Review for Mortal Kombat 11. Game for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Google Stadia, the video game was released on 23/04/2019
Version for PlayStation 5 from 17/11/2020
Version for Xbox Series X from 17/11/2020
Version for Google Stadia from 19/11/2019
It's been more than a year since the release of Mortal Kombat 11, what in our review we defined as one of the best fighting games of recent times, and since then NetherRealm Studios' support for the game has certainly made itself felt with various balances and tweaks. . Given the well-established history of post-launch content, many expected a classic succession of extra characters, but evidently at the Chicago studio they realized that this formula, although appreciated, lacked bite.
After all, Mortal Kombat is a saga that has been able to be appreciated for its narrative plots, perhaps not deep but nevertheless compelling, especially from the small revolution that the ninth chapter represented for the Story Mode of fighting games. The characters worked and added after the release are therefore always plunged into the roster without any ceremony, without their own space in the events. Hence, NetherRealm has decided to go beyond the norm and create a real expansion for Mortal Kombat 11.
Aftermath doesn't just include three new characters on the roster, it adds a new chapter to the story, direct continuation of events after the main game ending. Inside we find both the brand new characters, and some present in the first Kombat Pack, thus allowing us to try them out before buying it. Certainly a more satisfying formula for introducing these new characters into the Mortal Kombat 11 corpus.
In the following paragraph there will be spoilers on the story of the original title, so in case you have not finished it we advise you to skip it.
The story of Aftermath begins exactly where that of Mortal Kombat 11 ended: Liu Kang, having received divine powers, has just defeated Kronika and is about to use his Hourglass to rewind time and create a new era, under the guidance of the now deadly Raiden. At that moment Shang Tsung, Fujin and Nightwolf, who had remained imprisoned in the Void at the behest of Kronika, enter. After his defeat, they are free, just in time to stop Liu Kang from making a huge mistake.
In fact, the Sands of Time of the Hourglass can only be manipulated by someone in possession of the Crown of Kronika, which was destroyed along with the Titanide. Shang Tsung then suggests that they be sent back in time, to a moment when the Crown was not yet in Kronika's hands, to take it from his island and deliver it to Liu Kang. Obviously none of those present trusts the insidious wizard, so Fujin and Nightwolf accompany him in the enterprise to keep an eye on him.
The events of Aftermath will therefore take us back in time for another five chapters in the role of different protagonists than the original story Mortal Kombat 11; in addition to those already mentioned, we will also check Sheeva, Sindel and Shao Khan. Clearly all of the guest characters like Spawn and RoboCop weren't involved.
Especially to be appreciated is the character of the treacherous Shang Tsung played by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (the same actor who played him in the famous 1995 film). The story that sees him as the central figure is a good addition to the original one, and maintains its characteristic b-movie style that fans of the saga know well. While we're not talking about an Oscar-winning script and the twists and turns are fairly predictable, in Aftermath we find some great choreographed and compelling action scenes, but also a decent characterization of some of the characters involved. There is even the choice between two endings (of which surely only one will be the canonical one).
In addition to the new story portion, Aftermath also includes three new characters and three new skin packs.
- Fujin he turned out to be a very interesting character in terms of type and variety of techniques. Capable of great control of spaces (and therefore among the most technical), extremely fast and pounding, but not very powerful. Raiden's brother god can use the wind in various ways, including the peculiar ability to run in mid-air and strike the opponent from unusual angles, as well as use a fairly effective straight sword at medium to short distances.
- Sheeva it joins the not too numerous grapplers, with different techniques able to maintain pressure on the opponent, from grappling to the deadly and unstoppable stomp in jump. But in its second Variation it proves more eclectic, since it is also capable of launching a number of projectiles that will make the comparison with the more zoning characters less unbalanced.
- RoboCop, created with the collaboration of Peter Weller (the actor who played him in the 1987 film of the same name), is instead the new entry that we liked the least. It is basically a pure zoner, with a vast arsenal with which to target opponents from a distance, but very slow and not very effective up close. Even if we recognize that the character has actually been faithfully reproduced in terms of his fighting skills, and understanding the desire of many fans to see him clash with the Terminator, this does not mean that it is difficult to be able to call him really fun to use or face. In general, it seemed like a great example of how a character can be as exhilarating ideally, as well as disappointing in practice.
Aftermath's announcement was accompanied by the introduction of various other features for Mortal Kombat 11, but it should be noted that these will still be released to all owners of the base game for free. New arenas are added, which longtime fans of the saga will recognize and are sure to appreciate. Three stage fatalities have also been introduced, but above all they make their return to the Friendship, inspired, irreverent and absolutely hilarious.
A re-balancing of the characters was obviously also performed. As for the competitive implications of Aftermath, we refer you to our dedicated article.
Mortal Kombat 11 is enriched with a fairly new formula of its kind, and we are pleased to see from NetherRealm such well-contextualized and non-trivial post-launch support. The new story, which will keep you busy for about 3 hours, is certainly a good one, and Fujin and Sheeva are good additions to the roster. However in all honesty the price of € 39,99 does not seem very attractive to us, especially considering that the rest of the additions are free. If the cost of the expansion doesn't worry you too much, surely Aftermath will satisfy you.
► Mortal Kombat 11 is a fighting game developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Google Stadia, the video game was released on 23/04/2019
Version for PlayStation 5 from 17/11/2020
Version for Xbox Series X from 17/11/2020
Version for Google Stadia from 19/11/2019
