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.
The console versions of Mortal Kombat X received mostly positive reviews from critics upon release. Most praise was directed at the game's controls, overall gameplay, graphics, story, and characters, with some reviewers calling it the best game in the Mortal Kombat series. However, the PC version of the game was met with mixed reception, with reviewers blaming numerous technical issues (including frequent crashes and slow netcode) for severely hindering the experience. Some critics also particularly disliked the tutorials, microtransactions, and downloadable content. Selling more than 5 million copies, the game was the fastest-selling game in the franchise and the ninth best-selling game in 2015.
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, and improved gameplay, and netcode featuring a rollback system. This edition is also coming to PC on October 4, 2016.