I love me some fighting games, especially as they are the last holdout for good ol’ same-couch multiplayer. I have standards, sure, but most button-mashing brawlers are kind of a dime a dozen. There’s really only so much you can do with them.
Unless they’re from NetherRealm.
In which case, you’re going to need to set aside some time and get ready for a ride.
Injustice 2 ,of course, is the follow-up for Injustice: Gods Among Us from 2013. If you somehow missed it, the first game was a fine brawler built around a DC Multiverse-themed idea that brings a Superman-gone-bad into conflict with a “good” universe’s Justice League, and hi-jinks ensued. It played well and spawned a little mini-franchise of it’s own for DC, with a distinguished comic run and some figures here and there. While it was a fairly polished fighting game, it came about in that strange flux time we had between console generations, where it never quite taxed-out the last gen, and didn’t really get to benefit from the new gen.
But it’s been five years, and much like Mortal Kombat X displays a truly impressive tech set, Injustice 2 really shows off why this crew is consistently churning out some of the best fighting games out there. Actually, this game feels a little like a wish list run for NetherRealm, where some cool older concepts get brought into the spotlight.
I don’t want to spoil the story mode because it does have a few interesting turns. But I can assure you it does have a solid story. The voice acting is pretty damn stellar, with many old hands reprising their roles from different shows (and games). It’s a pretty robust mode; I’ve been told that the story will run you about five hours to complete, and that is impressive for a fighting game especially. One of the little things that stuck me as just polished as all hell is how the fights load behind the cut scenes. Seriously, that should be something all games do.
While playing the story mode, as well as the additional modes in game, you’ll accumulate gear and Mother Boxes, in addition to leveling up. This stuff all adds into the RPG-style customization this game has — kind of like Destiny — and, man, is this huge. cracking those Mother Boxes gains you more gear, and all the gear can then be used to augment your characters.
This affects not only the appearance, but also your attributes. Instead of the usual “skins” we get in games to fill out our favorite looks, you can literally build them — or something all your own entirely — and it will change the way the characters play. There is a lot of elements here, and breakdowns into currency that you can use for things like gear skinning and color changes, but it’s easy to work with, once you give it a little time. It does makes for some opportunity for those damned micro-transactions, but it feels more balanced here, like you’re not getting suckered into spending money over playing — lots of loot drops just through the grind. And if you’re like me, you’ll then waste tons of time customizing your roster.
Oh yeah, the roster. This is a big damn game, and the crew you can play through is big to match. The game launches with 29 playable characters, with more available through premier skins, and more on the way. The premier skin thing is pretty clever way to add characters with similar attributes but different personalities into the game — think Captain Cold to Mr. Freeze or Hal to John. They gain their own gear, intro, and voice work, all while maintaining the original character’s fight moves. This is a great way to fill out fan-favorites — Nightwing needs to sneak back into this game, so I’m thinking this will do it.
There is also a large online component, including your usual PvP online matches and a Guild fighting system that lets you crew up for additional rewards. And, yep, TheFwoosh has a guild — hit me up! I haven’t futzed with online much yet, but I was pleased to see I didn’t get destroyed as much as I expected.
No, where I’m spending most of my time is in the Multiverse setting. Hidden in here, with the standard Arcade mode, is an awesome “Living Ladder” progression of different earths, some with crazy modifiers. There’s speed-force planets, upside-down planets, slow-mo planets, planets that rain bombs … you get the idea. Each alternate earth has a little text backstory, and unique versions of the characters for you to grind. It is excellent.
And everything looks excellent while you’re grinding. The environments, and their hazards, look better than ever. The facial expressions and suits of the fighters look amazing. And the best part? If you don’t like the suit, you can change it!
So, down to the crux here: I don’t know who NOT to recommend this game to. The fighting style is easy enough to jump in and enjoy for casual gamers, yet it keeps all the mechanics for a skilled player to turn it into a tournament trainer. There is enough DC lore and Easter eggs to keep most comic fans smiling, but you don’t have to be overly versed in the DC universe to get what’s going on. It is a massive, fine-tuned, well-crafted game. It actually reminds me of how I felt when first playing Arkham Asylum. I splurged for the Ultimate edition, which, after grumbling all the way home, I haven’t given a second thought to. But you don’t have to go all-in to enjoy this one; you just have to go for it, period.
