In Injustice: Gods Among Us, we found ourselves lost in an alternate universe where Superman, filled with grief over Lois Lane’s death, becomes a tyrant set on eliminating the world’s crime through authoritarian means. Batman and the Justice League from “our” universe band together to take him down. Injustice 2 takes place five years after these events. Superman remains in his jail, hopeless under the red sun. Batman and his team look to restore the world post-Superman’s regime. Wonder Woman, Black Adam and Supergirl team up in order to free Superman in the hopes that he will help them defeat the game’s new antagonist, Brainiac.
A Story Mode Worth Playing Through
I started playing the game through its story mode first, which I would definitely recommend for everyone to do. Given that the first Injustice game came out over 4 years ago, it’s a necessary tool to get back into old characters and brush up on the newer ones. The story unfolds over the course of twelve different chapters, usually revolving around two or three of the game’s main characters. Cutscenes flow flawlessly in between fight scenes and are positively beautiful – NetherRealm Studios did a fantastic job with the facial animation and voice acting. Playing through story mode gives you the chance to try out every different playable character, allowing you to learn a multitude of techniques and tricks! However, be prepared! Only some of the 30 characters in the game are playable in Story Mode, so don’t expect to be able to master them all right away. Regardless, I think the story mode provides a great introduction to some of the game’s mechanics!
The plot was also very well-written and, despite having over 70 playable fights throughout it, the story is strong and seamless. We get great introductions to new characters and reacquainted with our old favorites. This is perfect for some players who might not understand the depth some of the characters play within this universe. While playing, I often felt as though I were watching a movie. Without spoiling it, Injustice 2’s plot is definitely one worth pushing through.
Gameplay: The More You Play, The Better It Gets
Given that the game’s developers are the same people who created the Mortal Kombat series, you can obviously expect great fighting mechanics. As I mentioned before, there are a lot of characters to choose from, making mastering them quite strenuous. Additionally, it may become difficult to remember every single character’s every single move, but the mechanics can provide a bit of help in that aspect. Thankfully, the same basic button combinations can be used between characters making remembering special moves easier. Similarly, all characters have a meter at the bottom of the screen which fills up during the fight, allowing for a super special move to occur. Its cutscene is usually filled with NetherRealm’s classic flamboyance: sending your opponent bouncing around your screen. If you enjoyed the mechanics in NetherRealm’s other games, including Injustice: Gods Among Us, then you will definitely enjoy the fighting in this one.
The hardest part of the fighting mechanisms, in my opinion, is getting accustomed to the defensive moves. At the beginning of the game, there is a tutorial with Batman and Superman that lets you try out the basic moves before jumping in the game itself. Although offense was extremely easy to get the hang of, I found myself really struggling with defense. I thought it was because I haven’t played a fighting game in a while, but that was not the case. Getting the timing just right was quite tricky as the controls aren’t as responsive as I’d like them to be. Often, I was not quick enough to block or escape certain attacks (especially when it came to escaping Superman’s throw, which took awhile to get used to).
Online multiplayer proves to be as equally fun as the story mode. There are different modes that you can play online or local including ranked or unranked battles. NetherRealm also provides you with some information about your opponents too, including how difficult or easy the match might be!
Offline mode provides a lot of additional content for players once they are done with the story. The most interesting aspect of the game would be its Multiverse which provides a wide array of challenges that often change daily or even hourly! This allows you to level up and earn gear for different challenges that you complete. The rarer equipment changes the appearances of your character and their strength, which can sometimes give you an advantage over your friends. This makes playing the game as frequently as possible extremely beneficial.
Worth It?
Injustice 2 gives players so much to do and even more that it can be somewhat overwhelming, but I think it is worth it. The gameplay mechanics, although sometimes difficult, thoroughly impressed me. Paired with the game’s story, I think it might even be better than the first. The story absolutely shines through NetherRealm’s skillful facial animation and plot. Multiverse and additional content make spending hours at a time within the universe a joy to play. As well, with the amount of different characters returning and added to this game, players are bound to find one character they love and will excel at! Injustice 2 is definitely an excellent successor to the original – I definitely recommend picking it up.
DISCLAIMER: Injustice 2 review copy was provided by WB Games. The opinions expressed in the article above have not be affected by, dictated or edited in any way by the provider. For more information please see Girls on Games’ Code of Journalistic Ethics.