“Every villain is the hero of his own story. ”
-Bruce Wayne
As someone who has played the original “Injustice: Gods Among Us”, both mobile games, the updated “Ultimate Edition” and now Injustice 2, I can safely say, this is the best and most complete incarnation to date.
It was not long ago the heroes and villains of the DC universe sat on the sidelines as Marvel characters got the fighting game treatment thanks to the “Marvel vs..” Series of games by Japanese game developer “Capcom”. Sure, there was “Justice League : Task Force” but I try not to think about that one. It wasn’t until WB and Midway games released Mortal Kombat vs Dc Universe in 2008 that we could finally fight it out with our friends as Superman, Batman, The Joker, Wonder Woman and a broad cast of characters. Needless to say, people wanted even more and 5 years later, “Injustice: Gods among us” was released. An all DC characters (with the exception of Scorpion from Mortal Kombat as DLC) fighting game that plays like a less gory version of Mortal Kombat, and it was a smash hit.
While the first game suffered in some circles for being slower than it’s “Capcom-petition”, the game focused on stage interactions, transitions and moments where wagering your energy bar could turn the tide of a match completely. The sequel has not only stepped up the general gameplay speed, without abandoning the precision of its predecessor, but has added more fluidity to the aforementioned mid-fight “mini games”.
Not to mention the addition of gear pieces which not only add bonuses moves, change stats and even add brand new moves to your characters’ arsenal, but it changes their appearance as well. No longer will everyone’s Batman look the same. Now everyone can make their own perfect versions of their favourite heroes and villains.
Additionally, they added “Alternate” versions of some characters. Not only does this change their appearance to that of another character, but their voice and interactions as well. This is HUGE for me as I’m a comic fan, through and through. Some characters like Cheetah have great move sets, but i couldn’t care less about her. Giving me the option to change to Vixen (a character i love) is a nice way to push me to want to use her more. The downside is that the appearance of the alternates don’t change with the gear you equip.
This game also has a story mode that continues the great continuity from the first game. Introducing us to new characters and reuniting us with ones who we thought were long gone. Not only is this a great story mode, but it has many epic moments that comic book fans and non comic book fans alike will all enjoy.
The Online mode has some issues when linking up with friends, but seems stable when matchmaking. I personally don’t play Online much, but for those of you who do, you’ll get what you crave. Multiverse mode is great and adds hours upon hours of gameplay. Every few hours the available missions change, each with their own challenges and unlockables. They even recently held a special timed event that included the costume from the Wonder Woman film as the unlockable gear pieces.
A feature I use very frequently is the “A.I” mode wherein you set up the gear and stats for one of your characters, except the cpu fights for you while you go watch “The Boondocks” on Netflix for the 12th time. This makes grinding a breeze, when it could be otherwise frustrating and time consuming.
Overall I would rate Injustice 2 an 8/10. A solid fighting game to play with or without friends. With a solid selection of characters (all who play very differently) and modes galore, you certainly won’t get bored easily.
Mal Solo writes about things and this is where they go. 