Are Mortal Kombat X’s combos too hard or too easy? That’s a hard question to answer, but to do so, first we have to look at different combo types. Essentially, there are three different types of combos in fighting games. What’s most important here is examining when buttons should be pressed to execute said combos. Here are the main combos you’ll see in fighting games:
- Links – Link combos occur when one move starts and ends completely while the opponent is still in hit stun. Most Street Fighte r combos use links, but links show up in practically every fighting game in existence. Since no move is being canceled, and links require you, essentially, to throw out a move from a neutral state, your goal for timing link combos is to press the next button in the combo as soon as you see the first move finish.
- Chains – Chains (or target combos or gatlings or anything else by the same name) involve canceling one move into another provided that the move makes contact. Because chains don’t execute on whiff, the game has to check to see if contact is made in order to continue the combo at all, which means it only checks inputs every so often. As a result, you want to try and time your next button press when the last move makes contact, not when its animation finishes.
- Dial-a-combos – Dial-a-combos are pre-set move strings that execute on hit, block, or whiff. You may notice these from 3D fighters like Soul Calibur and Tekken . Dial-a-combos, since they execute no matter what, need to be entered as fast as possible. Waiting too long or accidentally pressing a button more than once will either stop the combo or execute an incorrect combo.
Aside from timing, these combos could also be viewed in in terms of commitment. Link combos require very little commitment. If you throw out a move and it’s blocked, you have to return to neutral state to throw the next move anyway. This allows you ample time to see whether or not you want to continue the combo or back off and do something else.
Chain combos are faster, usually too fast to wait and see if your move hits and then continue it. Thus, a series of safe “hit confirm” strings is usually used, canceling one move into another that is still safe on block. If you see the opponent has blocked the first move, he also will likely block the second, and you have time to back off.
Dial-a-combos have to be input all at once, so they require the most amount of commitment. You need to attempt whatever combo you want to complete every time. This can lead you to performing some strings that would lead to high damage if unblocked, but are unsafe if blocked, or similarly, performing low damage strings when you are trying to space out your opponent only to see them hit and take off very little damage.
So let’s answer our first question. Are MK X’s combos too hard or too easy? The answer is: both. MK X uses dial-a-combos and links. Dial-a-combos require absolutely no timing. You simply mash them in as quick as you possibly can, and when one finishes you do the same with the next. So in this way, they are very inviting to new players. However, to actively be able to use them well in combat, you need a lot of foresight. The need to commit to all of your moves right at the start of your combos requires you to read what the opponent is doing and guess his blocks before you even start hitting him. This can make the game feel stiff to experienced fighting game players.
What do you think? Are MKX’s combos easy or hard for you? Let us know in the comments