Get ready for gore: Mortal Kombat X lands on Android

You may or may not already have your hands on the latest and probably the most blood, intestine, or even brain filled version of Mortal Kombat X that launched last week. Whichever the case, you might prefer to have some of that MKX goodness with you wherever you go, which means it’s time for a mobile tie-in. Lucky for you, Warner Bros. is only too happy to oblige. But while the mobile game does have some of the high-quality graphics, and even a bit of the gore, of the console main game, don’t expect the same immersion.

Visually speaking, Mortal Kombat X on Android is gorgeous. And it better be. Because, after all, how else will you appreciate all that gut spilling, face splitting, chest bursting action? Yes, fatalities have come to Android! But before you get all excited, do be aware that those are rare and few in between. Those are reserved only for boss fights, and to get to those boss fights, you have to fight your way through.

Mortal Kombat is all about the combat right? Well, yes. But here, combat translates to tap, tap, tap, and maybe, just maybe, a few swipes here and there. The game doesn’t play differently from the mobile tie-in of DC’s Injustice: Gods Among Us. You tap to attack and, from time to time, you will be cued to make a swipe for a medium special. There’s also a super special attack here, though you need to fill up a gauge first by using basic attacks. When you do trigger those specials, you will still have to perform some feat of timing or frantic swiping to get maximum damage.

Battles play out in 3v3 jousts. You practically build up your team of three characters from any Mortal Kombat X faction. Doesn’t matter if they’re sworn enemies. In your team, they’re closer than siblings. You can have more than three, of course, but you can only take three into battle. You also get to collect main characters from the MKX game, both the known ones and the new ones debuting this installment. There is an element of PvP and faction vs. faction action promised in the game, but for now, those are still marked as coming soon.

That’s basically all there is to it in Mortal Kombat X for mobile, designed more as a momentary distraction for true MK fans than a standalone game worth its salt. You collect cards, souls, and whatnot in order to power up your crew and advance to the next tower. If you can’t win those through play, you can, of course, buy your way to victory. There’s a bit of strategic thinking and planning involved there, but as far as the actual combat is concerned, there is little need for skill. Mortal Kombat X is free on Google Play Store, but availability is still rolling out in stages, so best check if the game is already there for you. Be warned, you will need 1.5 GB to install this gore-fest.