


Problem is, you're given a single sentence of description for each variation, and figuring out to properly play them is left entirely to you. Once you've got to grips with the concept, this additional layer of depth adds to the variety and strategy before and during each match, without being so overwhelming that it becomes convoluted. You'll have to do way more research if you want to know exactly what every fighter's capable of (and how to counter them), but there's also a much greater chance of finding the variation that perfectly suits your personal fighting game tendencies. The potential to tailor your favorite character to your preferred playstyle is a double-edged sword, though it's much sharper on the plus side. That's a lot to take in for a series that's traditionally been a pick-up-and-play affair. It's not enough to know that you love playing as Scorpion: you need to decide if you want him to utilize those dual swords in his combos, focus on fiery attacks from a distance, or be able to summon a demonic minion that'll pester the opponent. This effectively gives each fighter three distinct playstyles, and the intricacies and specialized tactics of one may not apply to the other two. All of the roster's 24 on-disc characters have three visually distinct variations to choose from before a fight, each one granting unique special moves and enhanced normal attacks on top of your baseline abilities. That's all thanks to variations, the most novel idea in MKX and a brilliant addition to the fighting game genre. From there, it's just a matter of picking the fighter that bests suits you, which is a lot more complicated than it sounds.
