Is this warrior of Shao Kahn's a worthy download?

Mortal Kombat: Skarlet's Hungry for Blood

The first downloadable combatant to join the fray in Mortal Kombat,Skarlet is one part ferocious warrior, one part porn star. As GameSpy Executive Editor Ryan Scott said, Skarlet's Fatalities are elaborate, bloody porno moves. It was hard to believe at first, but after seeing "Blood Bath" and "Make It Rain," I'd say Shao Kahn created a real sadist when he crafted Skarlet. But we'll get to that later.

For about five dollars, you can add Skarlet to your Mortal Kombat roster and revel in her sexually charged violence. According to Skarlet's official description, she's the product of fused warrior blood and a pinch of sorcery. She's one of Shao Kahn's minions, and she's been tasked with keeping an eye on Quan Chi because you can never trust someone that pale... especially one who can also summon the dead.

Five dollars is a steep price for a single character, and characters are fundamental elements to a fighting game that shouldn't be excluded from the original disc. With that said, Skarlet is fun to use and handles like Kitana. Skarlet has a few close range special attacks but also boasts a series of projectiles that can be launched at different angles. Skarlet uses two short swords attached to her back and a set of kunai for those projectiles.

Skarlet has several standard techniques that work well with her special attacks. Her Slash special, for example, sends her opponent up into the air, priming them for juggle combos. Her Dagger Toss, a startlingly fast projectile, can be performed on the ground and in the air (in two different directions). It's also easy to land on a juggled enemy.

Skarlet's X-Ray Attack is a forward jump attack where she flips through the air with her blades and lands a strike from above. The attack then transitions into a palm to the nose and a boot heel to the eye socket. It's about as painful looking as you'd expect from the series.

Of course every combatant needs some gory Fatalities to end a match on a high note. This is where Skarlet's "scandal level" rises significantly. Her first Fatality, Blood Bath, starts with a slash to the enemy's throat, followed by a fountain of blood that splashes against Skarlet's face as she whips it around, enthused. Make It Rain, alternatively, places Skarlet directly underneath her opponent who is strung up on tendrils of blood. She proceeds to slash her opponent's stomach and bathe in the resulting gory bits, as a slow, unassuming camera zoom brings her bloodied chest to the forefront.

Also, Skarlet's idle animation involves some hip grinding.

Skarlet is plenty of fun and just as over-the-top as the rest of the Mortal Kombat roster. But is she worth five dollars? If extra characters mean the world to you, then yes, she's worth it. Otherwise, only shell out the money if you want to see some digital sadism that would make Mileena blush.