Mortal Kombat 1 Is A Great Game, But $60 For DLC? No Thanks

NetherRealm’s continuation of the Mortal Kombat franchise in the name of Mortal Kombat 1 — a series reboot — has delivered on some fronts I’d say, but there’s a certain point where you have to draw the line. This is a solid fighting game that we’re on about, packed with all the bells and whistles that a modern-day fighter should come with, so naturally, the devs would assume that the game’s fan base would want more of it.

That’s right, but definitely not in the way NetherRealm Studios is taking this forward. The Chicago-based developer recently made Mortal Kombat 1’s first story expansion DLC official, throwing in the next Kombat Pack at the end of the reveal, and setting players up for an exciting season. Granted, this is cool and all, but here’s the kicker: What do you think the price looks like of the Khaos Reigns DLC? 

Without the first Kombat Pack included in the mix, which encompasses characters such as Homelander, Omni-Man, Peacemaker, and others, Khaos Reigns will set you back $49.99. And if you were to bundle it with the latter, prepare to let loose $59.99 from your wallet. Yeah, that’s not going to happen, not with me at least. 

Mortal Kombat 1 is fun, but it’s not that great of a game that I spend another $60 for 6 new characters, some skins, and more story missions that I doubt are going to be anywhere near the length of the base game’s campaign. 

There’s No Point Buying A Mortal Kombat Game On Launch Anymore

Mortal Kombat 1 pulled in some heavy bucks from all of us excited simpletons who pre-ordered the game on launch, with some actually buying the $100-costing Premium Edition, basking in the glow of the promise that Shang Tsung would be available exclusively as a pre-order bonus. Turns out, the character became available for purchase soon after the game’s launch.  

I bought the Premium variant of the game as well, and it irks me to discover that I need to spend $50 more to stay up to speed with recent developments and get on the latest of what everyone else is going to be playing. Even if you logically refrain from purchasing the DLC because of its high price and wait for a sale to turn things down to a reasonable level, that feeling of missing out is going to get you, hard. 

I’m the biggest Mk 1 defender but 60 $ for a DLC is actually insane
byu/Barrytooth911 inMortalKombat

So, let’s assume I paid $109 for Mortal Kombat 1’s Premium release, and now, I’ll get the Khaos Reigns DLC for another $59.99. This makes my total right about $159, which, to say the least, is just a little too much to spend on a Mortal Kombat game.

To put things into perspective, that same Premium Edition of the fighter title is on sale for $27.99 at the time of writing on the PlayStation Store. Patience is a virtue, and I intend to live by that statement for Khaos Reigns as well. 

Perhaps Learn A Few Things From FromSoftware

On the flip side, though, there’s FromSoftware, my knight in shining armor that gives its players full-sized games masked in the name of DLC for $39.99. eXputer’s 5/5 review of Shadow of the Erdtree holds it in high regard and for due reason, with author Haris Umer remarking,

Shadow of the Erdtree improves upon the already perfect Elden Ring with the addition of new weapons, regions, and bosses.”

It’s like FromSoft is spoiling us players with content of this stature and depth, so there comes a point that you start seeing everything through this lens in the gaming industry. In a realm oversaturated with live service titles, microtransactions, and maximum profits at the expense of the average player’s time and money, I’m glad FromSoftware has stuck around, and I hope it continues to do so forevermore. 

Count Me Out Of A Day-One Mortal Kombat Purchase 

I’ve made up my mind not to delve into the race of who-hits-the-pre-order-button-first the next time NetherRealm decides to push out a new Mortal Kombat game because these absurd antics are getting too out of hand, and I truly hope the developer reconsiders the pricing of the expansion for future content. 

Let me know what you think about the situation in the comments ahead. I’ll see you down there.