NetherRealm Studios, known for their work on the “Mortal Kombat” series, have taken up the helm once again to provide fans a sequel to a beloved fighting game. Featuring characters straight out of the pages of DC comics, the newly released “Injustice 2” boasts a wide roster of playable characters, huge replay ability, and a polish unlike any game before it, including its predecessor.
Continuing from the original, “Injustice 2” follows the story of an alternate universe where the Joker has blown up Metropolis and tricked Superman into killing his pregnant wife, Lois Lane. These events led to the death of Joker by the hands of a devastated Superman who continues to lose his morals as the story continues. To eliminate all crime before it happens, a delusional Superman creates a regime that is not afraid to use force. To combat the ruthless tyranny, Batman creates an insurgency to stop Superman’s reign.
Now, the regime has fallen and a new threat brings the two rival groups together to fight a common enemy. Though not as intriguing as the original, which pitted heroes against each other, the continuation of the story has a number of redeeming qualities.
For starters, the game’s processor, Unreal Engine 3, is pushed to its limits. Faces strike a perfect balance between animated and realistic in every action-packed cutscene as well as during combat. Emotions are easily shown through body language and facial expressions, making “Injustice 2” feel like a cinematic experience just as much as it is a game.
Each chapter of the story is designed for one or two characters. After each cutscene, the camera will shift to a 2-D perspective where a single match begins against an AI enemy as the designated character. These fights are the only gameplay in the story mode, but each challenge is anticipated because the narrative constantly raises tension between the characters beforehand.
As with any fighting game, developers look to entice fans of the genre with a rewarding combat system. NetherRealm understood this concept perfectly and delivered a flawless fighting experience. The combat allows for basic play, but more avid gamers that enjoy advanced techniques and huge combos are the target audience. “Injustice 2″‘s gameplay truly defines the saying, “Easy to pick up, hard to master.”
New to the sequel is the gear system. After each battle, there is a chance you will be rewarded with gear for a specific character and at any rarity. Gear provides positive effects for the character equipped such as greater damage output or increased health. Gear also changes the physical appearance of each fighter, which allows professional players, who cannot play with the buffs of gear in tournaments, to customize their character.
Freshman Rohan Pandit says, “The first game in the series severely lacked replay ability, but now the new gear system is an incentive to keep playing.”
The Multiverse is another notable addition to the single player experience. In this mode, players can choose from five earths from other universes that are constantly switched out. Each earth has colored towers with a number on top, representing the number of fights needed to earn the rewards of that tower. This is the definitive single-player experience that will keep fans entertained until the game is no longer supported.
Freshman Ryan Hyjack says, “The Multiverse provides a variety of neat challenges with special abilities not found in normal gameplay. By putting time into the mode, the game rewards the player with rare and epic gear, which are normally difficult to obtain otherwise.”
In the future, NetherRealm plans to add nine additional fighters to the roster with three already announced. Red Hood, Starfire, and Sub-Zero will be the first of the DLC characters, but no word has come from the developers on when they will be released.
Have you played the original “Injustice”, and if so, how does the sequel compare? Also, what is your favorite aspect about “Injustice 2” and why?