The good folks at NetherRealm Studios made this fighting game much more than it should have been. They have essentially created an enjoyable balance between story, multiplayer and online experiences. The story mode is incredibly immersive, the multiplayer is teeming with a richer gameplay experience, including multiverse, which mixes familiar comic storylines with the fighting gameplay core, and the online modes are just as good as you want them to be. Nothing seems like a filler. If they could get rid of the microtransaction for Darkseid, then it will be a complete circle of near perfection. Until then, it’s a great game.
Skeptical is the word I would use when the second installment of Injustice was announced. While I had a blast kicking my wife’s butt in the first game, I never thought the gameplay design could live up to the hype of a Mortal Kombat (before it got easy) or Street Fighter (pick one). Don’t get me wrong, Injustice: Gods Among Us was an incredibly easy game to pick up and play with familiar DC faces leading the gameplay, thus satisfying the DC comic lover in me, but ultimately it just always felt a tad shallow, as if it were missing something. To add to it, having seen all the hype videos for the sequel, it didn’t give me much confidence that Injustice 2 was going to exceed my expectations of the first. They were great, but mostly the same old, same old.
Boy, I was wrong.
Injustice 2 does bring back the same ‘ease-of-use’ fighting attribute that was the core of the first game and actually adds a few more things to the menu that create a much deeper fighting experience. So, in true Digitalchumps style, let’s get right into this, shall we?
Like I said above, the initial gameplay core that was in the previous Injustice is intact here. The fighting game was designed for gamers of all type — casual, regular and pro. You can dive into a multiplayer versus match and go head-to-head with your friends/family with 28 initial DC characters leading the way, though I would imagine there are a few more underneath the hood (I saw Lobo in a frame somewhere, but I’m not keeping my hopes up). Anyway, the fighting design is also similar to the first, where you have light to heavy punches, button combinations and a power meter that can max out, which allows you to perform some awesome cutscene animation set of moves that are absolutely over-the-top, if done at the right time (you hit L2/R2 once the meter is up to let loose). All of the old familiar techniques that you might have enjoyed in the first Injustice are intact, though the power move results have changed (duh, who would want to see the same cutscenes?). All of that beautifulness that keeps everyone happy is still there and just as smooth as in the first game, if not a little tighter.
The story mission of the game, the driving single player component, is actually well done. If you’re looking for a story that has three acts, great characters and motivates the player through narrative design, and a pretty heartless villain in Brainiac, who really wants to destroy the earth, then you’ve come to the right place. The story, which takes about three hours to complete, is fascinating to watch unfold, if not frightening at times. You get to see Brainiac destroy Krypton and then come to finish the job because Supergirl and Superman are on earth (Earth didn’t even do anything). It almost makes you a bit sad that DCEU doesn’t have the writing and acting intact like this game does, though I have high hopes for Wonder Woman. Gal Gadot is an outstanding WW. We shall see how the stand alone movie plays out. Again, I have hope.
Anyway, getting back on track, the story mission and the versus fighting is worth your time and effort. It will certainly get you prepared for the other modes in the game, and there are a bevy of other modes to explore in this game.
The first is a mode called multiverse. This is a single player mode that puts you against several totem poles of enemies (kind of like in Mortal Kombat) on a series of planets that are themed after popular DC comic stories. For example, there is a Darkseid storyline where he comes to earth and decimates everything, so you can play him and go after a bunch of superheroes, including a powerful Superman at the end. For each planet you visit, there is a different story and set of challenges that await you, which will keep you motivated to push forward with the fighting. That’s a huge issue with fighting games, as most people can complete them quickly and there isn’t much substance beyond regular fights. There is plenty of substance with the multiverse option, so you won’t be bored.
In addition to fighting to complete a storyline, along the way you’re given random tasks to complete in the fights. Sometimes it’s as easy as performing 10 light punches and sometimes it can be as difficult as to not block during a match. Whatever the case might be, you get extra points for accomplishing these tiny side missions during the multiverse matches.
One cool thing about the multiverse option in the game is that each planet you go fight on is only available for a temporary amount of timing. Sometimes the planets will just rotate two hours at a time, which means that you’ll lose an opportunity to complete that planet if you’re not fast enough. This will probably cause a lot a stress for those folks that enjoy platinum-ing their games. I mean, we all enjoy that, right? Yeah, some of us don’t have time.
As you progress in the multiverse mode, you’ll garnish the fruits of your labor by picking up Mother Boxes for the success you create. There is a set score you have to achieve during your multiverse matches that will equal out to coins or multiple Mother Boxes that contain customizable loot for your characters, as well as a large amount of loot in those boxes. If you complete an entire planet than it will be raining on you.
Overall, this is a helluva fun mode for the title and it keeps the game going long after you are done with the story mission.
Another cool addition to Injustice 2 is the AI Battle Simulator. Sort of in the same vein as the card game in Madden NFL (pick one), you pick your best three players, spruce them up with good gear and send them into a simulated match against another opponent out there in the real world. There’s not a lot too it, but I will say it’s incredibly weird not having control over a match, but nonetheless a cool option that keeps you motivated to keep going in the other modes and unlock newer things (including rewards) to help improve your trio of heroes/villains.
The last mode in the multiplayer family is the tournament mode, which allows you to play in a tournament style game with friends and family, though there are no rewards for playing. It’s a neat option for some friendly fights or a drinking game (for those old enough to drink — not you young folks).
The only other addition to Injustice 2 is the inclusion of Guilds. I can’t remember a fighting game prior that actually did this, though to be quite honest, if it wasn’t called Street Fighter, then I probably didn’t play it, but it’s a welcomed addition to the Injustice family. You essentially have a customized place for your team (yep, you can have a team) to reside and show off their stuff. This ‘stuff’ includes your recent activities, trophies and daily challenges. The more you do, especially the latter part of the last sentence, then the more you will get. Plus, this also tells you how you stand against the rest of the world. Trust me, I’m not too far up the ladder. Anyway, hit me up if you want to join a failing team. My ID is XX8PA, you’ll see the Wylde Stallions name, if you put the ID in right. That name should strike fear into no one.
Beyond the above mentioned modes and ways to play, the game features online matches, which isn’t new, so you MP nuts out there will have something to prove yourself with and plenty of people to pummel.
On the leveling side of the playing field, NetherRealm has created a nice item led leveling system that motivates you to keep going over and over again in single or multiplayer matches. The higher level you achieve with each character, the more you can customize them with powerful items that actually change the fighting attributes (defense and offense) that each character has during fights. The more you keep playing, the higher level your character is going to achieve. In addition to this, the more Mother Boxes you win, equal out to more equipment choices, which equal out to a better character. You see the trend here? All the equipment, which include different character color schemes, and rare cards for online identification, rely on a character’s level number, so you have to keep going in the game to make the character look and act better.
Related, the Mother Boxes are broken up into different tiers, depending on your accomplishments. The tiers are bronze, silver, gold, platinum and diamond. For successfully completing the story mode, you’ll receive a diamond box. The diamond box has exotic equipment in it and each tier carries its own common-to-rarity gauge of items. Again, more motivation to keep fighting and completing the game. That’s like a reoccurring theme, isn’t it? Give me all the motivation in the world for any game and you’ll find a happy reviewer.
Shifting gears just a bit, if all of the above gameplay wasn’t enough to wet your appetite for a good game like Injustice 2, and make you believe that this is an upgrade from the original, you’ll be happy to know that the visuals have been dramatically improved. While most of your same characters and style of fighting are intact visually, the shading, shadows, lighting and overall character models have been carefully crafted to make you feel like you’re in control of a comic book superhero. The textures of the models and expressions of the characters, even in the cutscenes, which are generally forgotten about in other fighting games, is incredibly detailed and smoothly/accurately done. Even the freaking backgrounds look like they’ve gotten just as much love as the fighting characters and the cutscenes, as they are springing with life and different objects for characters to grab and throw at the other person. You’ll find some of the art absolutely breathtaking, but don’t stare at it too much or you’ll get your butt kicked.
Beyond visuals, the audio has been delicately put together with a lot of lines. For example, while playing Darkseid, he had 5-6 separate responses to other characters before he started repeating himself. All those little intricate details in the presentation make for a good, immersive experience for a fighting game. I mean, seriously, all of this in a fighting game? Gosh. It’s like someone didn’t just want to make a quick buck, rather they actually wanted to make a memorable experience. Go figure. It’s rarity these days in the fighting genre.
All of this love and you might be wondering what the hell is wrong with this game. Well, it’s microtransactions. While I’m certain that Darkseid is unlockable somehow in the game, yet I haven’t found where (I’m still playing it), you have the option to buy him from the PlayStation store. This is my one caveat about this game and one that I firmly don’t agree with because $60 was just paid to obtain it. All characters should be included in the initial game. Asking gamers to fork over more money for a character, even though he is a great character to play (you’ll find out in the Multiverse mode), is really just pushing the lines of good taste. That’s not to say that DLC or meaningful content wouldn’t be worth the extra money, but for a single character…no thanks. I would not pay $5.99 for any character in a game. There is no reason why he should be separate. Not a deal breaker because of what you initially get with the title, but just something I can frown about and wish didn’t happen. Anyway, I’m getting down from my soapbox now.
Overall, the good folks at NetherRealm Studios made this fighting game much more than it should have been. They have essentially created an enjoyable balance between story, multiplayer and online experiences. The story mode is incredibly immersive, the multiplayer is teeming with a richer gameplay experience, including multiverse, which mixes familiar comic storylines with the fighting gameplay core, and the online modes are just as good as you want them to be. Nothing seems like a filler. If they could get rid of the microtransaction for Darkseid, then it will be a complete circle of near perfection. Until then, it’s a great game.
