What Mortal Kombat X is
Mortal Kombat X is a fighting game from NetherRealm Studios and QLOC. It leans on a cinematic presentation and pairs it with new gameplay ideas, so matches read like a fight scene as much as a contest. The roster draws on horror and fantasy themes, and the tone is violent and atmospheric, with gore and a strong soundtrack behind it. Fights take place in a third-person view on 2.5D stages, and the game is tagged as difficult, so expect a real learning curve rather than a casual button-masher.
Choosing your character's variation
The headline change in Mortal Kombat X is that each character comes with multiple variations, and the variation you pick changes both your strategy and your fighting style. That means the same fighter can play very differently depending on which variation you take into a match, and it gives you something to work on beyond just memorizing a single moveset. Picking a variation is the first real decision you make before a round, and it shapes how you approach spacing, pressure, and punishment.
Playing with your group
Mortal Kombat X supports local multiplayer and online co-op, so you can sit on the couch and take turns or play against each other, and you can also compete over the internet. The competitive tag tells you the game is built around head-to-head matches, which suits a group that wants to run a bracket or just keep rematching until someone claims the crown. Steam's Remote Play Together feature is listed for this game, which lets friends join in through that tool. Controller support is noted as a tag, so a pad is a sensible pick for a fighting game like this.
Before you start
Go in expecting to lose a few rounds while you learn. The game is tagged difficult, and the variation system means there is more to study than one character's basic combo string. Set up your controls first, agree with your group on whether you are playing locally or online, and decide how you want to handle the competitive side — casual sets or a proper tournament run. The content is violent and gory with horror and fantasy elements, so keep that in mind for who you play around.