Mortal Kombat X
Tenth main installment in the Mortal Kombat franchise.
Mortal Kombat X is a fighting game from 2015, created by NetherRealm Studios and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It marks the tenth main entry in the Mortal Kombat series and follows the 2011 reboot, set a quarter-century after that game's events. The title launched on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. High Voltage Software handled the Windows port, while Polish developer QLOC took over shortly after the first Kombat Pack dropped.
As with earlier Mortal Kombat titles, the core gameplay pits two players (or one player against the CPU) against each other using a wide range of character-specific attacks. The game includes several modes: a story mode that unfolds 25 years after the previous game, various Tower modes with shifting challenges, online multiplayer options, and the Krypt—a first-person exploration mode where players unlock in-game items.
An enhanced version, Mortal Kombat XL, arrived on March 1, 2016, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It bundled all downloadable characters from the two Kombat Packs, most bonus costumes available at the time, refined gameplay, and improved netcode. This edition hit Windows on October 4, 2016. The next main installment, Mortal Kombat 11, launched on April 23, 2019, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One.
Console versions of Mortal Kombat X earned critical acclaim, with reviewers praising its controls, overall gameplay, graphics, story, and characters—some calling it the best game in the series. The PC version, however, received mixed reviews due to frequent crashes and sluggish netcode that hampered the experience. Selling over 10 million copies, it became the fastest-selling game in the franchise and the ninth best-selling retail game of 2015 in the United States.
**Gameplay**
Mortal Kombat X is a fighting game where two characters battle using a variety of attacks, including special moves and the series' signature gruesome Fatalities. Players can face off locally or online, or fight the CPU. The energy meter, introduced in Mortal Kombat (2011), enables techniques like X-Ray special moves. Like NetherRealm's previous title Injustice: Gods Among Us, fighters can interact with the environment—using scenery to reposition or grabbing objects as weapons. Each character has three variations, each with a distinct move set.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Mortal Kombat X
- Developer
- NetherRealm StudiosWindows version ported by High Voltage Software, later replaced by QLOC
- Publisher
- Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
- Director
- Ed Boon
- Producer
- Hans P. Lo · Adam Urbano
- Designer
- Paulo Garcia · John Edwards
- Programmer
- Gavin Freyberg
- Artist
- Steve Beran
- Writer
- Brian Chard · Dominic Cianciolo · John Vogel · Jon Greenberg
- Composer
- Dynamedion
- Series
- Mortal Kombat
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Mortal Kombat X's gameplay consists of two players, or one player and the CPU, fighting against each other with their selected character using a large, varied array of character-specific attacks. The game contains several modes, including a story mode set twenty-five years after the previous game, Tower modes with dynamically changing challenges, online modes, and the Krypt, a first-person exploration mode. An upgraded version, Mortal Kombat XL, was released on March 1, 2016, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, including all downloadable content characters from the two Kombat Packs, almost all bonus alternate costumes, improved gameplay, and improved netcode. This edition was also released for Windows on October 4, 2016.
Reader's Guide
Mortal Kombat X received critical acclaim on console versions, with praise directed at controls, gameplay, graphics, story, and characters, with some reviewers calling it the best game in the series. However, the PC version received mixed reception due to numerous technical issues, including frequent crashes and slow netcode. The game sold more than 10 million copies, making it the fastest-selling game in the franchise and the ninth best-selling retail game of 2015 in the United States. Its legacy includes introducing new finishing moves such as Quitality and Faction Kills, and bringing back Brutalities in a new form. The game also featured three character variations per fighter, a stamina meter, and stage interactions similar to Injustice: Gods Among Us. A sequel, Mortal Kombat 11, was released on April 23, 2019.
Did You Know?
- Mortal Kombat X is the tenth main installment in the Mortal Kombat franchise.
- The Windows version was initially developed by High Voltage Software, with QLOC taking over after Kombat Pack 1.
- The game introduced Quitality, which instantly kills a player's character if they rage quit during a multiplayer match.
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