MORTAL KOMBAT…
If you’re of a certain vintage, the simple announcement of “Mortal Kombat” throws you back to a different era. While you may not have to pop the cartridge out and expertly blow on it to get it working, the Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath expansion pack combines all the nostalgia you could want while packing in enough new content to keep you occupied for hours.
The add-on more than does justice to Mortal Kombat 11, the best-selling title in franchise history, and also named Fighting Game of the Year at the 2019 D.I.C.E. Awards.
We’ll avoid the spoilers in this review, in case you haven’t taken up the original Mortal Kombat 11 game, and buying the two as a package is actually a pretty class deal if you haven’t dipped your toe into the MK universe in a while.
It still has everything you remember from Mortal Kombat; slick finisher moves, different stage maps, individual fight mode against the CPU or your mate and a host of characters that will make you go “oh, yeah! Remember them!” about once every 20 seconds for the first few rounds. Combine that with the potential of gaming consoles slightly more advanced than the old Mega Drive, and you have a serious game on your hands.
Clip via Youtube: WB Games UK and Ire
Yes, Robocop
For those who have bought the original game and are considering the expansion pack; a three hour, action-packed story mode that combines the intricate lore of the Mortal Kombat universe with new characters, a pressurised time-heist and a new way of finishing battles is a perfect addition… And did we mention you can be Robocop?
Yes, Robocop is now a playable character in Mortal Kombat. Imagine telling yourself that in the 90s. Look, he doesn’t fit the aesthetic and beside the likes of Noob Saibot whirling and twirling you to death, Robocop looks a bit, well, robotic. But it’s Robocop in Mortal Kombat, and you can pit him against The Terminator and Joker. It’s basically everything you used to do with action figures lying on a mat at home, except now you’re an adult and it’s much more violent.
Best of enemies
The introduction of ‘Friendships’ is another welcome addition, if somewhat jarring. The lethal finishing moves in Mortal Kombat 11 are horrifically graphic, there’s no two ways about it. You almost feel the blade, fist or spear from the couch. But, the alternative presented now is as horrific, in an entirely different way. Fighters can choose to not slaughter their foe, but instead joyfully spare their life while performing a unique, jolly sideshow.
Robocop choosing not to decapitate someone and instead moonwalk around a boombox is not something I ever thought I’d be writing in relation to Mortal Kombat. Needs to be seen to be believed.
The bottom line
The Aftermath expansion pack will set you back €39.99 (£34.99) on the Playstation and Xbox Stores at the moment, and if you already have the Mortal Kombat 11 game it is still worth the extra cash. But, if you haven’t played the latest instalment yet since its release last year, the option to bundle the game and the expansion pack for €59.99 (£49.99) offers everything you could want from the MK universe.
Either way, dive in.
For more information, and to purchase the game, head over to the official Mortal Kombat website.
