Besides the expected roster shuffle, Deadly Alliance steps fully into the world of 3D, inviting characters to circle around each other, dodge attacks and more. Many attacks sweep across an area, and a character that dodges further into the arc will be hit despite their defensive maneuver. Blocking remains an option in this case, and some characters have reversals they can use to catch and counter their foe’s hit. Surprisingly, not every character can use these, but those lacking reversals have the ability to heal themselves and often to power up their attacks through taunts. This kind of trade off is the heart of Deadly Alliance‘s balancing system.

Take weapon combat, for instance. Now integrated fully into the game, your bladed attacks can do devastating damage, but every time you take a hit, the damage is magnified. Thus, characters wielding blades have to be particularly careful that their foes not land a solid combo.

Combination attacks have become more the focus in Deadly Alliance than the special moves. In part, this is facilitated by the new style system, which allows you to switch your character to a whole new set of moves on the fly. Shang Tsung, for instance, will change from Cobra style Kung Fu to Crane style, and then draw his straight blade as you rotate your stances. Similarly, Kenshi shifts from Tai Chi to San Shako, and then draws his Katana. Each character has their own specialties and three different libraries of moves, depending on the style currently in use.

Combos work pretty much the same as expected, in that you enter a string of moves and attacks to form a sequence that an enemy can not break once caught within. Simple combo entries might be Y,Y,X, while the most advanced incorporate style shifts on the fly, starting with a sequence of attacks in one move set and ending, perhaps, with a slice of your blade.

Arcade makes up the bulk of the single-player mode, proceeding from stage to stage with your chosen character and eventually culminating in a boss battle that triggers a cinematic ending. Returning from the past are the intermission mini-games, with Test your Might’s button slapping accompanying the cup competition called Test your Sight. These challenges also pop up in Versus, the resident multiplayer mode, and provide a break from pummeling your friends.

One of the more interesting modes, Konquest, requires that you build a player profile. These profiles track your progress through the game and your current balance of “kurrency.” Earned in both Arcade mode and Konquest, the coins come in a variety of colors and may be wagered if two profiles are in use in Versus mode. You can then use them to unlock alternate costumes, characters, levels and scads of concept art, design sketches and so forth in a massive chamber filled with hundreds of “koffins,” each labeled with a purchase price.

Konquest, then, awards you more coins as you complete a series of levels that essentially amount to tutorials for every character. The first eight stages teach you the basics of blocking, dodging, attacks and so forth. After that, each character has ten stages where you cover their basic moves, special attacks, combos and styles. Each character’s back-story also plays out through written tales before each segment, helping you to understand their motivations and roles in the conflict.