Fighting games used to be a staple in my gaming collection. They were the most, if not only, played genre for me in middle school. Mortal Kombat 1 and 2, Street Fighter 2 and Killer Instinct were all I needed for years.

But lately I have not played them as much. Street Fighter IV and Injustice got me back into them for a bit. But just fighting proved not to be enough for a while. Luckily MK9, Injustice and Mortal Kombat X have story modes that are more than just an afterthought, more an actual game mode. Mortal Kombat 9s story mode was decent but kind of pissed all over my childhood with how it “retold” the story of the old games, but Injustice’s story mode was fantastic. I’ve played it multiple times, it’s that good.

Mortal Kombat X falls in between MK9 and Injustice I feel in terms of quality. It looks and sounds great; the story is miles better than MK9 but it’s missing the character and epicness of Injustice. Sure they are two different franchises and universes but I feel the comparison can still be at least talked about. But MKX’s storymode is still interesting enough to keep you wanting to press on.

And then we get to the actual gameplay and it is very, very good. It feels like Mortal Kombat should. I knew I was going to enjoy the game when I played a match as Kitana and she played as good as I remember her playing in MK2 years ago. Obviously the moveset is much improved but in my mind it’s the same and that matters, a lot.

MKX brings a familiar setup to longtime Kombatants with the challenge towers. It’s the core MK experience you came for. Nothing really to elaborate on. If you have played Mortal Kombat, then you know what to expect.

They players control well and the special moves are easy enough to pull off. The combos can be a bit tricky as you have to be very fast and precise but once you nail down a few “meat and potato” combos for your favorite characters it becomes second nature.  I found that I really like Kitana still and have a new found respect for Sonya. I was never a fan of hers but in this game she is great. Newcomer Cassie Cage is also in my top tier of players.  Notice a trend? Yup, the ladies seem to be my favorite. I think it’s because they all have quick movesets. Those three are fast and agile, lending to quick attacks leading into simple and effective combos.

I absolutely enjoy the game. Replay value is there. I will probably keep playing it for a while. I don’t stick with fighting games long these days but this one may keep me playing. Definitely recommended, and if you are fan of fighting games, you will love this one. Enough new stuff to stay fresh, but familiar enough to let you jump right in.