As the franchise's first story-based downloadable content ever, Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath does a fantastic job of completing the plot originally started in 1992's Mortal Kombat, but the series' obsession with unnecessary gameplay tweaks and bizarre pricing systems still stops it from being a perfect game. Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is a bloated fighter, excessive in everything from its gore to its menu screens, and while it's just as easy to pick up and play as any other entry in the franchise there is something uncomfortable about the way Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath entertains its players.

This isn't just because of the new Aftermath expansion, which adds multiple new fighters to Mortal Kombat 11 along with some story-based DLC that takes only a few hours to complete, but because of the game's entire aesthetic. Characters are eviscerated in highly-detailed, incredibly morbid ways, and the "Fatal Blows" which serve as this game's iteration of Mortal Kombat X's "X-Ray" often go far and beyond the brutality of Mortal Kombat's worst Fatalities, only with the added bonus of none of the character damage being permanent. For some fans of the series this is a selling point, but others surely miss the silly, more cartoonish-nature of previous titles.

Related: Mortal Kombat 11 Original Review - The Best Fighting Game In Years

It's this dedication to a highly-detailed depiction of blood, gore, and broken bones which feels at odds with Mortal Kombat's formerly campy attitude. The series has never taken itself too seriously, having first introduced things like Animalities and the ridiculous Friendship finishing move over two decades ago, but something about the contrast of seeing a sword or a spear shoved straight through someone's chest, crotch, or torso mid-fight, only to have that person immediately get up and begin jumping around again, just doesn't feel right when rendered in such realistic detail.

Mortal Kombat 11 Scorpion Raiden

Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath picks up right where the end of Mortal Kombat 11 left off. This time, however, right before Liu Kang and Raiden can take control of Kronika's hourglass Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, and Fujin appear to stop them. The player is then forced to travel back into the past once more in order to locate Kronika's crown, something Liu Kang will need if he wants to gain full control over time. Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath's story is well-told and contains a lot of Easter eggs and secrets for long-time franchise fans, but it's fairly short (especially for the DLC's price) and can be easily completed in an afternoon.

The fighting in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is the same as it was in Mortal Kombat 11's base game, with the fighters moving slightly slower and feeling a little more floaty than they did in Mortal Kombat X. Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath's new characters are just as fleshed out as the rest of the roster, with Sheeva in particular standing out as being quite entertaining to both play as and watch in the game's Story Mode. Sheeva retains all of her most famous moves from her Mortal Kombat 3 iteration, including the Ground Pound, and is even once seen holding the severed head of former Mortal Kombat miniboss Motaro.

Mortal Kombat 11 Friendship

There are nearly endless amounts of unlockable costumes, augments, and gear in Mortal Kombat 11, so much so that it seems impossible to properly unlock them all, and the Aftermath DLC expansion adds even more to the pile. Thankfully, the Towers in Mortal Kombat 11 have seen much improvement since the game's original release, and users have lots of options to customize both their characters and their battles to best suit their own playstyle. The game's Krypt remains one of the mode's better iterations, and Mortal Kombat 11's online functions work smoothly with little-to-no interruption over a good internet connection. Additionally, the return of Friendships as a finishing move option injects a little more camp and levity back into the game's tone, something which was sorely needed.

Mortal Kombat 11 was always a perfectly fine game, and Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath gives it a few extra hours of story, a few more characters and moves, and not much else. For someone who hasn't played Mortal Kombat 11 at all, buying Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is a no-brainer and the best way to experience all of the game's content in one package. If players already own Mortal Kombat 11, however, it's hard to recommend Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath at its current price. Die-hard fans of the franchise and newcomers to this iteration of Mortal Kombat will find a lot to like about Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, but casual players who already own the base game and are wondering whether it's worth another $40 can probably sit this one out.

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Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is available on the PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. A PS4 code was provided to Screen Rant for the purposes of this review.