HHW Gaming Review: ‘Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath” Gives NetherRealm’s Fighter Some New Energy

It’s been more than a year since was first released, and to give arguably the best fighting game of 2019 some new legs going into 2020 Aftermath has arrived.

revigorates the fighting game by adding new stages, significant balance changes, Friendships for other characters, stage fatalities, and more.

The best part about all of that, you get to enjoy all of those enhancements for free99.

BUT if you want to play the three-hour expansion to MK11’s single-player story mode or issue fades with Sheeva, Fujin, and of course, RoboCop it’s going to cost you… $40 to be exact.

But is it worth it?

The campaign picks right up where it ended in Mortal Kombat 11 and takes us a time-heist to save to time itself but with another twist. While the story is very predictable, it is very enjoyable as it brings back all of the all the game characters minus the guests. Shang Tsung, who is played by actor Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa who not only steals souls in the game but also every damn scene he is in. Outside of that, it’s just enjoyable filler, but it’s quite interesting that Sonya Blade doesn’t have one single line outside of a grunt. I’m just gonna assume Ronda Rousey was too busy to record additional voiceover work.

Again, outside of some eyebrow-raising moments, helping the unlikely team of Shang Tsung, Nightwolf and Fujin go back in time and secure Kronika’s crown to restore time does manage to keep your attention for 3-hours.

The Aftermath expansion though, if we are keeping it a buck, is an expensive character pack. We all just wanted to get hands-on with the new characters Sheeva, Fujin, and RoboCop, and for the most part, they each offer unique playstyles for gamers to experience.

Fujin, the God of Wind and brother of Raiden, makes his return to the Mortal Kombat arena. He hasn’t been a playable character since Mortal Kombat: Armageddon 14 years ago.

Once selected, you will find that he is quick and the most unique character out the three. His ability to literally run on-air, fast attacks, and unusual special moves make Fujin a fun character to master.

Now sadly, the same can’t be said about RoboCop is the standout character out of the three. Once selected, outside of all of the neat touches like Peter Weller’s voice and likeness and the callbacks to the classic film, he’s a pretty dull character. His attacks don’t really impress, but if you like characters who are “zoners,” then RoboCop is your man. But then again, this is Mortal Kombat, why would you want to kill your enemies from a distance?

I was also pleasantly surprised with Sheeva, who is an absolute bruiser but is but can also cover ground quickly thanks to her trusty teleport stomp. Sheeva was last playable in Mortal Kombat 9 in 2011, and now she is back with a vengeance. Immediately you will notice that her combos are bone-crushing and when perfectly time with her grabs absolutely devastating. I can definitely see Sheeva being a new favorite among players going forward.

Final Verdict

Honestly, while the story expansion is substantial and three new fighters, even with RoboCop, who is meh, they are a  welcomed addition to the game. But at the price of $40, NetherRealm could have honestly just found a way to separate the two because the price tag is hefty for Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. Not sure if NetherRealm thought they were offering fans a brand new game with Aftermath like, for example, Destiny 2’s massive Forsaken expansion. It sure doesn’t feel that way once you experienced everything.

Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is a solid expansion for the hardcore fans of the franchise, I understand if some folks might wince at the $40 price tag, which makes it a hard recommendation for everyone.

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Photo: NetherRealm Studios / WB Games