I’m like a superhero or something.
Founded in 2010 by Mortal Kombat visionary Ed Boon, NetherRealm Studios has continued to work on powering up the fighting game formula in its games. Over the course of a few Mortal Kombats and one Injustice, we now have the fresh new Injustice 2 waiting to be dominated, explored, and mined for goodies. The game play is tweaked to allow dedicated players to overcome projectile heavy zoners by incorporating new tactics like tech rolls. Unfortunately, controls in Injustice 2 require very precise inputs and a lot of planning/clicking ahead while still having the spontaneity to handle various situations. If you will only be digging into the single player content, however, that is not much of an issue. Injustice 2 is the definitive single-player superhero fighting game with all its content and deep customization.
It is daunting at first to find out how many different things you can do in Injustice 2. The story mode has amazing production value and allows you to choose your fighter at points. Toward the end, you can go Team Batman or Team Superman. You can level and customize your characters by unlocking and equipping new powers, skins, and enhanced gear. Using resources in-game, you can modify your gear either by randomizing the attributes while leveling the gear to your current level, or by changing its look. To get these resources, you play through the various modes or melt down and sell unwanted gear. Single player has the story mode and The Multiverse. The Multiverse is a ladder, or arcade, mode with varying rewards that you may be looking for. Some will offer a full set of epic gear for a specific character. Others will just be credits or boxes containing gear. You can join a guild online and work toward guild rewards. Then we have online multiplayer which includes ranked matches, player matches, private rooms, your potential guild chat room, and king of the hill.
If you played the first Injustice, any characters that are returning will play like how you remember them. Combos remain intact as do the special moves. Characters are faster and more effective than before. The super meter levels up faster in Injustice 2, allowing you to use meter burn to enhance your abilities and perform special maneuvers. The new characters offer a larger variety of game play between zone, close range, and long range arch-types. If you plan to play online, you should work on some bounce cancel combos in training mode. You can have much higher damage juggle combos with way less hits in some cases. I would also suggest learning the combos of each character that at least include their overhead attacks so you can defend yourself effectively. Some characters, like Doctor Fate for example, do overhead attacks that are not easy to spot. Lastly, learn how each super move hits its victims so you can block or dodge the right way.
This DC universe, or multiverse, is filled with variations of your favorite superheroes. The story mode, skins, and gear give reference to many of the different story lines you have become familiar with. You will see nods to the movies, CW shows, and comics. DC fans should rejoice. Alternate skins reveal different versions of characters. For example, you can make the Flash look like Zoom, Jay Garrick, and there is even an unlockable Reverse Flash skin. Supergirl can turn into Powergirl. With NetherRealm’s dedication to updates and DLC, you can expect endless Easter eggs and referential content.
Injustice 2 may not be as tightly balanced as a game like Street Fighter, but it does come very close. With updates, we will see balance between the characters improve. We experienced a few bugs that the development team is hard at work to fix. We crashed twice and had to restart our machine because our last few levels were temporarily lost. NetherRealm’s attention to detail, hard work, and dedication to its games does in fact make this game worth your time and investment. Whether you are a pro or a casual player, there is content here that stays fresh and interesting.