Mortal Kombat X – Kombat Pack 2 Review

As an unabashed fan of Mortal Kombat X, I was interested in the Kombat Pack 2 prior to any details being released on it. The first Kombat Pack was well worth the money, as the new costumes were excellent and the additional fighters even better. For the second DLC pack, NetherRealm Studios has returned to the formula that worked so well last year. Once again, those that choose to purchase the content, or buy the complete Mortal Kombat XL, will get two new horror movie icons, as well as two returning faces to the franchise. It’s a successful formula for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, so it’s not too surprising to see it being implemented again.

Serving as counter-balances to the previously released Jason Voorhees and Predator, the Kombat Pack 2 brings Leatherface and the Xenomorph to the Mortal Kombat universe. The “face” of the iconic Texas Chainsaw Massacre film franchise, Leatherface is one of the more varied combatants to come to the game. Each one of his variations, Killer, Butcher and Pretty Lady, not only feel different, but they all look different, too. The changing of shirts and ties is a nice way to be able to differentiate each style and it’s also a nice bit of fan-service.

As you would expect with Leatherface, two of his variations utilize his chainsaw. The Pretty Lady style allows players to toss the weapon around like a deranged pitcher, while the Killer technique lets the murderer go into a “berserker stance.” This opens the door for gruesome and powerful slashing and jabbing strikes. The final style, Butcher, focuses more on mallet-based strikes. The chainsaw is still there, of course, but the mallet lets Leatherface deal damage in a new, and somehow more vicious way.

Despite my respect for the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I have to say, Leatherface was my least favorite character to use from Kombat Pack 2. As someone who prefers using characters that are quick and speedy, the slow, and at times awkward movement of the Texas-bred maniac was something I couldn’t get a handle on. I can see others learning how to properly use the fighter, as he is powerful, and his styles are varied, but anytime I would start a match with him I would find myself wishing that I chose someone else.

The other horror movie icon, Alien’s Xenomorph, was more up my alley. One of the interesting things about the Xenomorph is seeing how different each of his styles feel. The most recognizable to Mortal Kombat fans wound be the Tarkatan variation, which is similar to the dearly departed Baraka. While not a 1:1 translation of his skills, Tarkatan does allow the creature to rip into foes with his powerful blades. The other two styles, Acidic and Konjurer, adhere closer to the creature of cinema. As their titles would suggest, Acidic features gross acid-based attacks, while the Konjurer lets players summon drones and facehuggers for help.

What I like about the Xenomorph is that while he isn’t the fastest combatant out there, his abilities open up a lot of different techniques. This covers more than just his unique combat variations, though, as the basic features of the character are used in interesting ways. Specifically, I want to point out how NetherRealm Studios expertly weaved in the tail of the creature into his style of fighting. Since the tail is massive, it opens up a distance-based attack strategy that can be paired well with some of his special attacks. I’ve put in a good amount of time with the character, and I still feel like I barely scratched the surface of his potential.

While they may not have dominated the coverage of the Kombat Pack 2, it’s the two returning Mortal Kombat characters that I’ve actually found myself enjoying most. I’ll begin with the more traditional fighter, that of the drunken master, Bo’ Rai Cho. Liu Kang’s teacher’s variations are all fairly similar, but each one does offer up some different mechanics. The Bartitsu style lets the portly master use his cane for brutal short and long range strikes, while the Dragon Breath and Drunken Master styles go off his previously defined characteristics. Dragon Breath has Cho spitting fire, and Drunken Master features all the farts and vomit you could ask for.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed using Bo’ Rai Cho because he wasn’t a character I particularly enjoyed using in past iterations of the series. I think my satisfaction with him comes from the fact that while he is slower than most, his style of fighting is very easy to learn. It won’t take long for even novice MKX players to figure out how to link together his piercing strikes. I still think the character, with his farting and barfing, is a little ridiculous, but the world of the series has never been that normal.

To describe the final new character included in the Kombat Pack 2 as just a singular being wouldn’t do the Triborg justice. An amalgamation of robot fighters, Sektor, Cyrax and Robot Smoke, plus a bonus Cyber Sub Zero, the android is technically four fighters in one. His different variations reflect this, too, as each one culls from the history of the pieces of the robot. Sektor has his teleport uppercut, Cyrax can shoot webs and bombs, Robot Smoke has his grappling hook and Cyber Sub Zero, is well, a slightly tweaked version of regular Sub Zero.

For those that were missing Cyrax, Sektor and the others in Mortal Kombat X, the Triborg more than does each one justice. Outside of the same X-Ray attacks and fatalities, each variation of the mechanized killer feels different from the other. It really does feel like each piece of the Triborg is its only fully fleshed out fighter. And as someone who likes using the various weapons Cyrax has at his disposal, I appreciate that. This is just another classic example of the love and fan-service NetherRealm Studios puts into every one of their projects.

Considering how well-crafted they were in the base game, I was a little disappointed with the fatalities for the new characters. They are gruesome, yes, but outside of the Triborg’s kills, they aren’t particularly memorable. It makes sense that Leatherface and Xenomorph would use their weapons in order to finish off fighters, but their simplicity is forgettable. Bo’ Rai Cho fares a little better, but even his are only based off his different drinks. The Triborg’s fatalities not only look incredibly painful, but they are completely outlandish. I’m not going to spoil anything, but go on YouTube and check it out if you don’t trust me.

Sometimes DLC passes can feel like a rip-off (*cough* ArkhamKnight *cough*), but once again, NetherRealm Studios shows others how it’s done. Like the first batch of extra content, the Kombat Pack 2 is well worth the cost if you’re still enjoying the action of Mortal Kombat X. Each of the new combatants are unique, and even if I thought some of them were weak, there are definitely players out there that will adapt to their abilities. This, combined with the new Apocalypse skin pack, make Kombat Pack 2 a piece of DLC that any fan of the fighter needs to pick up.

This review was based off the Xbox One version of the DLC, which was provided to us.