PSEx: Midway spills its guts

Midway had a pretty slight presence at the PlayStation Experience. With only Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and Defender on show, there obviously wasn't much to choose from in the way of playable material. Defender on the PS2 is a 21st century version of the arcade classic. Piloting a sleek looking craft we set about shooting down alien craft and rescuing colonists from their extra-terrestrial oppressors. It was fun, although the few fleeting [fired -Ed] moments we had with the game didn't exhibit anywhere near the sense of frenetic pace and frantic action, nor the simplicity of the original. The controls were quite cumbersome and seemed less than intuitive, but with a bit of time on our side we can imagine taking to it. Midway's new Mortal Kombat title was gaining a greater deal of attention, as a variety of fighters - both old and new - came head to head in an array of bizarre but impressively constructed arenas. Some of you may be pleased to hear that the series isn't skimping on the gore that it's famous for, as the combatants spread each others claret across the floor in a wince-inducing orgy of red. The detail on the characters has been bumped up greatly, even down to visible trickles of blood running from their limbs - nice. Apparently boasting an "intense" storyline, we all know the real attraction of any new MK title is going to be its unrivalled passion for sheer violence. And let's not forget those utterly brutal fatalities, which we're happy to say are all present and correct. Despite the fact that it's obviously not deviating from the established beat 'em up formula, Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance should be worth looking forward to.