Mortal Kombat X
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Mortal Kombat X is a fighting video game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Running on the Unreal Engine 3, it is the tenth main installment in the Mortal Kombat video game series and a sequel to the 2009 Mortal Kombat. It was released on April 14, 2015 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. NetherRealm studio's mobile team developed a version for iOS and Android devices. A version for Xbox 360 and Play Station 3 was in development but was eventually cancelled because NetherRealm could not get the last-gen versions to the quality expected of a Mortal Kombat game. High Voltage Studios developed the PC version of the game, with Polish studio QLOC taking over the work on it shortly after the release of Kombat Pack 1.
Like previous Mortal Kombat games, 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, such as a story mode, which takes place twenty years after the previous Mortal Kombat game, several 'Tower' modes, which feature dynamically changing challenges, numerous online modes, and the 'Krypt', a mode played in a first-person perspective where players explore the areas unlocking a variety of in-game items.
An upgraded version of Mortal Kombat X, titled Mortal Kombat XL, was released on March 1, 2016 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. This upgrade to the game includes all downloadable content characters from the two released Kombat Packs, almost all bonus alternate costumes available at the time of release, improved gameplay, and improved netcode. This edition was also released for PC on October 4, 2016.
- Big Bad: Shinnok starts the game as this, leading an invasion of Earth by the forces of hell. After he is defeated by Cage and imprisoned by Raiden, his actions still drive the plot as Quan Chi seeks to freed him.
- Bittersweet Ending: Shinnok is defeated, but his corruption seems to have influenced Raiden and, if we go by Kotal Kahn's ending, turned him into something very similar to what Shao Kahn was.
- Deconstruction: Outworld as a Crapsack World as shown and implied through all prior games is turned on its head, and while still shown to be harsh, it can be reasonably prosperous and bearable with proper leadership.
- Decapitated Army: Netherrealm seems to lose the war with Earth soon after Shinnok is imprisoned his medallion.
- Enemy Civil War: The Mileena vs. Kotal Khan feud pits two sides that are, at their best, intensely untrustworthy to Earthrealm against each other. The Earthrealm forces support Kotal Khan largely because of a shaky truce that Kotal Khan will break at the slightest excuse, and both sides really aren't all they much more superior morally to one another long-term, just one side has a marginally saner leader.
- Face Heel Turn: At the end of the game, after trying to purify the Jinsei that Shinnok had corrupted, Raiden had corrupted himself, and is implied he's back to his Knight Templar version of Mortal Kombat: Deception.
- Fate Worse Than Death: A central theme of the story. Being turned into a brainwashed devil soldier of Shinnok is considered universally unpleasant, well, except for the Revenants that don't know any better. And Raiden seeks to impose that over Shinnok once the corrupted Jinsei turns him into Dark Raiden.
- Guest Fighter: The Predator, the Alien, Leatherface and Jason Voorhees are guest characters for this game.
- Grey and Gray Morality: Neither Mileena or Kotal look more sympathetic after this game is over. Mileena isn't interested in making an alliance with Earth, and Kotal back stabs Earth two times on the game, all for his realm's own benefit, that don't makes him look much better than even Shao Kahn. And from an Outworlder's point of view, Kotal looks like a backstabber by revolting against Mileena because she isn't Shao Kahn's blood daughter, when Kitana was also adopted.
- History Repeats: Not even being powered up by the Jinsei saves Shinnok of being beat up by a member of Cage's family.
- Irony: Raiden was already morally grey by the end of MK9 due to a lot of incredibly questionable moral decisions, and he spends most of MKX trying his best to get back to the lighter side of things again, but winds up even more morally grey by the end of the plot. How that happens is where the irony kicks in: His attempt to purify the Jinsei, an unquestionably morally positive action, that is what causes him to inherit the corruption in the process and turns him into Dark Raiden.
- No Campaign for the Wicked: Averted. In Chapter 6, you play as D'Vorah, which is a villain, though the full extent of her evil isn't seen until the very end of the chapter.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The final act of the story could have been perfectly avoided if Scorpion didn't get insanely obsessed in getting his revenge on Quan Chi.
- Pop Star Composer: System of a Down lended "Chop Suey!" for the game's TV launch trailer.
- Time Skip: After Chapter 1, the game skips decades ahead to a time where Cage and Sonya's daughter Cassie Cage is already an young adult.