It has begun…again
When Mortal Kombat 11 launched last year I was sure of what to expect. NetherRealm has been on a consistent trajectory of increasing the quality of their fighting games and adding in tons of new features. They set the bar when it comes to stories in fighting games and, like everyone else, I expected a couple sets of character packs and balance changes. Instead, the team opted to release a full expansion to the main story mode that continues right where things left off, add three new characters, and a ton of bonus features in one slick package. This is Mortal Kombat 11 Aftermath.
I felt the story in Mortal Kombat 11 ended perfectly. It set the stage for the series to take a turn, reset, and move into the next set of games. However, this expansion dips back into the world and takes us on a journey following a set of characters, mostly consisting of the DLC fighters released in Kombat Pack 1. The quality is just as high as the original, albeit a little shorter. The Aftermath story took me around three hours to complete, and with anything involving time travel it gets a little into the weeds, but they make it work.
MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: XB1 (reviewed), PS4, PC, Switch
Price I’d Pay: $29.99
One of the things Mortal Kombat has always been good at is making the players care about their characters. As ridiculous as the package around it is, these are compelling performances. While it didn’t necessarily add a lot to the lore, it does a nice job of creating a compelling story that is once again fun to see through.
The story is only one piece of the puzzle though. NetherRealm also used this expansion to drop three new characters at once. Sheeva joins the cast after making a cameo in the original story. Her moves are reminiscent of grappling style and she excels at close-quarters combat. She is surprisingly fun to play as I never really got into her style in previous games. Next up is Fujin, the wind God. I thought he would be the most interesting as his move set hints at plenty of juggle combos. Sadly, he feels the stiffest of the bunch, which is weird to say the least. Finally, we have yet another guest character in the form of Robocop. This was the biggest surprise as his move set is fantastic and the nods to his character in moves and finishers is incredible.
The little things like these make NetherRealm such a wonderful developer. They really pay attention to the small details that make their fans smile. Things like a nod to Shang Tsung’sAnimality in the story to the arcade machines in the background of the new Retrocade stage. Speaking of new stages there are a handful here with the highlight being the aforementioned Retrocade. This stage projects images of classic (klassic?) stages in the background. Interacting with the projector changes levels and the music is even the original tracks.
The new stages are just one piece. There are also new finishers in the form of returning favorites. Friendships makes a comeback for all of the characters and range from hilarious to relatively lame. The new stages also bring back the stage fatality. There are three (two of which are old stages) that include ways to destroy opponents using the stage. These are welcome additions and the best part is they are free to all owners of MK11.
The big question is the price tag. While the complete collection is a reasonable $60, owners of other versions are required to drop $40 to get the new story content and characters. It is a steep price for three characters and a new three-hour campaign, but the quality is there. For fans, it is a no-brainer, but for casuals the barrier to entry is high.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
