Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks

Mortal Kombat had tried leaving the fighting genre before and the results were not good. Shaolin Monks is the one that worked, largely because it kept what the series is actually known for — the fatalities — and built a beat ’em up around performing them on crowds instead of single opponents. Two players can run the entire campaign together, which is rarer than it should be. It runs well on PCSX2, AetherSX2, and ArmsX2.

Storyline

The game retells Mortal Kombat II from the perspective of Liu Kang and Kung Lao. Shao Kahn has opened portals into Earthrealm, and the two monks pursue him through Outworld while the tournament’s other combatants complicate the journey.

Treating it as a straight retelling was the right call — the plot is familiar enough that the game can spend its energy on set pieces and character appearances rather than exposition. Fan-favourite fighters turn up as bosses and allies throughout, and the ending offers a divergence depending on how the final confrontation goes. It is fan service executed with genuine affection for the source material.

Gameplay

Combat is combo-driven, with juggles that keep enemies airborne and specials mapped to simple inputs rather than fighting-game motions. Liu Kang plays as the faster of the two while Kung Lao trades speed for reach and crowd control, and both unlock new moves and combo extensions through experience earned in fights.

Fatalities are the signature and they work on regular enemies. Wear an opponent down until they stagger, then input the finisher, and you get the full uncensored sequence — which is both the reward loop and the reason the game is memorable. Environments are weaponised too, with spikes, pits, and acid pools positioned to be knocked into. Between combat, the game opens into exploration with light puzzles, hidden areas, and backtracking that gate progress behind abilities learned later. Versus and survival modes sit alongside the co-op campaign.

Playing Experience

It is straightforward and satisfying rather than deep — combat holds up for the length of the campaign without ever demanding much technical skill. The co-op is what elevates it; playing through with a second person, competing over who lands the better finisher, is exactly the register the game is pitched at. On PCSX2, AetherSX2, or ArmsX2 performance is comfortable throughout, and local co-op maps cleanly to two controllers on either platform.

Review Video

Conclusion

Spin-offs from fighting franchises rarely justify themselves, and this one does by understanding precisely which part of the series people care about. It is short, violent, and better in company. To run it you will need the PS2 system firmware — pick up a BIOS file here first.