You’ve seen the newer, shinier titles with their Hollywood-grade face scans and multiverse-hopping stories. But honestly? There is something about the Mortal Kombat X PS4 game that just feels meaner, faster, and more rewarding than anything NetherRealm has put out since.
Released in 2015, it was the moment Mortal Kombat truly grew up. It stopped trying to be a 90s nostalgia act and started being a legitimate, high-speed competitive machine. Even in 2026, if you pop that disc into your console, the impact is immediate. The "crunch" of a bone-shattering X-Ray move hasn't lost its edge.
The Variation System: What Most People Get Wrong
People often talk about the roster as just a list of names. "Oh, Scorpion is in it. Cool." But in MKX, Scorpion isn't just Scorpion.
The variation system was a massive gamble. Basically, every single character has three distinct versions of themselves. Choose Scorpion’s Ninjutsu style, and you’re playing a mid-range sword fighter. Switch to Hellfire, and you’re a zoning nightmare with fireballs and teleports. It effectively tripled the depth of the game without cluttering it with filler characters.
It wasn't perfect. Some variations were clearly "meta" while others collected dust, but it forced you to actually learn a character's toolkit. You couldn't just mash. You had to commit. This level of customization meant that even if you faced ten different Sub-Zero players in a row online, you might see three or four completely different playstyles.
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The Speed Is Absolute Chaos (In a Good Way)
If you play Mortal Kombat 11 or the newer MK1, the first thing you notice is the pacing. They feel deliberate. Heavy.
The Mortal Kombat X PS4 game is the complete opposite. It’s a track meet with chainsaws.
- The Stamina Bar: This was the secret sauce. It allowed for running—actual, full-tilt sprinting—across the screen.
- Pressure: Because you could run, the "neutral" game (where players dance around each other) barely existed. You were either in your opponent's face or trying to get away from a blender of combos.
- Mix-ups: Characters like Erron Black or Sonya Blade could force you into 50/50 guessing games that could end a round in twenty seconds.
It’s frantic. It’s sweaty. For some, it was too much. Professional players like SonicFox turned the game into a high-speed chess match where one mistake meant losing 40% of your health. But for the average person on their couch, that speed made every win feel like an adrenaline shot.
The "New Kids" and the 25-Year Jump
NetherRealm took a huge risk with the story. They jumped the timeline forward 25 years. They introduced "The Kombat Kids"—Cassie Cage, Takeda, Jacqui Briggs, and Kung Jin.
Usually, when a fighting game replaces the old guard with their children, fans revolt. Remember SoulCalibur V? Exactly.
But MKX pulled it off. Cassie Cage somehow managed to be cooler than her dad, Johnny, while keeping that same obnoxious charm. The game felt like a passing of the torch. It gave us a darker, more industrial-looking world. The stages weren't just colorful arenas; they were gritty, interactive environments. You could grab a background NPC and throw them at your opponent. It was brutal and weirdly grounded for a game about sorcerers and cyborgs.
Why the PS4 Version Specifically?
While the PC port had a legendary "rough start" (shoutout to High Voltage Software for that disaster before QLOC saved it), the PS4 version was the gold standard. It ran at a crisp 1080p and a rock-solid 60 frames per second.
In a fighting game, frame drops are a death sentence. The PS4 handled the particle effects, the gore, and the complex stage interactions without breaking a sweat. It’s also where the largest community lived. Even today, finding a match on PlayStation is surprisingly easy compared to other titles of that era.
The Brutality of the Krypt
We have to talk about the Krypt. In previous games, it was just a menu where you bought concept art. In the Mortal Kombat X PS4 game, it became a first-person dungeon crawler.
You wandered through the Spider Tunnels and the Dead Woods, solving puzzles and occasionally getting jumped by a jump-scare wolf or spider. It was genuinely atmospheric. It turned unlocking "Fatalities" and "Brutalities" into an actual adventure. Speaking of Brutalities, MKX revived them in the best way possible. Instead of a long button sequence at the end of the fight, you had to meet certain conditions during the match to trigger an instant, mid-fight execution.
It was disrespectful. It was stylish. It was peak Mortal Kombat.
How to Actually Win in 2026
If you’re just getting back into it, or picking it up for the first time, don't play it like a modern fighter.
- Abuse the Interactables: Use the R1 button. Jump off the walls. Throw the old lady in the market stage. If you aren't using the background to escape the corner, you’re losing.
- Learn a "Pocket" Combo: Every character has a "bread and butter" string. Find it in the move list and practice it until your thumbs hurt.
- Respect the Meter: Don't just blow your X-Ray the second it’s full. Save that meter for "Breakers." In a game this fast, being able to stop an opponent’s combo is worth more than any flashy cinematic move.
- Watch the Overheads: MKX is notorious for "low/overhead" mix-ups. If you’re always blocking low, a good player will crack your skull with an overhead within seconds.
The Legacy of Mortal Kombat XL
Eventually, the game evolved into Mortal Kombat XL. This brought in the heavy hitters: Alien, Predator, Jason Voorhees, and Leatherface.
Seeing the Xenomorph fight a Predator in a Mortal Kombat engine was the ultimate "fan service" moment. They didn't just feel like guest skins; they had full variations that respected the source material. Predator’s Hish-Qu-Ten variation, for example, gave him the shoulder cannon and traps, making him feel exactly like the hunter from the movies.
Is It Still Worth Playing?
Absolutely. There is a grit to the Mortal Kombat X PS4 game that the newer entries have polished away. The lighting is moodier. The character designs are more utilitarian and less "superhero."
While MK11 and MK1 offer better graphics and more cinematic stories, they don't match the raw, unhinged energy of X. It represents a specific era where NetherRealm wasn't afraid to let the game be "broken" in the name of fun. It’s fast, it’s violent, and it’s arguably the most "Mortal Kombat" the series has ever been.
If you’re looking for a deep-dive challenge or just want to see what the fuss was about a decade ago, start by mastering a single character in the Living Towers. It’s the best way to get a feel for the rhythm of the combat without getting destroyed online immediately. From there, head into the Krypt and start unlocking those Brutalities—they are still the most satisfying way to end a match.