As promised, Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment has finally introduced the newest member to join the already impressive Mortal Kombat X line-up. On 5 May, the publisher pushed out Jason Vorhees of the much-loved "Friday the 13th" movie franchise as a brand new fighter in the MK X roster.
Anyone familiar with the "Friday the 13th" franchise will automatically connect with Jason's character. Apart from Freddy Krueger of "The Nightmare at Elm Street", Jason Vorhees is another of those iconic slasher dudes from the big screen who feel no pain – while inflicting it or taking some (no wonder he pulls out a knife from his neck for his intro of the game).
Jason isn't your MK X run-of-the-mill guy who delivers death as usual. In fact, he has a reputation of being an extremely merciless killer out there (just ask those unfortunate college kids). As expected, Jason's very core is made up of death and revenge. He died as a young boy, but when his mother was murdered, Jason was resurrected to avenge her death . Jason is an undead machine that cannot be killed. He cannot be stopped.
While all that sounds good, how exactly do you play Jason in the game? We take a look at all combos and variations.
The Horror (X-Ray Move)
Jason's X-Ray move takes up almost 80 percent of the screen, making it easier for him to inflict extremely harsh punishment on his opponents, even if they are trying to block it. As expected, you can combine the X-Ray with a different combo move for the character (as is evident with every other character). However, it is strongly suggested that you combine Jason's X-Ray move with his Killing Machine combo. This is best for either finishing off an opponent or making a comeback in the middle of the game. More on how to perform Killing Machine later.
Jason Vorhees Attack Variations
Choke Attack
To perform the Choke attack, note that Jason has to be at least a jump's length from his opponent. This gives Jason enough space to not only pull off the move perfectly, but also make sure his opponents cannot duck to avoid it. There's an enhanced version of the attack as well (Choke Slam) that will inflict more damage while Jason is rewarded with extra armour.
- How to Perform: Down, Forward + Square (for PlayStation). Down, Forward + X (for Xbox)
Corpse Grab Attack
Jason's Corpse Grab is basically a way to make sure he plucks out an opponent mid-air and inflict as much damage as possible. The Corpse Grab will work if you are keeping a good distance from your opponent. Staying too close to your opponent while they jump may not help in pulling off the move effectively. The move's enhanced version offers Jason more time to inflict damage with more hits count, although it may not be as effective as the Choke attack.
- How to Perform: Down, Back + Square (for PlayStation). Down, Back + X (for Xbox)
Back Breaker/Tight Squeeze Attack
Both Back Breaker and Tight Squeeze are two of the most important attacking moves in Jason's arsenal. For the sake of comparison, Back Breaker is a bit more effective that the Tight Squeeze, although the enhanced version of both the moves inflict almost similar damage. Again, both these attack variations are best to end a combo, for better results.
- How to Perform: Down, Back, Forward + Square or Triangle (for PlayStation). Down, Back, Forward + X or Y (for Xbox)
Killing Machine Attack
Killing Machine will offer Jason unlimited amount of armour for a short period. This means you can pull off any move and continue without taking too much damage (aside X-Rays). While Jason will take a short amount of damage in the process, with Killing Machine, he remains virtually untouchable. Note that once the effect wears off, Jason will be inactive for two seconds.
- How to Perform: Down, Down + Circle (for PlayStation). Down, Down + B (for Xbox)
Temple Punch Attack
The Temple Punch covers the entire length of the screen. The enhanced version of the move offers armour to Jason, after he has been knocked down by an opponent. However, since the attack aims for greater damage, opponents could duck it. So it's absolutely imperative how and when you use it.
- How to Perform: Back, Forward + X (for PlayStation). Back, Forward + A (for Xbox)
Jason Vorhees Character Variants
Relentless Variant: With the Relentless variant, Jason is offered three special moves. Here, there's the Lake Mist (Down, Back + Triangle | Down, Back + Y) move, which is a teleport technique that moves Jason behind the opponent. The enhanced version of the move (Blood Mist) has armour and recovers much faster. Aside that, Pursuit (Down, Down + X | Down, Down + A) is Jason's other special move in the Relentless variation. Once this happens, the opponent's controls get mixed up. Their directional inputs will be backwards and their attack buttons will also be changed around. In addition to that, in Jason's Relentless variation, there is also the Damned special move.
Slasher Variant: The Slasher Variant almost renders Jason as a brand new character. Jason uses his machete often here and that replaces most of his combos and basic attacks with newer ones. Slasher is the only variation in which Jason has a projectile attack. There's also the Psycho Slash (Back, Forward + Triangle | Back, Forward + Y). This is a passive move and as Jason's health gets lower, his damage increases.
Unstoppable Variant: Again, the Unstoppable variant gives Jason three new moves. One of them is Punishment (Down, Down + X | Down, Down + A) that gives Jason a temporary damage increase. The enhanced version (Rampant) of the move recovers a bit faster, making it harder to punish. There's Rise (Down, Down + Circle | Down, Down + B) as well that replaces Killing Machine and gives Jason a small amount of health. The enhanced version (Corpse Walk) recovers a bit faster, making it more difficult to punish. Jason's final move in the Unstoppable variation is Resurrection. This is a passive ability, and when Jason loses a round, he comes back to life.
Jason Vorhees Fatalities
- Kill For Mother: Down, Forward, Down, Forward, Triangle | Y (Mid-Screen)
- Sleeping Bag Killer: Down, Back, Forward, Circle | B +Block (Mid-Screen)
[Source: Prima Games]
