View source for Software:Mortal Kombat: Special Forces

{{Short description|2000 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Mortal Kombat: Special Forces
| image = Mortal Kombat Special Forces.jpg
| caption = North American PS1 cover artwork featuring Jax
| developer = [[Company:Midway Games|Midway Games]]
| publisher = Midway Games
| director = John Walsh
| producer = Michael Gottlieb
| artist = Richard Ho <br> Carlos Pesina <br> Herman Sanchez
| programmer = John Walsh <br> Jonathan Murfey <br> Daniel Markham
| composer = [[Biography:Dan Forden|Dan Forden]]
| designer = 
| series = ''[[Software:Mortal Kombat|Mortal Kombat]]''
| platforms = [[Engineering:PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]]
| released = {{vgrelease|NA|June 29, 2000<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-11-09 |title=Midway Press Release: PR 2000-06-29 A |url=http://www.midway.com/rxpage/mpr_1210.html |access-date=2023-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061109145243/http://www.midway.com/rxpage/mpr_1210.html |archive-date=2006-11-09 }}</ref>|EU|September 29, 2000}}
| genre = [[Software:Action-adventure game|Action-adventure]], [[Software:Beat 'em up|beat 'em up]]
| modes = [[Software:Single-player video game|Single-player]]
}}

'''''Mortal Kombat: Special Forces''''' is a 2000 [[Software:Action-adventure game|action-adventure]] [[Software:Beat 'em up|beat 'em up]] [[Engineering:Video game|video game]] developed and published by [[Company:Midway Games|Midway]] for the [[Engineering:PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] in 2000. A spin-off of the ''[[Software:Mortal Kombat|Mortal Kombat]]'' franchise, it is the second installment to not be a [[Software:Fighting game|fighting game]] and the first 3D spin-off. Set before the first game ''[[Software:Mortal Kombat (1992 video game)|Mortal Kombat]]'', players control Jax as he pursues criminal leader Kano and his gang.

''Special Forces'' endured a difficult development due to series co-creator John Tobias and other staff members leaving Midway before the game was completed. The departure of Tobias led to a significant trimming of content, including the removal of Sonya Blade as a playable character. Upon release, the game was panned by critics for its poor level design and tedious gameplay, and is considered one of the worst video games of all time.

==Gameplay==
''Mortal Kombat: Special Forces'' is a third-person view [[Software:Action-adventure game|action-adventure game]]. The protagonist is Jax, who uses not only hand-to-hand combat techniques but also firearms and explosives. There are five levels set on Earth in Netherrealm, with a [[Software:Boss (video gaming)|boss]] battle at the end of each of them. Exploring the locations in the search for keys, the players solve puzzles, find the codes to unlock the doors, and blast hidden passages in walls. Jax can ascend to higher-level platforms even as he cannot jump, but he can push large blocks.

The player can restore Jax's health meter using first-aid kits. The player also has a limited energy reserve: whenever Jax performs one of his special techniques, he spends energy that can be replenished by performing certain [[Software:Combo (video gaming)|combos]]. Jax can attack with his hands and feet, as well as block counter strikes. Although there are no [[Software:Fatality (Mortal Kombat)|Fatality]] systems, the combo system allows finishing off the opponent with the final blow in case the enemy's health line is exhausted by this moment. The experience points that a player gains by defeating enemies allow one to get new combos. An in-game menu displays the presence of items in the player's inventory, and also contains information on the purpose of the current mission. After completing the game, the player can activate the cheat menu to start a new game with additional bonuses.

==Plot==
''Mortal Kombat: Special Forces'' is chronologically the first game in the ''Mortal Kombat'' storyline, as its events take place 4 weeks before ''[[Software:Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero|Mortal Kombat Mythologies]]''. The story of the game involves Kano freeing his gang, the Black Dragon from a maximum security prison. US Army Major Jax Briggs, seeking revenge for the slaughter of his Special Forces comrades at the hands of the Black Dragon, undertakes a mission to stop them from retrieving an artifact of great power, the Eye of Chitian. The true power of the artifact is shown in the ending that it can open portals to other realms when Jax uses the artifact to teleport himself and Kano back to Earthrealm after defeating him.

==Characters==
Besides Jax, Kano, and Kano's Black Dragon subordinates Tremor and Jarek, the game features three characters exclusive to this entry in the series:

*Gemini: Jax's base operative, relaying information and messages to him from headquarters. The two share a friendship, and Gemini worries excessively about Jax. Operating over radio only, she is never seen in-game.
*No Face: A member of the Black Dragon organization led by Kano, who freed him from a high-security prison. He is described as only having knowledge of explosive devices, he wears sticks of dynamites strapped to his chest and uses a flamethrower as a weapon. He has no nose, ears, hair, and a pale complexion, based on his name.
*Tasia: An expert swordswoman and deadly ninja master who is a member of Kano's Black Dragon organization.<ref name="MKSFmanual">''Mortal Kombat: Special Forces'' instruction booklet. Midway Games, 2000.</ref> Like Tremor, No Face, and Jarek, Kano freed her from a high-security prison. She wields two ninjatō swords and has an ability to teleport. She appears along with Jarek to capture Cassie and Jacqui by the orders of Black Dragon in the ''[[Software:Mortal Kombat X|Mortal Kombat X]]'' comic book.

==Development==
This was the second ''[[Software:Mortal Kombat|Mortal Kombat]]'' game developed by Midway that was not a fighting game, after having tested the waters with ''Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero'' in 1997. Series co-creator John Tobias intended to work on a series of platform games to expand the ''Mortal Kombat'' universe, including titles centering on Baraka and Liu Kang; only the latter was actually released by Midway (2005's ''[[Software:Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks|Mortal Kombat]]'') despite having sat on the drawing board for many years.

Although ''Special Forces'' was only released on the PlayStation, it was also supposed to be released both on the [[Engineering:Nintendo 64|Nintendo 64]] and [[Engineering:Dreamcast|Dreamcast]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Casamassina |first1=Matt |last2=Devidas |first2=Arun |date=February 4, 1999 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/02/05/interview-mk-special-forces |title=Interview: MK Special Forces |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=December 21, 2021 |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221234745/https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/02/05/interview-mk-special-forces |url-status=live }}</ref> Many of the [[Company:Midway Games|Midway Games]] staff, including Tobias, left the company in 1999 for various reasons while the game was still in production. The plot of ''Special Forces'' (which originally included Sonya Blade<ref>{{cite web |author=Mortal Kombat Secrets - MKSecrets.Net |date=February 5, 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wzrIvdqr7M |title=Mortal Kombat 4 - E3 1998 Developer Interview (John Tobias, Ed Boon, David Michicich) |website=[[Company:YouTube|YouTube]] |publisher=[[Company:Google|Google]] |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/9wzrIvdqr7M |archive-date=December 13, 2021 |url-status=live |access-date=December 24, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref>) was greatly revised following Tobias's departure and the game was rushed to completion.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://worldhistoryproject.org/2000/7/30/mortal-kombat-special-forces-is-released-exclusively-for-playstation |title=Mortal Kombat: Special Forces is Released Exclusively for Playstation |date=July 30, 2000 |website=World History Project |access-date=June 30, 2021 |archive-date=June 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622171809/https://worldhistoryproject.org/2000/7/30/mortal-kombat-special-forces-is-released-exclusively-for-playstation |url-status=live }}</ref>

Tobias said about the final version: "You know I really never played it, I saw it at E3 and I maybe played it for like five minutes and never really played it after that. So I'm not really familiar with how it ended up."<ref>{{cite web |last=McCarron |first=Patrick |date=March 19, 2003 |url=https://www.trmk.org/features/interview_taofeng_john_tobias/ |title=TRMK Features - Interview Taofeng John Tobias |website=TRMK |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181027102725/https://www.trmk.org/features/interview_taofeng_john_tobias/ |archive-date=October 27, 2018 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 21, 2021}}</ref> Ed Boon later recalled: "I didn't work on ''Special Forces''. The game and project were riddled with all kinds of problems. I could write a book on that."<ref>{{cite tweet |user=noobde |author=Ed Boon |number=10380817871 |date=March 12, 2010 |title=@djSergi I didnt work on Special Forces. The game & project were riddled with all kinds of problems. I could write a book on that. :(}}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
| MC = 28/100<ref name=MC>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/mortal-kombat-special-forces/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation |title=Mortal Kombat: Special Forces for PlayStation Reviews |website=Metacritic |publisher=Red Ventures |access-date=February 6, 2014 |archive-date=November 20, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171120131738/http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation/mortal-kombat-special-forces |url-status=live }}</ref>
| Allgame = {{Rating|1.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |last=White |first=Jason |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20392&tab=review |title=Mortal Kombat Special Forces - Review |website=[[Software:AllGame|AllGame]] |publisher=All Media Network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116021620/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=20392&tab=review |archive-date=November 16, 2014 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 22, 2021}}</ref>
| CNG = 4/10<ref>{{cite web |last=Steinberg |first=Scott |date=July 24, 2000 |url=http://www.gamecenter.com/Psx/Reviews/Mkspecialf/ |title=Mortal Kombat: Special Forces |website=Gamecenter |publisher=CNET |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000815054516/http://www.gamecenter.com/Psx/Reviews/Mkspecialf/ |archive-date=August 15, 2000 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 22, 2021}}</ref>
| EGM = 1.5/10<ref>{{cite magazine |last=MacDonald |first=Mark |url=https://retrocdn.net/images/2/21/EGM_US_135.pdf |title=Mortal Kombat: Special Forces |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=Ziff Davis |issue=135 |date=October 2000 |page=186 |access-date=December 22, 2021 |archive-date=April 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220423144441/https://retrocdn.net/images/2/21/EGM_US_135.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
| EPD = 7/10<ref name=EPD>{{cite web |last=Conlin |first=Shaun |date=August 28, 2000 |url=http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=3014&full=1#mr_toppy |title=Mortal Kombat Special Forces |website=The Electric Playground |publisher=Greedy Productions, Inc. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031114021529/http://www.elecplay.com/review.html?article=3014&full=1#mr_toppy |archive-date=November 14, 2003 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 22, 2021}}</ref>
| GI = 1.75/10<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Mortal Kombat: Special Forces |magazine=Game Informer |publisher=FuncoLand |issue=89 |date=September 2000}}</ref>
| GamePro = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |author=The D-Pad Destroyer |date=August 16, 2000 |url=http://www.gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/6396.shtml |title=Mortal Kombat: Special Forces Review for PlayStation on GamePro.com |magazine=GamePro |publisher=IDG Entertainment |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041213051751/http://www.gamepro.com/sony/psx/games/reviews/6396.shtml |archive-date=December 13, 2004 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 22, 2021}}</ref>
| GSpot = 2.1/10<ref>{{cite web |last=Gerstmann |first=Jeff |date=August 4, 2000 |url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mortal-kombat-special-forces-review/1900-2612114/ |title=Mortal Kombat Special Forces Review [date mislabeled as "May 17, 2006"] |website=GameSpot |publisher=Red Ventures |access-date=December 22, 2021 |archive-date=August 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807082414/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/mortal-kombat-special-forces-review/1900-2612114/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| IGN = 3/10<ref>{{cite web |last=Nix |first=Marc |date=July 11, 2000 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/07/12/mortal-kombat-special-forces |title=Mortal Kombat Special Forces |website=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=December 22, 2021 |archive-date=October 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024164020/https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/07/12/mortal-kombat-special-forces |url-status=live }}</ref>
| NGen = {{Rating|1|5}}<ref name=NGen>{{cite magazine |last=Fischer |first=Blake |url=https://archive.org/details/NextGen70Oct2000/page/n117/mode/2up |title=Mortal Kombat: Special Forces |magazine=NextGen |publisher=Imagine Media |issue=70 |date=October 2000 |page=117 |access-date=December 22, 2021}}</ref>
| OPM = {{Rating|1.5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Mortal Kombat: Special Forces |magazine=Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine |publisher=Ziff Davis |issue=37 |date=October 2000}}</ref>
}}

The game received "unfavorable" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.<ref name=MC/> Blake Fischer of ''NextGen'' said of the game, "Don't let the cheap price fool you. This isn't even worth a trip to the store."<ref name=NGen/>

Of all the ''[[Software:Mortal Kombat|Mortal Kombat]]'' games, ''Special Forces'' is considered by some to be the worst.<ref>{{cite news |last=Miozzi |first=CJ |date=April 15, 2011 |url=https://www.gamefront.com/games/gamingtoday/article/the-convoluted-blood-spattered-history-of-mortal-kombat-infographic |title=The Convoluted, Blood-Spattered History of Mortal Kombat (Infographic) |website=[[GameFront]] |publisher=GameFront Ltd. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423033755/http://www.gamefront.com/the-convoluted-blood-spattered-history-of-mortal-kombat-infographic/ |archive-date=April 23, 2016 |url-status=live |access-date=December 22, 2021}}</ref> Its sales were so low that [[Company:Midway Games|Midway]] placed the series on hold in preparation for ''[[Software:Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance|Mortal Kombat]]'' (2002). Ed Boon himself stated: "The game had a pretty bumpy development ride and the game didn't turn out very good at all."<ref>{{cite web |last=Walk |first=Gary Eng |date=November 17, 2008 |url=http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/interview-ed-boon-on-the-ups-and-downs-of-the-mortal-kombat-franchise/?biz=1&page=2 |title=Interview: Ed Boon on the Ups and Downs of the Mortal Kombat Franchise (Page 2) |website=GameDaily |publisher=AOL |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081230115847/http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/interview-ed-boon-on-the-ups-and-downs-of-the-mortal-kombat-franchise/?biz=1&page=2 |archive-date=December 30, 2008 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 22, 2021}}</ref> In 2011, ''GamesRadar+'' ranked it as the second most absurd ''Mortal Kombat'' offshoot (behind only ''Mortal Kombat: Live Tour'').<ref>{{cite web |last=Antista |first=Chris |date=April 12, 2011 |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-top-7-most-absurd-mortal-kombat-offshoots/3/ |title=The Top 7… Most absurd Mortal Kombat offshoots (Page 3) |website=GamesRadar+ |publisher=Future plc |access-date=December 22, 2021 |archive-date=January 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124034504/http://www.gamesradar.com/the-top-7-most-absurd-mortal-kombat-offshoots/?page=3 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2013, the website also ranked it as the 41st worst game ever made.<ref>{{cite web |author=GamesRadar staff |date=April 15, 2013 |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/worst-games-all-time/ |title=The 50 worst games of all time |website=GamesRadar+ |publisher=Future plc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426045415/http://www.gamesradar.com/worst-games-all-time/ |archive-date=April 26, 2013 |url-status=dead |access-date=December 22, 2021}}</ref>

Conversely, some of the reviews have been more positive. ''Video Games: The Ultimate Guide'' gave the game 7 out of 10,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/details/Video_Games-The_Ultimate_Guide |title=Video Games: The Ultimate Guide |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> ''GameVortex'' gave it 79%,<ref>{{cite web |last=Paddock |first=Matt |year=2000 |url=http://www.psillustrated.com/psillustrated/soft_rev.php/2239/mortal-kombat-special-forces-playstation.html |title=Mortal Kombat Special Forces |website=PSIllustrated |access-date=2018-09-20 |archive-date=2020-12-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204224029/http://www.psillustrated.com/psillustrated/soft_rev.php/2239/mortal-kombat-special-forces-playstation.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''The Electric Playground'' gave it 7 out of 10.<ref name=EPD/>

{{clear}}

==See also==
*United States Army Special Forces in popular culture

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{moby game|id=/playstation/mortal-kombat-special-forces}}

{{Mortal Kombat series}}

[[Category:Single-player video games]]

{{Sourceattribution|Mortal Kombat: Special Forces}}