The first Injustice: Gods Among Us game made some bold moves by turning the DC superhero universe inside out. For instance, they made the poster boy of heroes, Superman, into the ultimate supervillain, complete with his very own evil empire. It was a gambit that paid off, giving DC a game to be reckoned with, and us, a fantastic one-on-one fighting game, with a story mode that was out of this world. It helped that the game was developed by NetherRealm Studios, the same guys behind the brutal and bloody Mortal Kombat series. Now, the much-awaited sequel is here after so many teases online. Let’s see if it’s worth it.
What’s it about?
The Injustice games are set in an alternate DC universe, which is evident in the opening flashback of Injustice 2, as you witness Krypton being destroyed by Brainiac. The game then drops you off at the point after Superman has been defeated and imprisoned following the events in Injustice: Gods Among Us. All heroes and villains are finding new roles, with the threat of a new big baddie lurking over the horizon.
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The single-player campaign is back, and we cannot stress how much better it is than the original as well as DC’s last few films. It’s a big, loud, entertaining summer movie blockbuster all on its own, with the right amount of ham. Rather than letting you play as one hero character throughout the game, you assume control of several characters and play through their roles in the larger story. It’s a great way to get familiar with the different fighting styles.
You get to play as all the stars of the upcoming Justice League film – Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash. If you’re a fan of the CW TV series, there’s Supergirl, Captain Cold, Black Canary, Firestorm, Gorilla Grodd, Green Arrow. The rogues gallery are also here with Cheetah, Poison Ivy, Scarecrow, Joker and many more. To add to that, a few cult characters also make it to the roster, like the Swamp Thing, Doctor Fate, Starfire and more. Plus, there’s more yet to be revealed as future add-ons.
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These characters are the stars of the game and NetherRealm has done a bang-up job of bringing them to life. Injustice 2 has some of the best facial animations in a game to be seen in recent history, which not only conveys emotion, but is full of little animations like Harley Quinn’s constant chewing on her gum.
How does it play?
Injustice 2 gets the epic superhero battle right, pitting one DC character against another. Every punch and kick resounds with power. You can even use stuff in the environment to destroy your opponent. Every character has a special power or gadget that can be triggered after it’s recharged. These can range from offensive to defensive. Then there are special moves, like The Flash’s lightning punches, which are delivered faster than the enemy can feel the hit. With practice, you can chain combos of normal attacks with special moves for maximum effect. Though the most damage is dealt when you bust out your supermove.
Supermoves are truly a sight to behold. Some are predictable, but entertaining, like Superman launching his opponent into the stratosphere and punching him in the clouds. It gets even more fun when some of them get truly outlandish, like The Flash, who beats up his opponent across time, before sending him crashing into a version of himself. Doctor Fate sucks his opponent into a weird magic room inside his chest.
Every character’s personality seeps into his fighting style. It actually feels like you are fighting with versions of the characters straight out of the films, comics and TV shows. There is so much to discover about each character. Once you’ve got enough practice and finished the Single Player story, you can take the fight online. Player rooms are always full of high-level players, and if you want to play online, you better be good. The key to winning is learning to chain combos and using the various combo breakers, because players online love to use juggle moves, that keep you bouncing off the ground into another attack.
Where Injustice 2 falls short is the progression system and the annoying loot boxes – which seems to be lifted directly from Overwatch. As you get levelled up, you earn loot boxes of gear, which let you customise the look of your character. There aren’t enough costumes right now to make the boxes worth it.
Should you get it?
If you are a fan of Batman and the rest of the DC universe, then Injustice 2 is right up your alley. A superb fighter with a single-player campaign that’s on par with the recent slew of superhero films.
Injustice 2
Developer: NetherRealm Studios
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Price: ₹3499 on PS4 and Xbox One
Julian Almeida is a tech and gaming enthusiast who hopes to one day finish his sci-fi novel