Fighting system and
Jade Each character possesses two fighting styles (instead of the three previously available in
Deadly Alliance and
Deception), one hand-to-hand and one weapon. Some of the larger bosses, like Onaga, have only one fighting style available. Other characters, such as Smoke and Mokap, do not have a weapon style, but a second unarmed style.
Armageddon also introduces two new combat systems: the Air Kombat combo system, which is similar to
Marvel vs. Capcom series' Air Combo and was also first shown in
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks action spin-off game; and a
Killer Instinct series' combo breaker-styled Parry system. Also new to the series is the ability to create a
Fatality. These custom fatalities are a constant series of commands that players input until the Fatality ends. This method of performing Fatalities replaces the character-specific Fatalities of previous
Mortal Kombat games, where gamers would simply enter one input and view the Fatality cinematically. As the player adds each input, less time is allowed for further inputs, and some moves cannot be repeated. 11 levels can be achieved with Kreate a Fatality, the lowest being a basic Fatality and the highest an "Ultimate Fatality". The greater the number of inputs for the Fatality, the more koins (the in-game currency) are given to the player.
Konquest The Konquest mode in
Armageddon kombines the same mode seen in
Deception with elements borrowed from the spin-off adventure title
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. The storyline centers on Taven and Daegon, two brothers who were put in suspended animation because their mother Delia (a sorceress) and their father Argus (the Edenian protector god) foresaw a cataclysmic event brought about by the
Mortal Kombat fighters. Their awakening leads to the Konquest mode, which leads to the game's standard play. Taven is the main hero that the player controls in Konquest. At the same time, Daegon, his brother, is the primary antagonist, plotting with villains such as Shinnok and the Red Dragon Clan to destroy both his brother and the
Evil Blaze to attain full godhood for himself. Certain weapons are sometimes available in Konquest mode, which handle very much like those found in
Shaolin Monks. Various relics can be collected, one for each Kombatant (except Taven,
Chameleon, the two fighters that the player can create in the PS2 version, and additionally
Khameleon in the
Wii version), throughout this mode. Konquest unlocks characters' alternate costumes and other rewards in the rest of the game, while completing the Konquest entirely will unlock Taven for arcade play. Meat, Daegon, and Blaze can be unlocked by collecting enough relics.
Kreate-a-Fighter In addition to the choice of over 60 characters,
Armageddon allows players to create, design, and use new fighters in the game. From the number of options, there are potentially thousands of different kombinations available. During production, the game offered 14 different character classes, which include Humans, Tarkatans, Mercenaries, Black Dragon Members, Ninjas, Retro Ninjas, etc. However, after the game's release, only one preset was available to the two genders, Sorcerer to Male, and Tarkatan to Female. Although the clothing of each class is still available, it must be individually unlocked and cannot be preset. All these presets can be unlocked by unlocking each piece of clothing that makes up that class. The preset will then appear under the preset menu. Players can give their character a unique fighting style by changing their stance/win pose animation and assigning different (already named) attacks to the buttons on their controller. There is a range of swords and axes (the only weapons available) and special moves. Most moves and costume items need to be purchased with Koins earned in the game's other modes, though some moves and items are free from the beginning. The fighters can also be given their storyline. If a player uses their creation to finish a single-player game, they will see the ending that the player designed for them. However, the ending will cut off after roughly twelve lines or if the last line consists of one word. They can also be used in multiplayer games and online, using the PS2's
online capability or
Xbox Live. In line with other online-enabled games on the Xbox, multiplayer on Xbox Live was available to players until April 15, 2010.
Mortal Kombat Armageddon is now playable online again on the replacement Xbox Live servers called
Insignia. The game's ending is the exact text the player inputs as the fighter's biography.
Motor Kombat The
minigame in
Mortal Kombat: Armageddon is named "Motor Kombat". True to the name,
Ed Boon compared it to
Mario Kart in the September 2006 issue of
Official Xbox Magazine. Each character has a customized
go-kart and their own special moves. The Motor Kombat characters keep their cartoonish "super deformed" style that was introduced in
Deception's "Puzzle Kombat" mode. It also includes style-based fatalities for characters and death traps. The cars are based on the characters' looks and personalities; for instance, Baraka's car has blades on the front bumper as a fire-breathing skull powers an homage to Baraka's forearm blades, and Scorpion's car is an homage to his "Toasty" Fatality.
Motor Kombat features online play and offline support for up to four players (two players in the PS2 version) with a split-screen display. Players can knock their opponents into various deathtraps on the courses, like rolling pins, stones, crushers, slippery snow caves filled with stalagmites, and endless pits. The character roster for
Motor Kombat is Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Bo' Rai Cho, Jax, Baraka, Raiden, Kitana, Mileena, Cyrax, and Johnny Cage. ==Plot==