I'm sure by now, everyone's heard of the imfamous Mortal Kombat series. This Review will be of the Playstation 2 version (though I assume there's no real difference besides Online). Mortal Kombat: Deception is rated M for Mature and will be rated on a scale of 0 to 6, for the amount of Kamidogu in Konquest mode.

Plot: 5 1/2

The final battle against the Deadly Alliance is at hand. Raiden is the last of the heroes (besides Kenshi and Sub-Zero, who are both in Earthrealm at the time finishing their storylines) left to battle the Deadly Alliance of Shang Tsung and Quan Chi. Raiden brings a great fight, but the sorcerers are too much. Afterwards, Quan turns on his partner, who Raiden had focused most of his attack on, and easily wins due to Shang's injuries. Now Quan Chi celebrates his victory for a short time, until the resurrected Onaga, the Dragon King, comes into Shang Tsung's palace for Quan Chi's amulet. Quan Chi fights, as do Raiden and Shang, who wake up in mid-fight, but none of the three stand a chance. Raiden uses a blast he believes will kill Onaga, as well as the sorcerers and himself. This fails, and Onaga is the only one walking out alive. Now the fighters of Earthrealm must band together to save all of the realms. Numerous smaller plots also occur.

The plot is probably the most excellent in Mortal Kombat history, but some things don't make much sense. Why are Darius and Dairou neutral when the man they're trying to kill, Hotaru, is teaming with Onaga? What is this One Being and why hasn't it been mentioned before? How can Scorpion be considered neutral if he's fighting in the name of the Elder Gods? And, if Noob is the original Sub-Zero, then how come he doesn't use ice in most games? Well, despite these small plotholes, everything is great about the plot.

Graphics: 6

The graphics are realistic, but at the same time kind of fake. This is the perfect look for a game like Mortal Kombat, and the characters all look better too. Ermac actually looks like more than just Scorpion spraypainted red; Sub-Zero has never, EVER looked cooler than with this helmet. Most of the characters in Konquest mode only (like Shang Tsung and Fujin) are graphically updated, despite the fact that it is hardly necessary. The only characters I see no change in are Scorpion (he's also the only fighter to never drastically change his look) and Quan Chi in his one appearance in Konquest.

Sound: 6

This game has one of the most excellent wordless soundtracks in gaming history. It perfectly combines the sounds of weapons, Chinese instruments, and gothic-style background music into excellence. You have to love "Onaga Has Left the Building" and most of the battle background songs are great.

Fighters: 5 1/2

The fighters are perhaps the most crucial part of an MK game, and they got most of the great ones in here. Though I'm disappointed that Shang Tsung is dead (I could care less about Quan Chi), I don't doubt that he'll be back eventually anyway, as he'll just go straight to the Netherrealm every time he dies. Most of the returning fighters are excellent (and Tanya's actually worth the trouble this time!). However, most of the new characters are boring to play as. The only new ones I'm a big fan of are Noob-Smoke (if they count, since both have appeared before just never working together), Havik, and Hotaru. Dairou, Darius, Ashrah, and all other new characters not mentioned are kind of boring to play as.

Endings: 6

Almost all of the endings are original, and no two characters share the same ending. Some have something to do with others, such as Kabal's taking place after Havik's and Raiden's after Shujinko's. The endings have some surprises too, such as the revelation of who Noob Saibot is and what he's after. (After over 10 years of being around, they FINALLY reveal it...)

Konquest: 5

The Konquest mode from Deadly Alliance has supposedly been "completely revamped" for Deception, and it has for the most part. However, you'll still have to sit through doing endless combos in order to move on so you can unlock extra characters and such. This time though, there is also an adventure going on, explaining how Onaga returned to life (if you remember, all Reptile's ending on DA said was when, not how) and why the Kamidogu are all in his chamber. Every hidden character but two are unlocked in Konquest; Jade and Noob-Smoke are the two that aren't. (Actually, it's technically three but...) This game also explains more into the MK series and many characters from the series, including Rain, Stryker, Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, Mokap (yes, they remembered the joke character, but forgot Khameleon and Chameleon), Blaze, and Fujin make appearences in Konquest mode only.

Stages: 6

Most of the stages are completely different from each other and will require some strategy in order to win in the area. Some, such as the Kuatan Palace and The Pit, have deathtraps that will end the fight in a second. Some, like the Beetle Lair and the Courtyard, have no deathtraps. Some arenas have two levels, like the Golden Desert and Beetle Lair. And some have both two levels and a deathtrap, such as the Golden Desert and the Lower Mines. And there's even one with cameos by competitors from previous games, such as Shao Kahn and Cyrax.

Krypt: 6

The Krypt is nowhere near as big or confusing as in Deadly Alliance. There are 156 less coffins than in Deadly Alliance, but that doesn't mean there are less things in the "Kontent" section. All of the basic bios of the arenas and characters open from the start are already unlocked when the game starts, as well as several videos and concepts. There are no longer empty coffins, so that's good news. Plus, the new key system makes unlocking characters much easier, as the keys you get in Konquest will only work on the coffin they are meant to open.

Arcade and Versus: 6

Both Arcade and Versus are as excellent as always, and are now at the best they have been. The Impales some character had in Deadly Alliance have been completely eliminated, meaning you can no longer impale someone then just avoid them until they die from blood loss. Onaga is pretty much the equivalent of Moloch from Deadly Alliance, except Moloch couldn't fly or shoot fireballs, meaning that those who like a challenge will love fighting Onaga.

Fun Factor!: 6

Deception is excellent, period. Every fighter feels like a very different and unique character from the rest of them, and this is incorporated into the gameplay. No longer are combos the central part of gameplay. Instead, everyone must find their own strategy to win, be it special attacks, weapons, one of each fighter's two unarmed fighting styles, or by simply luring your opponent to a deathtrap and then finishing him off with a cheap shot. There's something for everyone, I guess.

Overall: 6

Deception is a trully brilliant game. The fighters, arenas, and modes are all excellent. Chess and Puzzle Kombat are both brilliant new ideas the creators should look into doing more with, especially Chess Kombat, which is one of the most brilliant mixes between fighting and strategy in years. I suggest using any gift certificates you get for Christmas to buy this game!

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