MK vs. DCU is basically the foundation of a modern fighting game, but nothing was added to that foundation...
Story - 7.0
As usual, we'll kick things off by reviewing the story, which is immediately the strongest point of MK vs. DCU. The way the two different stories are intertwined is great. Even so, it's not really full of plot twists or anything. But fighting games usually aren't about the story. So, while it may not be the best story you've ever heard, for a fighting game, it's pretty good.
But, I feel that the focus was more on the DCU characters than the MK characters. Not story-wise, but in terms of how true a character is to the source material. Superman for instance has everything you'd expect. He can fly, fire lasers from his eyes, and literally 'blow' someone away. Batman has about every gadget you'd expect. Wonder Woman and Cat Woman have tons of moves including their whips. The Joker has all kinds of crazy stuff up his sleeves, and so on.
The MK characters on the other hand felt very basic. Most of the moves that made one of the DCU characters use his or her powers, is just a kick or punch, and characters share a few too. So, while I am a fan of Mortal Kombat, I have to admit I liked playing as the DCU characters better. Especially The Flash.
Modes - 6.0
Nothin' spectacular here. It's split in three groups, One Player, Two Player and Online. I don't think I'll have to explain what that means. Anyway, selecting One Player will lead you towards MK vs. DCU's Arcade Mode, which consists of 10 fights and if you complete it you'll get a little ending movie that just doesn't feel like a reward at all, the Story Mode, which is where the events of the game unfold and in my opinion the best mode that this game has to offer too, the Practice Mode, which is exactly what it sounds like, and then there's Kombo Challenge. And that right there, is just plain nasty. The concept is simple, it's just picking a character and doing 10 combo's that are shown on-screen. But the game's so unresponsive etc. that this is just a pain to pull off. To this day, I have not completed more than 3 combo's for my best characters. And that's saying something.
Selecting Online simply takes you to a screen where you can challenge and be challenged by other players. You can play matches there, but if you want to look at your stats, you're gonna have to leave the room. That could've been done a bit better. Other than that it's just the same old stuff that every game nowadays has. You fight, choose whether or not you want another go, or pick another opponent.
I'd like to tell you about the Two Player options, but you need 2 controllers in order to even check the menu out, and I don't at the moment. Then again, even if I had a friend over who had a controller with him, I probably wouldn't even bring up this game.
Gameplay - 5.0
What I always thought while playing this game was that I was always held back. The punches don't really look like they have any impact, and there's just not that much to do, in terms of movements. I always felt like there were only two or three (useful) options. Other than that, the game is just unresponsive, like I already mentioned, which makes especially the Kombo Challenges a pain to pull off.
Another thing that I thought was unneeded, was that they used the D-Pad only to move left and right, and to duck and jump. If you want to move sideways, you're gonna have to do so with your Left Analog Stick. Totally unnecessary, in my opinion.
In it's defence though, it's easy to pull off most of the character's special moves, which makes sure that most fights are filled with 'em, which is exactly what you'd expect in a fight with superheroes.
The Freefall Kombat, where one character gets bashed off of a platform and the characters just keep on fighting while plunging down, is a very nice addition too, and definitely something that belongs in comic books, but looks awesome enough to be part of the MK universe too. This is the most prominent of the three little minigames though. Klose Kombat doesn't occur that often, and basically, it's just the same as Freefall. You get up close and personal with your opponent, and by pressing a button you attack him, which he can counter if he pressed the same button. So it's a bit like Rock, Paper, Scissors. Just a lot more violent. And lastly, there's Test Your Might. That's what occurs when someone smacks his opponent against a wall, and bashes into him. You then have to tap buttons like crazy, as you keep bashing through other walls, trying to increase the damage it does to your human/Kryptonian/whatnot shield. Your opponent can also bash buttons, in an attempt to decrease the damage. They're definitely fun additions, but Klose Kombat and Test Your Might simply don't occur often enough to really affect the course of the game, or even increase the 5.0 I'm giving this game for it's gameplay.
Graphics - 4.0
Once again, nothing special. If you see this game, you'd rather think it was made for a PS2. I'd even dare to say that Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance for the PS2 looks better than this game. But maybe my opinion is just affected by the graphics of the other PS3 games I've played recently. So, I'll adjust it. It might have been one of the best looking games if it were on PS2, but on the PS3 it simply can't hold it's own.
Sound – 4.0
And yet again, I'm gonna have to say that MK vs. DCU's nothing special. Not even in terms of sound. The soundtrack repeats itself every 5 seconds or so, so if you're in the menu for a couple of minutes, it'll already drive you crazy. It also gets used everywhere, so basically you're just listening to the same 5 seconds of music over and over again. There are a few other songs for the levels you play in, but most of them are just 5 seconds that loop over and over again, and none of them are really catchy or fun to listen to.
Other
There's also the Extras option in the menu. Sounds promising, right? Well, other than character Bio's, ending and the game's Kredits, this has nothing to offer. And that's the thing with this game. It's not lacking anything in specific, it just doesn't add anything. It does the least you'd expect from a fighting game (not from a MK game), and nothing more.
Verdict
(7.0 + 6.0 + 5.0 + 4.0 + 4.0) : 5 = 5.2, and that makes for a 5.0 in my book.