After the success of Mortal Kombat II, the franchise did not know where to go. It wanted to take the next step (and it tried), but unfortunately MK3 didn't quite know what to keep from its predecessors and what to leave behind.
The fatalities return, but lack the punch of the previous game. While the graphics and overall tone of the game has stepped back towards realism, the fatalities have taken a few steps (read: leaps and bounds) towards goofy. Kabal takes off his mask, and scares his opponent to death with his hideous face. Sindel wraps her hair around her prey, and they spin to death. Sub-Zero breathes on his victim, turning them to ice, and they shatter. Jax grows fifty stories and stomps on his defeated opponent.
Why bother with Friendships (again) with such over the top and ridiculous fatalities? They're back anyway, and probably the most amusing of the finishing moves
sadly.
The Babalities make a return proving that a pointless and uninteresting finishing move in one game is also pointless and uninteresting in the sequel. The lettered blocks were a nice touch, though.
MK3 introduces the Mercy (universal execution amidst all characters), which primarily serves as a prerequisite for the new Animatlity. Beyond that cruel players might use the Mercy's second chance as a taunt or perhaps to rub salt in the wound of a crushing defeat (or it might be their undoing.) New to MK3, the rumored Animalities from MKII, finally materializes in the second most underwhelming series of finishing moves to appear in an MK. Characters turn into an unconvincing looking animal and maul their opponent (read: knock the victim on his back, and then show nothing.) I think I would like the Animalities more if the animals did not look so deliberately stylistic (thick lines around the creature, all of them tinted to some unnaturally bright color) and if the majority of the Animalities had unique kills associated with them.
While on the topic of underwhelming elements, let's discuss MK3's lineup of characters. Returning characters include Shang Tsung, Jax, Kano, Liu Kang, Sonya, Sub-Zero, and Kung Lao. With the exceptions of Sub-Zero, Sonya, and Kano most of the characters feel as though they've regressed into something less fun to play. Liu Kang and Kung Lao gain no additional moves plus their existing moves don't feel as effective as the previous game. Jax and Shang Tsung, by contrast, did receive new moves, and yet still don't feel like they've gained anything. Only Sub-Zero, Sonya, and Kano genuinely feel like they've taken the next step in their characters evolution.
The new characters are a mixed bag of archetypal, quasi-retreads, and one original character. In the cliché department, Midway delivers Stryker, the urban SWAT team member. And let's not forget NightWolf, the Indian complete with face makeup and tomahawk (er, hatchet). As for the retreads with minor variations, MK3 introduces Sindel whose attire bears resemblance to Kitana/Mileena, and she has a scream that functions like Kitana's fanwave. Sheeva, the female version of Goro/Kintaro, who stole Kintaro's teleport stomp. Cyrax and Sektor, robot palette swap ninjas. The former has a green net that functions similar to Scorpion's spear. The latter has a teleport attack that, while uniquely different, does show traces of the underlying concept behind Mileena's teleport kick, and Scorpion's teleport punch. Even NightWolf's shadow-ram bears resemblance to Cage's Shadow kick (not to mention Shao Kahn's charging move.) This leaves Kabal all by his lonesome as the most unique character as far as original moves and non-cliché design.
The new characters, like many of the returning characters from MK2, just don't seem to go anywhere. Granted, Sindel, Cyrax, Sektor, and Sheeva are not spitting images of previous characters; however, they don't seem to venture far enough out into new territory as if Midway didn't want to fully let go of Kintaro, Kitana, Mileena, Scorpion, and Cage. So they came up with characters with designs and moves that are neither new, nor retreads. As if they don't know where they're going.
Is it any wonder I liked Sub-Zero and Kabal the best? MK3 brought into play Kombat codes which have varying effects in matches from fighting with a black screen, to unlimited run, to quick uppercut recovery, to half/quarter life, to an assortment of text messages. Also coming into play, the "Ultimate Kombat Kode" which unlocks the fifteenth character -- MK2's hidden ninja, now a cyber-ninja, Smoke.
Smoke is the most blatant retread in the game, being a palette swap of Sektor/Cyrax, whose special moves include Sektor's teleport punch, Reptile's invisibility, and Scorpion's spear move (now called a "harpoon".) Midway countered all this by making Smoke one of the most effective characters in the game with how his moves effortlessly chain together for some devastating combos.
On the positive side of the koin, MK3 moves away from the isolated island of MK1, away from Outworld in MK2, and brings the battle for Earthrealm to more urban environments. Venues include a bank, a bell-tower, a sub-way, a city street, a cemetery, giving the game a setting totally unique from its predecessors.
One controversial change (a positive change in my book, though many will disagree) came with the new combo system, dubbed dial-a-combo. A chain of button taps will unleash a flurry of attacks. Easy to do? Yes. Room for change ups and wake up games? Not really, no. It does, however, give players another tool to use in their fights, it does give the MK3 fights a different flavor, and more importantly it does not entirely replace the juggles of the previous game, allowing players to mix-up battles.
Overall, a disappointing entry, but it's not without its share of perks.
