Author: Trafficblast

When the credits roll at the end of Mortal Kombat 11‘s excellent story mode, the slate has been wiped clean. After a variety of entertaining time-travelling hijinks, everyone’s second-favourite Shaolin monk, Liu Kang, has ascended into godhood and is ready to begin writing an all-new chapter in Mortal Kombat history. It’s as close to a perfect ending as you can get to the almost 30 years of convoluted lore this series has. But now, there’s Aftermath, Mortal Kombat 11’s optional expansion that tacks on a handful of new chapters to that narrative. And while the idea of a story-focussed add-on to this fighting game is an exciting prospect–and it certainly has its high moments–when the credits roll for the second time there isn’t that same sense of gratification.

At the beginning of Aftermath, which immediately follows the end of Mortal Kombat 11, Liu Kang is interrupted by the nefarious sorcerer Shang Tsung. Along with the righteous wind god Fujin and badass indigenous shaman Nightwolf, the trio stops Liu Kang from proceeding with his rebuilding plans with the warning that they need to go back in time, again, to retrieve a MacGuffin in order to stop the process from going to shit. Over five chapters and a cinema-appropriate two-and-a-half-hour running time, the five Mortal Kombat characters that have now been introduced to MK11 as post-release content get to make their mark in the story. The chapters cover the hijinks of Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, and the banshee queen Sindel from the Fighters Pack 1 DLC, as well as two characters newly introduced in Aftermath: Fujin and the four-armed Sheeva.

The relatively brief running time of the whole thing allows it to be mostly filled with great moments. The blockbuster flair present in the original story mode is again in full force, as is the excellent fight choreography that makes you want to leap out of your chair. There’s still that weird disconnect when an extravagant fight cinematic transitions into the more rigid nature of the game’s actual one-on-one fights, but there are some good moments that lie in the gameplay portions too, like the handful of battles where you have an assist character to call on.

The absolute highlight of the story–and probably the whole Aftermath package–is undoubtedly Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa’s performance as he reprises Shang Tsung. He is deliciously evil, and the fact that he knows every other character is incredibly wary of his inevitable betrayal only feeds his playfully arrogant ego. Great facial animations and expressions, along with the amusingly unscrupulous timbre of his voice, help to really nail key moments here–his sly, smirking grin definitely left a big impression on me.

Shang Tsung is an absolute treasure, and the overall story is mostly entertaining all the way through–the exception is Sheeva’s chapter, in which the plot barely moves forward. But I couldn’t help but feel a bit ambivalent when it all was said and done since the story essentially leaves the series lore in the same place. That’s a big relief, in a way, and I’m glad the five new characters managed to get some time in the spotlight–this is a great roster. But that comes at the cost of taking away some of the grand prospects of endless possibility that we were left with last time–a new ending teaser definitely seems to narrow the scope somewhat.

Superfluous story aside, the other content included in the Aftermath expansion are three new characters–the aforementioned Sheeva and Fujin as well as special guest character Robocop from the classic 1987 Paul Verhoven film (which is the only Robocop movie that exists, as far as I know). Sheeva is a heavy-hitting grappler with some great advancing options, best characterised by her flying stomp where she disappears off the top of the screen before crashing down on her opponent. Fujin is an incredibly flashy and unique character who is excellent at controlling space with ricocheting crossbow bolts, capable of pushing and pulling his opponents all over the place with the power of wind, and also has the delightful ability to run through the air and strike from above. I love both of these new characters, though your enjoyment may vary depending on your preferred playstyle.

Robocop, on the other hand, I didn’t quite gel with. He’s a keep-away character who mainly focuses on keeping opponents at bay with a number of projectile and knockback options, a style that feels in line with the character. It can be a killer strategy if you have patience and the ability to read your opponent’s movements well, but it’s unfortunately not something I excel at, and as a result, I didn’t find Robocop to be as interesting of a character, movie homages aside.

The release of Aftermath also sees Mortal Kombat 11 get a major update that adds new brutality finishers for every character and new stages as well as the introduction of stage fatalities–the Retrocade stage, in which an in-universe projector beams out classic Mortal Kombat stages accompanied by a period-appropriate soundtrack, is one of my personal favourites. But Friendships are the significant new addition–instead of finishing your opponent by mutilating them, each character now has the option to show off their playful side with bizarre performances of unabashed joy, though some are certainly a lot more inspired than others (Jax’s saxophone solo is a clear frontrunner, and Shang Tsung’s rainbow garden is on the other end of the scale). It’s a little terrifying to see the Mortal Kombat characters smile so hard, but they’re definitely a worthwhile inclusion.

But the Friendships, new stages, and new finishers are freely available for owners of Mortal Kombat 11, and the only content exclusive to Aftermath are the additional story chapters and three new characters. Though that’s a very welcome decision–free is good–it makes Aftermath less compelling when considered specifically on its own terms. Mortal Kombat 11 remains one of the best fighting games of this console generation, and the recent free update makes it better. Aftermath introduces a couple of great characters, and the expanded story definitely has its highs, but it’s not essential to your enjoyment of an already superb game.

When the credits roll at the end of Mortal Kombat 11‘s excellent story mode, the slate has been wiped clean. After a variety of entertaining time-travelling hijinks, everyone’s second-favourite Shaolin monk, Liu Kang, has ascended into godhood and is ready to begin writing an all-new chapter in Mortal Kombat history. It’s as close to a perfect ending as you can get to the almost 30 years of convoluted lore this series has. But now, there’s Aftermath, Mortal Kombat 11’s optional expansion that tacks on a handful of new chapters to that narrative. And while the idea of a story-focussed add-on to this fighting game is an exciting prospect–and it certainly has its high moments–when the credits roll for the second time there isn’t that same sense of gratification.

At the beginning of Aftermath, which immediately follows the end of Mortal Kombat 11, Liu Kang is interrupted by the nefarious sorcerer Shang Tsung. Along with the righteous wind god Fujin and badass indigenous shaman Nightwolf, the trio stops Liu Kang from proceeding with his rebuilding plans with the warning that they need to go back in time, again, to retrieve a MacGuffin in order to stop the process from going to shit. Over five chapters and a cinema-appropriate two-and-a-half-hour running time, the five Mortal Kombat characters that have now been introduced to MK11 as post-release content get to make their mark in the story. The chapters cover the hijinks of Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, and the banshee queen Sindel from the Fighters Pack 1 DLC, as well as two characters newly introduced in Aftermath: Fujin and the four-armed Sheeva.

The relatively brief running time of the whole thing allows it to be mostly filled with great moments. The blockbuster flair present in the original story mode is again in full force, as is the excellent fight choreography that makes you want to leap out of your chair. There’s still that weird disconnect when an extravagant fight cinematic transitions into the more rigid nature of the game’s actual one-on-one fights, but there are some good moments that lie in the gameplay portions too, like the handful of battles where you have an assist character to call on.

The absolute highlight of the story–and probably the whole Aftermath package–is undoubtedly Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa’s performance as he reprises Shang Tsung. He is deliciously evil, and the fact that he knows every other character is incredibly wary of his inevitable betrayal only feeds his playfully arrogant ego. Great facial animations and expressions, along with the amusingly unscrupulous timbre of his voice, help to really nail key moments here–his sly, smirking grin definitely left a big impression on me.

Shang Tsung is an absolute treasure, and the overall story is mostly entertaining all the way through–the exception is Sheeva’s chapter, in which the plot barely moves forward. But I couldn’t help but feel a bit ambivalent when it all was said and done since the story essentially leaves the series lore in the same place. That’s a big relief, in a way, and I’m glad the five new characters managed to get some time in the spotlight–this is a great roster. But that comes at the cost of taking away some of the grand prospects of endless possibility that we were left with last time–a new ending teaser definitely seems to narrow the scope somewhat.

Superfluous story aside, the other content included in the Aftermath expansion are three new characters–the aforementioned Sheeva and Fujin as well as special guest character Robocop from the classic 1987 Paul Verhoven film (which is the only Robocop movie that exists, as far as I know). Sheeva is a heavy-hitting grappler with some great advancing options, best characterised by her flying stomp where she disappears off the top of the screen before crashing down on her opponent. Fujin is an incredibly flashy and unique character who is excellent at controlling space with ricocheting crossbow bolts, capable of pushing and pulling his opponents all over the place with the power of wind, and also has the delightful ability to run through the air and strike from above. I love both of these new characters, though your enjoyment may vary depending on your preferred playstyle.

Robocop, on the other hand, I didn’t quite gel with. He’s a keep-away character who mainly focuses on keeping opponents at bay with a number of projectile and knockback options, a style that feels in line with the character. It can be a killer strategy if you have patience and the ability to read your opponent’s movements well, but it’s unfortunately not something I excel at, and as a result, I didn’t find Robocop to be as interesting of a character, movie homages aside.

The release of Aftermath also sees Mortal Kombat 11 get a major update that adds new brutality finishers for every character and new stages as well as the introduction of stage fatalities–the Retrocade stage, in which an in-universe projector beams out classic Mortal Kombat stages accompanied by a period-appropriate soundtrack, is one of my personal favourites. But Friendships are the significant new addition–instead of finishing your opponent by mutilating them, each character now has the option to show off their playful side with bizarre performances of unabashed joy, though some are certainly a lot more inspired than others (Jax’s saxophone solo is a clear frontrunner, and Shang Tsung’s rainbow garden is on the other end of the scale). It’s a little terrifying to see the Mortal Kombat characters smile so hard, but they’re definitely a worthwhile inclusion.

But the Friendships, new stages, and new finishers are freely available for owners of Mortal Kombat 11, and the only content exclusive to Aftermath are the additional story chapters and three new characters. Though that’s a very welcome decision–free is good–it makes Aftermath less compelling when considered specifically on its own terms. Mortal Kombat 11 remains one of the best fighting games of this console generation, and the recent free update makes it better. Aftermath introduces a couple of great characters, and the expanded story definitely has its highs, but it’s not essential to your enjoyment of an already superb game.

With Sony’s PS5 event next week, there’s already tons of excitement and speculation about what the company will reveal about the upcoming next-generation console. While new games being played on PlayStation 5 are confirmed to be part of the showcase, we might also hear more technical details around its internal architecture and possible services. And if luck’s on our side, there could even be a price confirmation, which would be helpful for those looking to start setting aside some savings to purchase it this holiday.

After all, there’s been a lot of talk about how much the PS5 will cost. As it pertains to Sony’s history, it’s easy to feel anxious when it comes to pricing a new PlayStation console, as there’s potential it will replicate the steep PS3 price point. However, with PS5’s proposed feature set, the console’s lead architect Mark Cerny has declared that the price “will be appealing to gamers in light of its advanced feature set.”

As next week’s event approaches and imaginations continue to run wild about potential price points, the GameSpot staff began to deeply meditate on how much money the PS5 will set back consumer wallets. Below, you can find a handful of predictions from the team, addressing our thoughts on the subject and how much we’d personally pay for the console. Be sure to let us know your predictions in the comments.

As a console, there’s a lot to know about the PS5, so if you want more details on its design and confirmed games, be sure to read our feature covering everything we know so far. You can also check out our in-depth feature highlighting the key differences between PS5 and Xbox Series X.

$500 – Michael Higham, Associate Editor

I’m a long-time PC gamer, so I know the drill when it comes to upgrading components and building new gaming rigs altogether. It has made me somewhat nonchalant about the pricing of gaming hardware–not because I’m a baller (as my bank and ViacomCBS can confirm), but because the top of the line hardware comes at a high cost.

Concerning the PS5, just thinking about its solid-state drive (SSD) capabilities has me expecting a high-end price point. Super-fast NVMe SSDs for PCs have become a bit more affordable but are still considered a luxury item. So far, the SSD has been one of the biggest flexes of the PS5, reducing 15-second load times to a fraction of a second in some cases.

Another aspect to consider is that the PS5 (and Xbox Series X) will have games that use ray tracing, which is a high-end graphics feature even on PC. You also need an Nvidia RTX graphics card to even do it properly, and while RTX cards have become more affordable, it’s still not exactly cheap.

PS5 uses brand-new tech in AMD’s RDNA 2 graphics that will be capable of 4K resolutions and possibly higher frame rates. Of course, it’ll be up to developers on how to best take advantage of those features. But making a capable console requires a lot of power, and the recent Unreal Engine 5 showcase is indicative of that.

If games are going to look this good and run this smooth, I don’t mind shelling out $500. But I will want to see an enticing lineup of games or clearer messaging on how PS4 games will benefit before making a purchasing decision.

$450 – Dave Klein, Entertainment Video Producer

I admit these days I’m in a fortunate position that–unlike the era of my childhood where I would spend months upon months saving up and working odd jobs so I could afford a system–I no longer have to worry about new console price points. But, even then, it’s still a hefty investment, and I also strongly feel these systems should be priced affordably.

While I understand the parts that go into these are expensive, and often console makers sell systems at a loss, companies still feel greedy when companies ask for too much money. It reminds me of the PS3 era when Sony was so over-bloated in their confidence, and the price point was so outrageous at the time, that it turned me off from ever buying their system.

Due to inflation over time, prices inevitably go up, so considering the last-gen systems launched at $400, I’m okay with a $500 launch price. However, that still seems like a lot to me, especially when you can buy a Switch for $300. Perhaps it’s because I’ve never particularly cared about graphical capability, and I’m really only in it for the newest wave of fun games. Still, any specs beyond obliterating load times aren’t as much of a selling point as they used to be for me. So, I’m splitting it down the middle! I’m okay with $500, would prefer $400, but will go with $450.

$500 – Tony Wilson, Video Producer

I think we all remember that disastrous $599 USD price announcement. Some years later, the PS4 launched at $399. Do you know what sits nicely between those two numbers? $499. That’s a reasonable price I’m willing to pay to play next-gen games and bring over supported backward-compatible PS4 titles I already own.

Would I pay more? Yes, but not for what has currently been announced. If Sony were to magically make all PS4 (and even PS3 or earlier) games playable on the PS5, it could get away with charging more. However, a limited selection of backward-compatible games doesn’t entice me as much, especially when compared to the Xbox’s impressive, ever-growing library.

Any higher price than $499, and you’re starting to approach meme territory again. Throw in PlayStation’s incredible history of games, however, and I bet even the most prominent critics of Genji: Days of the Blade would pay it to fight another giant enemy crab in 2020.

$450 – Eddie Makuch, Editor

Video game consoles are expensive to buy brand new, and this trend is going to continue with the PlayStation 5. I would expect the next-generation console to sell for $450 to $500 USD at launch. Sony cannot go near the disastrous $600 USD launch price point for the PlayStation 3, and $400 seems too low for the PlayStation 5 given its components and other factors.

The PlayStation 4, which became the highest-selling console in years, released at $400 USD in 2013, but the market has changed. There have also been complications and uncertainties related to manufacturing and assembly due to COVID-19.

The PS5’s impressive and beefy new guts come at a cost, and all that power is making the system run hot. Bloomberg reported that Sony is struggling to price the PS5 due to its costly parts, including a cooling system that the company is paying extra for to help mitigate that heating issue. Gaming consoles are often sold at a loss, with software and services revenue paying the bills until the price of components comes down. This trend is expected to continue for PS5, which is why I think a $450-$500 price point at launch is reasonable, with a $50 price cut after 18 months.

$500 – Phil Hornshaw, Editor

Video games have always seemed like a massive, hard-to-justify expense to me, even as a person who covers games for a living. I know that’s the case with a lot of other people, and that’s why I’d struggle to go higher than a $500 price tag. We can talk all day about the hardware under the hood of the PS5, but for a lot of people, $500 is a massive expense for entertainment (especially when it’s just opening the door to more stuff you have to buy).

Here’s the thing: in a lot of ways, gameplay haven’t drastically changed over the last few hardware generations with the addition of more power. Occasionally we get something that feels like a serious step forward, like (somewhat) affordable virtual reality, something like Shadow of Mordor’s Nemesis system, or massive player counts in multiplayer games that genuinely make them feel new. But I remember firing up my PS4 and Knack after dropping $400 on the console on the evening of its launch, only to find a relatively by-the-numbers 3D action platformer–but with more particles. The PS4 has become my most-used hardware this generation, but it was mostly a Resogun machine and an expensive Netflix box during the launch period.

The point is that there might be a lot of power in new game hardware and that the internal components might be expensive. Still, I think most people aren’t especially concerned with what’s under the hood of their game consoles–not having to worry about the components is the point of buying a console in the first place, as opposed to a high-end PC. They do care about fresh and novel game experiences, but the last few hardware generations have slowed in really differentiating themselves from one another. Any high price tag is tough to swallow, and while the hardware might require the PS5 to push $500 or more, I’m not sure that’s a cost a lot of people will be willing to bear, at least until the console proves itself with graphics and experiences to justify the leap.