Mortal Kombat: Deception (PlayStation 2, Xbox)

MORTAL KOMBAT: DECEPTION has four basic modes of play: Kombat, Chess Kombat, Puzzle Kombat, and Konquest. Kombat allows the player to fight one-on-one rounds of combat with increasingly difficult opponents. Chess Kombat is played similarly to chess; however, when a piece takes another piece they fight for the space, allowing the defender to potentially win and keep the spot. Puzzle Kombat is a variation of Tetris.

Konquest contains the storyline element of the game. The player explores six 3-D worlds, talking to characters, accomplishing quests, and training, primarily under the tutelage of Mortal Kombat character Bo' Rai Cho. The Konquest portion primarily focuses on combat sequences and side quests. Many of the combat sequences are similar to training and are focused on learning combinations of keys to enact blocks, attacks, special moves, etc.

Mortal Kombat: Deception ratchets up the blood and gore in a series long known to push the boundaries. Some of the minor quests in Konquest mode entail good deeds, but most involve violence. In Konquest mode, the character begins as a young boy and ages to an old man -- but even as a child, he is involved in violent and bloody missions. The character of Bo'Rai Cho, the "guide" for most of the game, uses a secret move, referred to as "puke puddle," to spew a pool of vomit on the floor, causing the opponent to slip.

Perhaps the greatest concern for parents, however, is the amount of very graphic violence. Gruesome deaths are a highlight and the goal of the "best" players. Even the background images are disturbing: In one level, for example, several corpses dangle from rope, their necks broken, and they swing into the way of the battle when they're bumped. No kid should play this game for any reason -- this is strictly adult fare.