NetherRealm Studios has made a big impact among fighting game fans with the relaunch of Mortal Kombat and had a big hit with their fighting game based on DC Comics characters with Injustice: God Among Us. Following the success of Injustice, a sequel was a no-brainer and now it’s here. Does Injustice 2 have enough to be a successor in the series or should it be sent to the phantom zone? Park your Batmobile, it’s time for the review.

Every Battle Defines You

Like the first Injustice, Injustice 2 has a standalone story which picks up some time after the first game. After his actions in the first game, Superman and some of the members of his Regime are incarcerated, with the rest in hiding. Batman has a new team with him including younger recruits such as Blue Beetle and Firestorm. Meanwhile, Kara Zor-El, Supergirl, finally makes it to Earth and is in hiding with Wonder Woman and Black Adam. With Superman and other former heroes in jail, a new group of villains, calling themselves The Society, has risen with the likes of Gorilla Grodd, Bane, Poison Ivy, and Scarecrow among their ranks. To add on top of this a new threat has come to invade Earth. Brainiac, the one responsible for destroying Krypton, has arrived and seeks to add major cities of Earth to his collection while destroying the rest. Batman must then decide if he should work with Superman to defend the planet just like old times.

Should I call her Harley Croft or Lara Quinn?

s in a few chapters. Other than that, you’ll find some comfort knowing the formula for the story mode hasn’t strayed much from the first game. The choices don’t really matter in terms of how the story plays out until the very last chapter, and I would say one of the endings was written and performed better than the other, even though I preferred the result of the other.

Multiverse mode has also replaced the S.T.A.R. Labs in the sequel. Rather than having one match with a variety of challenges, Multiverse mode offers a series of matches, some with their own sets of challenges, others just straight up one on one matches. Multiverse offers new challenges every few hours each “Earth” offering up a different reward. Rewards usually can vary, but usually, range from in-game currency to Mother Boxes. These are great ways to keep the player engaged long after the story if they aren’t into playing against other players online.

In Brightest Day…

Injustice 2’s gameplay is definitely where the game shines the most. At its core, there are still three different kinds of fighters. Fighters like Bane and Gorilla Grodd tend to favor getting in close to inflict maximum damage. Green Arrow and Deadshot are best used for controlling the distance between yourself and the opponent. Characters like Batman and Superman have a nice balance between utilizing distance and getting in close. While the characters can be basically be grouped into those kinds of fighters, each character has a special set of skills that make them feel different and can add into the strategy of how you want or need to use them.

I was wondering what would break first… Your spirit or your body

Those returning to the franchise will find all the familiar aspects of the game still there. The stage transitions, the meter buildup for stronger moves or one big super move, and the clashes are all still remain. With that said, the meter isn’t just for stronger moves and the super move but can help players get out of a jam if they can time it right. For newcomers, there is a ton of depth in the game. Injustice 2 doesn’t hold your hand for newcomers. There is a lot to learn and the learning curve is steep. Going through the game’s tutorial will only give you some of the basics on how to play, the rest is pretty much up to you. Specializing in a few characters will help in the long run. Once you learn how to time your strikes and play to a character’s strength, you’ll pick up some good combos, learn when to use special moves and the meter. Learning how to play opens up the game to new possibilities and then the game becomes quite rewarding.

The biggest new addition to Injustice 2 is the use of Gear, which adds an RPG element to the game. To unlock new gear, players open Mother Boxes to unlock gear, abilities, or skins for each character. As you level up each character, not only does that character’s stats go up, but you can equip the character with the gear. This not only changes the appearance of a character but also can increase a character’s stats which may add a bonus against specific types of characters or while performing certain tasks. While some gear may look out of sorts with others, the skins (or shaders as they’re called in the game) keep everything to a specific pattern of colors. The RPG elements of the game can make the game lopsided if the stats are too far apart. However, there are options that can make players use the base characters of the game to avoid these.

This Symbol Used To Represent Hope, Now People Are Afraid Of It

Speaking of lopsided battles, fights can become quite frustrating when more difficult fights take place. From an overpowered boss battle against Brainiac or more difficult fights in Multiverse mode, fights tend to feel like it requires more luck than actual skill. It really becomes evident when you max a character out and are getting it handed to you.

One of the other aspects of the game that brought down Injustice 2 were some of the heroes seemed like a polar opposite of what you would see in other genres. Granted, the Injustice series takes place in a different universe, but seeing characters like Superman and Wonder Woman crossing the line of bad guy territory might not sit well with you if you’re a fan of them.

I quiver with joy!

While Injustice 2 does have faults, it is a fighting game with a lot to offer. Those that like taking their fighting skills against others online should have no shortage of challengers, and for the most part, the servers were pretty solid. Online multiplayer servers are pretty solid, but with a story mode and an ever changing multiverse mode, there’s something for those that don’t feel like going online.

Injustice 2 takes what made the first game and amps it up to another level. It may take a while for some players to learn not to button mash, the challenge to learning how to play and how to use each character, the game feels like it opens up more possibilities for the player. Not to mention some of the face scans for some of the characters look great (I still think Bruce Wayne looks eerily like Adam Driver to me). Big hits in the game, including the super moves, combined with the sound and they way each character sells a move feels like there’s real impact behind it. This puts together the hard-hitting and strategic fighting styles and puts in an over-the-top style of comics.This If you’re a fan of fighting games or the DC Comics Universe (even if you aren’t used to how dark some of the good guys can get) it’s worth picking up.

Final Verdict: Injustice 2 gets 8 Green Lantern rings out of 10.

Spoiling For A Fight | Injustice 2 Review
Overall Score8
Positives
  • Tough But Rewarding Gameplay
  • Gear and Levels System Optional in Parts of Game
  • Story and Multiverse Add Depth to Game
Negatives
  • Unbalanced Fights At Times
  • Traditional Good Guys Take Very Dark Turns
8Overall Score
Reader Rating: (0 Votes)
0.0

About The Author

As a three time platinum trophy earner, Jose is always serving his master Gaming...FOREVER MAY HE (or she) REIGN!!! Writing for New Gamer Nation and might pop up just about anywhere. Oh yeah, follow him on Twitter @DSB_IV