage to the character with the fatalities, incorporating everything from the iconic furnace to a riff on the blood geyser from the original film. Even the babality, with its oddly adorable jump scare, shows respect and love for Freddy that is refreshing…even if he does look like the crappy Jackie Earle Haley version.
Season Pass owners are already getting this one for free, but the rest of you may be wondering if it's worth the 5 bucks…are you kidding me? What the hell are you waiting for? Go download it right now!
Freddy Krueger for Mortal Kombat is available on Xbox Live for 400 MSP and Playstation Network for $4.99.
