Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath

There's not enough meat on Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath's bones to feel like a full expansion, but two of its three new characters are excellent and the brief campaign is fun while it lasts.

Shang Tsung steals the show in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath's additional story content, but the expansion doesn't feel like an essential part of the already superb fighting game.

Seeing a continuation of the bonkers Mortal Kombat 11 story is thrilling, and the new characters are solid additions

Mortal Kombat 11 finally realised a true Mortal Kombat experience on Nintendo hardware, and with Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, Nintendo Switch players get to experience this full expansion in all its glory. The five-chapter-long Story mode isn't essential, but it does a nice job of weaving the non-third-party DLC characters into the narrative, with Shang Tsung still managing to steal the show. The three additions to the roster certainly won't set it alight, but Fujin alone does bring a few dimensions to the party. It's a fun expansion, but the asking price is still a little too high at launch.

If nothing else, Aftermath is a must-play for both newer fans of the modern Mortal Kombat narrative and old-school fans who enjoyed the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie. While there have been offshoot projects like the Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge movie that released earlier this year, Aftermath's story shows once again that there are no better tellers of the Mortal Kombat lore than the NetherRealm team themselves.

Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath lets its villains strut their stuff in a fun epilogue, and the new fighters are all welcome additions, but an overall lack of content makes it tough to wholly recommend this expansion at its full $40 price tag. Those new to Mortal Kombat 11 can get a much better deal, but if you've already bought the game, this Aftermath may not add up.

Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is an entertaining extra romp for those wanting more Mortal Kombat 11. Though it likely doesn’t change the trajectory of the franchise, it’s a fun 2-3 hours anchored by the phenomenal Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa. Fujin and Sheeva are decent additions to the roster, though RoboCop comes off as an uninspired choice for the third slot. There aren’t any new additions to the gameplay, outside of the free stages, Friendships and stage fatalities added for all players free of charge. If you loved Mortal Kombat 11, you’re going to enjoy Aftermath. Its weakness is the cost. For $39.99, Aftermath doesn’t supply enough to justify the price. The story is over too soon, and with only three new characters, the offering comes off as shallow when compared to what players got in the base game and Kombat Pack. As an expansion, Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath features a quality addition to the campaign and three new characters that are mostly high quality. While quality should always trump quantity, Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is a case where the quality can’t justify the high cost.

All in all, Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is a worthy expansion to the already excellent base game

Yep, we’ve all said it. Followed by a thrust of our hands forwards and then back towards our chest, imitating the infamous Scorpion setting in his ranged stinger from this critically acclaimed franchise. Mortal Kombat 11 has found its place with casual beat-em-up gamers and pro players alike since its launch in April 2019, and with 13 months of optimisations and updates, we finally welcome the first major DLC for this franchise, ‘Aftermath’ to the fold. Our very own Craig Green already covered the main game back last year, the link to the review can be found here. We won’t be retracing these steps today and will just be focusing on the additions found as part of this pricey DLC.

That said, Aftermath is a fantastic expansion to Mortal Kombat 11 that will keep the game alive and well for its second year, and will hopefully lead to more expansion packs with more characters in the future.