Released in April 2019,MortalKombat 11received mostly positive reviews, being held back only by somecontroversial problemsregarding the new Krypt and method of unlockingskins. But despite these issues, most agreed the gameplay was as smooth and refined as ever.
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Fast forward a year later and NetherRealm Studios announcesMortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, a massive expansion adding three new playable characters, a new story mode, stages, and a slew of other bonuses. There’s plenty for fans to be excited about. Adversely, several lackluster features conjure little excitement from players, whether they be additions few were asking for or problems the update won’t address.
10Not Excited: Pre-Order Bonus
DLC pre-order bonuses for full games are annoying enough. Now, expansion packs have their own set of exclusive goodies for those who buy it before release. Fortunately, they are only three skins and a theme for those on Sony’s PlayStation 4, but it still feels weird. Wanting to spend an additional forty dollars on a year-old game already confirms a fan’s dedication to the property and should be justification enough for giving out bonuses to players instead of making them buy it early.
9Excited: RoboCop
NetherRealm Studios never fails with itsguest characters, and they really knocked it out of the park withRoboCop’supcoming inclusion inAftermath.
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The original movie’s shocking violence fits in perfectly with the game’s tone. To make the character even sweeter, actor Peter Weller is providing the voice of the iconic law enforcement officer, reprising the role for the first time since 1990. Fans are thrilled with this news and excited to learn his moves and see his fatalities.
8Not Excited: Fujin
Fujin made his debut inMortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zeroand first became playable inMortal Kombat 4. This expansion marks his first return to the roster since 2006’sMortal Kombat: Armageddon. As a character from the lower points of the franchise, it is difficult to muster up excitement for the god’s return. He certainly must have admirers, however, so the least people can do is be happy for the fans who are excited to see him.
7Excited: New Stages
Several new stages will be added to the mix. Among them are classics like Dead Pool and Soul Chamber. The exact number of new arenas is not exact, but at least one new area shown in the trailer is coming in as well. As much as fans love reliving classic moments with beloved characters, a franchise always has to push forward and give players new things to adore.
6Not Excited: No Changes To Online
The online functionality works well technically, but several hurdles prevent casual players from investing their time. For one, ranked bouts are extremely long, going until one player wins two out of three matches.
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Additionally, the reward for participating is a mere pittance, giving those who lose often little incentive to stick around and improve if all their failures are in vain.
5Excited: Story Expansion
The base game’s Story Mode ends with the door wide open towards the future. Most fans weren’t expecting an update to the lore for at least four years, so the additional story content inAftermathcomes as a pleasant surprise. Not only is a treat to see how the story builds upon the ending, but DLC characters are expected to play a role in it.
4Not Excited: Price
Fighting games often have a tricky relation with pricing DLC and expansions. This update is adding a whole bevy of content for every type ofMortal Kombatplayer. Hardcore players will have new characters to learn, while those interested in the lore will experience a new cinematic story.
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At the end of the day, though, it is still difficult to gulp down the fact that players who bought every DLC when it came out and purchasedMortal Kombat 11at full price will have spent well over one hundred dollars on the game by now.
3Excited: Friendships
Despite the blood and guts,Mortal Kombatis also never afraid to embrace a sillier side. The expansion is set to remind players of this as it reintroduces Friendships for the modern era. Instead of brutally killing the opponent, a Friendship ends the round with the victor performing a kind gesture accompanied by some upbeat ’80s-inspired music.
2Not Excited: No Fixes To The Krypt
One of the biggest controversies surrounding the game was the Krypt. The randomness and sheer number of skins — most of which are color swaps — made unlocking everything unbearable tedious.
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The novelty of exploring Shang Tsung’s island quickly wore off as players reset all the chests after learning that opening all of them was not enough to fully complete the Krypt. Based on what has been revealed,Aftermathmakes no changes to this formula, continuing to make unlocking everything an insurmountable task.
1Excited: Some Stuff Is Free
A solid amount of the content is free to allMortal Kombat 11owners. Stages, Friendships, and and Stage Fatalities will be accessible to everyone. This is most likely to keep the online community intact since it would be unfortunate to lose the ability to play against most other players if someone didn’t feel like buying the expansion.
