Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath Expansion Review Summary

Engaging story and well-received new characters make the expansion enjoyable, but the high price and server connection issues undermine its value.

Story praised as engaging: Multiple reviews highlight the story as good, fun, and satisfying, with a continuation that is well-received. The narrative is described as entertaining and pleasant to follow.

New characters well-received: The addition of Fujin, Sheeva, and RoboCop is consistently praised, with reviewers noting they blend nostalgia with fresh mechanics and are well-designed. These characters are seen as a great addition to the roster.

Expansion content enjoyable: The expansion is described as fun, good, and pleasant to play through, with high-quality story DLC that is cinematic and engaging. Reviewers appreciate the overall expansion experience.

Story continuation after ending: The DLC continues the story directly after the main game's ending, providing a satisfying follow-up with twists and turns. This continuation is seen as a strong addition to the base game's narrative.

Tagawa's performance outstanding: Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's portrayal of Shang Tsung is highlighted as incredible, charismatic, and better than in the movie. His performance elevates the story and is heavily featured.

Content not worth price: The amount of content provided is seen as insufficient for the price. The expansion is short and offers limited new features, making it feel overpriced.

Expansion too costly: The expansion is particularly overpriced for those who already bought the premium edition. It adds little content for the high cost.

Story has plot holes: The story is criticized for having numerous plot holes and logic issues. It fails to match the quality of the base game's story.

Server connection issues: Many players experience server connection problems, preventing access to online features, towers, and customization. This is a widespread technical issue.

Base price too high: Multiple reviews state the base game price is excessive, especially considering the amount of content. The $40 price point is frequently cited as too steep.

Story DLC adds campaign: The DLC includes a story mode of up to 5 hours, adding a few extra hours of campaign with a brand new story. It continues the main campaign and is primarily story-oriented.

Story involves time travel: The story involves time travel and time manipulation, with Shang Tsung attempting to reset the timeline and a confrontation between Liu Kang and Shang Tsung. It offers a new take on the multiple timeline story and involves changing history.

Multiple endings available: The expansion offers a choice between two endings, allowing players to see the real ending by choosing. Choices affect the ending, including seeing the conclusion from the antagonist's perspective, and some chapters control only the villains.

New skins and stages: The DLC includes 3 new skin packs and adds stage fatalities and friendships. Friendships are friendly finishing moves, and stage fatalities exist as new finishing options.

Fujin is agile aerial fighter: Fujin has air control, air dashes, tornadoes, air parrying, unusual normals, and a crossbow, allowing him to control almost the whole arena. His playstyle is agile, involving pushing and pulling enemies with both close and ranged moves.

Frequent crashes after DLC: Players report that the game crashes frequently after installing the DLC, making it unstable. This issue is highlighted in Cluster 1.

Crashes at story start: The game crashes to desktop within seconds of starting the story, preventing players from progressing. This is noted in Cluster 2.

Buy on sale: Many reviewers advise waiting for a sale before purchasing the DLC, noting that the base price is excessive and it frequently drops to steep discounts. This sentiment appears across multiple clusters, indicating a strong consensus that the content is not worth full price.

Must-have for MK11 fans: Reviewers who are fans of Mortal Kombat 11 consider the Aftermath Expansion indispensable, especially for those who enjoyed the base game's story. It is seen as completing the MK11 experience with new story content, characters, and gameplay additions.

Consider alternative bundles: Some reviewers recommend buying the DLC as part of a bundle like MK11: Ultimate or the Aftermath Kollection, especially if you haven't played the main game yet. This can offer better value than purchasing the expansion separately.

Not for casual players: Some reviewers caution that the DLC is only worth buying for dedicated MK fans or those with disposable income. Casual players or those not heavily invested in the series may find it overpriced or unnecessary.

Buy characters individually: A few reviewers suggest that if you only want the new characters, it's better to purchase them individually rather than the full expansion. This is particularly relevant for players who don't care about the story content.

Community fair range: $40.00 - $50.00.

Story completion: 3.5h.

Story-Driven Campaigner: Focuses on single-player campaign, minimal online or competitive play. Motivation: Completing the story and experiencing the narrative continuation. Stance: sale.

Value-Conscious Deal Seeker: Researches deals, compares editions, and waits for sales before purchasing. Motivation: Getting the best value for money and avoiding overpaying. Stance: sale.

Character & Mechanics Enthusiast: Practices with new fighters, explores combos and krushing blows, engages in competitive play. Motivation: Mastering new characters and expanding gameplay depth. Stance: sale.

Monetization: The reviews focus on the high price of the DLC expansion, which is a one-time purchase. There is no evidence of microtransactions, pay-to-win, gacha, or loot boxes. The main complaints are about the DLC's cost relative to its content and the bundling strategy. A few positive reviews indicate satisfaction with the content. Overall, the monetization is fair, with no predatory practices.

DLC overpriced compared to base game: Multiple reviewers note the DLC price is nearly as high as the base game, with some citing $40. This is seen as excessive, especially for the amount of content provided.

Story quality praised: Several reviewers consider the expansion's story better than the main game's, describing it as high caliber and a direct continuation. It is seen as necessary for following the franchise's narrative.

Short gameplay duration: The story campaign is reported to last only 2-5 hours, with most estimates around 3 hours. This is considered too short for the price point.

Three characters included: The DLC adds three new characters (Fujin, Sheeva, RoboCop) and a story expansion. Some reviewers note these characters can be purchased individually for a lower price.

Poor value for existing owners: Players who already own the base game and Kombat Pack feel they overpay for the DLC, as much of the content (friendships, stages) is free for everyone. The price is considered good only for new players.