The new-ness needs to wear off from MKX before I make a real decision.

MKX is better in every single way

It could possibly just be because I have become a better player than I was when I was still really into MK9, but for whatever reason I like the actual gameplay of MKX a whole lot more.

As much as I want to like MK9 better just for the classic character and nostalgia factor, MKX is just more fun to play, IMO. That, coupled with the amazing graphics and the fact that they stepped up the narrative, the art style and everything, it's really hard not to like it more.

I like MK X better. Fast gameplay, beautiful graphics, brutal and detailed fatalities

MKX. The graphics are improved, better gameplay, and for once, I actually like the new characters that were introduced in this game.

Yeah, for the most part, the new characters were winners. I didn't even like the most of the characters introduced in MK4 this much, aside from Quan Chi.

My personal opinion is MKX is better.
I was more invested and interested in the story, even if all characters didn't get fantastic treatment.
I was more satisfied with the fluent and versatile game play presented.
I further enjoyed the stage interactions and maps presents as well, though I wish there was more.
But something crucially notable is the roster.
The roster in MKX is perfect. Yes it didn't add everyone we all wanted but it didn't need to. I played every single character and variation and not a single one was disappointing.
Also for comparison, the first MK I purchased was MK9 and I tried getting into it and learning it but it didn't grasp me like MKX did. ESPECIALLY WTH THE HYPE!!!
I can't get over how hyped NRS got us with one character trailer at a time. Too clever. And then with got amazing guest characters and DLC. Well played NRS.
Looking forward to it

Very well stated! There have been so many MK's now that we come to the point where we're always going to be missing something, no matter how much they try to cram in there to satisfy everybody.
Yes, we wanted this character and that character, I personally was really hoping to see the return of classic fatalities. Still, like you, very satisfied with what they brought to the table.

Can't wait to see what they come up for the next game!

MK9 did the series a great favor by returning to it's 2D roots, which many people seem to forget. It marked the first time seeing gory fatalities in HD, as well as introducing x-rays which did wonders for the gameplay. All 33 characters were fleshed out nicely including unpopular ones like Stryker and Sheeva. Story mode even surprised me....for retelling the events from MK1-UMK3 in one game they sure pulled it off nicely. I think MK9 in general did more for the series than MKX did.

I also think it was more wise of NRS to have not spoiled the entire roster like they did with MKX using the Kombat Kasts. It made playing it for the first time so much better as you didn't know what to expect from characters like Shang Tsung or Sheeva who were not officially shown to the public let alone revealed.

Too early to tell, for me at least.

But MK9 NEEDED to do more for the series, because as much as I hate to admit it, Mortal Kombat really started to wither away with the PS2 generation. I mean, MKDA was a comeback of sorts after the disaster that was Special Forces, and Deception generated a lot of hype and popularity for the franchise, but that's where things started to go downhill. While Shaolin Monks was popular and successful enough, it wasn't nearly the hype machine that Deception was, and by the time Armageddon came out, people were already looking forward to the next generation, and it was largely ignored by people who weren't hardcore fans or followers of the franchise.
And then there was MK vs. DC. While I personally really like the game, let's face it, a lot of people just saw it as a wannabe copycat of "Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter", which it was, in a way, at least conceptually. While I think the game is solid, it experienced plenty of criticism due to the lack of violence, and even I personally would admit that it lacked "substance". Aside from the Story Mode and the Arcade Mode, there really wasn't anything else to it. No concept art to unlock, no other game modes, no alternate costumes, the roster was pretty small. It just felt incomplete in some ways, and then Midway goes under and MK's future is suddenly in question. Even though WB bought them out pretty quickly, there was still a question of, "Is anything actually going to happen with the franchise?" And we haven't heard anything for over a year. MK9 was not only a reboot of the timeline, but it was a reboot of the franchise as a whole. New publisher, new developer name, new everything. They had a LOT to prove. They needed to show that given the right amount of time, money and attention, they could make Mortal Kombat relevant again, and bring it into the forefront of fighting games, instead of having it be considered a horribly broken, shallow fighting experience like Armageddon was.

Wow, that's a lot of text. I apologize for that.

MKX didn't do as much for the franchise, but that's because it doesn't have to. The franchise isn't in jeopardy. If anything, it's reached a second peak in its popularity, the biggest one since mid 90's. MKX just needed to keep the momentum going while bringing the franchise into the new generation, and considering how rocky MK's transitions into new generations have been in the past, for MKX it was seamless and smooth, and carried the momentum of MK9 wonderfully.

Mk x is alot better than MK9, huge improvement and more mechanics to play with. The variation system is genius

MKX is 1000 times better than MK9. With MK9, I never really found myself "itching" to play the game like I do/am right now for MKX. It's just such a fun game. Seriously. I'll have a blast even if I'm being owned in this game. Don't get me wrong though, MK9 is tons of fun to play as well but the overall presentation of MKX is just that much better. Everything is on point from those amazing graphics to the charcter/stage designs and them Brutalities man! A real game changer because it genuinely brings back that element of surprise and shock that MK once had.

I think literally my biggest quarrel with the game is just sitting there wondering "what this or that charcter would have been like in this game??" The game looks so freakin amazing you want EVERYBODY in it lol. Like "screw it! Armageddon all over again! Let's do it!"

They really took something that was already great and made it greater.

Yeah I think I agree with you. I'm trying not to think about the story so much as much as the game play. I initially feel x is slower than 9 somehow. It feels kind injustice-like. I think it's less 'juggly' than 9. Maybe it is the uppercut? Like, my brother came over the other day and he is not a very good video game player at all, didn't look at any of the moves and played arcade mode on medium and got to Shinnok. All he really did was fly kick and uppercut. For me (who doesn't get a lot time these days to play games) I generally try and have a go at the tower every time I switch on the PS4, I don't do that with X , instead I'll have a quick friendly on FIFA.

In terms of story mode, I feel the story in MK9 was more compelling than MKX's. Though I have to say the story mode in MK9 felt a little rushed as it progressed.

The MK1 storyline was great; MK2 good; MK3 was, well..."not bad."

Also, what was great about MK9 was that there were a lot more arenas, so the action took place within multiple settings, which was cool.

In MKX, the action kept taking place in the same arenas, which I thought made the story feel a bit "limited."

HOWEVER, in terms of the quality of the cutscenes, MKX blows MK9, easily. The mini games were a nice add-on.

But like I said, prefer MK9's storyline better.

As someone mentioned above, it's too early to say. But if I had to chose now I'd say that Story mode in MK9 was better not prettier but better, a lot better than the shit we got in MKX.

Gameplay-wise it'll easily be MKX, It's MUCH better and smoother, Graphics also go to MKX obviously because it's BEAUTIFUL.

So MKX is better in terms of beauty but MK9 is better in terms of actual good and not disgusting/cringe worthy quality.

MKX

In spite of a number of things pissing me off which I won't get into...MKX is still better overall for me.

MKX and it's not even close.

I loved MK9, but this game kicks MK9 right in the balls.

I think since this game has brutalities it is a far more superior game than MK9. The story was a lot better even though it was shorter it was still a better story than the last game.

I think it already has for me.

There are things that MKX does that are good, and there are things MK9 did better. I feel MKX is a 1.5 steps forward and two steps back at the same timeTBH.

I think the social features are great, graphics are awesome, and I really do like the different variations. The new krypt and the rotating towers are all great. The new concept of brutalites are great as well

What I don't like is the fact they took out stage fatalities in favor of stage interactions. MK should have stage fatalities, stage interactions should have been limited to Injustice. The lack of a dedicate 300+ challenge tower and an unlockable to work towards seems to have shorten the games lifespan for me. It easily took a few weeks if not months to try and make it through the challenge tower and get all the unlockables in MK9. In MKX I got nearly all the alternate character skins unlocked in a single weekend. Just missing the handful of online ones, and they really don't seem to be that hard to get (save for hotshot johnny cage).
I also feel like command inputs are more stricter in MKX compared to MK9. Their not as bad as MK vs DCU, which I loathed, but I'd say the timing for inputs in MKX fall somewhere between MK9 and MK vs DCU. Which doesn't really sit too well with me. It's tolerable, but it is making the less enjoyable as well.

Also as far as brutalites goes, I like the concept of them being basically enhanced final blow blow special moves, but what I don't like is that each and every single one has a different requirement in order to perform. It just makes memorizing them such a choir. There should have just been 1 set of universal rules for performing them.

The netcode is also terrible in MKX compared to MK9. Too much input latency that it makes pulling off some of the most basic combos a choir. This is what is going to kill the game in the long run IMO. It's far to easy to spam stuff online that technically isn't safe under normal circumstance in the game.

^^^

Mortal Kombat X to me is def the "Third Strike" of the series. Its improved on MK9 in every way, but its also increased the execution difficulty. MK9 was much easier from a game play stand point. I still prefer the more robotic execution of MK9, but im adjusting fine to MKX, it just takes some getting used to.

MKX wins imo, however I miss stage fatalities, babalities and auto correcting cross ups.

Hopefully MK11 combines the best of both worlds.