After the success of Mortal Kombat X, NetherRealm Studios turned their attentions back to the DC Comics roster with Injustice 2. Its predecessor wowed with an original story that respects the source material, while also being a great, accessible game. The bar now raised, we went in expecting more fine work from the Warner Brothers subsidiary.
After the success of Mortal Kombat X, NetherRealm Studios turned their attentions back to the DC Comics roster with Injustice 2. Its predecessor wowed with an original story that respects the source material, while also being a great, accessible game. The bar now raised, we went in expecting more fine work from the Warner Brothers subsidiary.
The single-player mode took me just over five hours to complete on Medium difficulty. That may sound short, but the duration felt perfect. The story is succinct and action-packed, smoothly transitioning between combat and cutscene, yet knowing when to take a breather. Character writing and dialog are on-point, with a good balance between drama and humor. And although unlikely, I’d love to see story driven DLC missions featuring the side characters – they’re just that good.
A huge reason for that is the staggering production work that went into them. Simply put, Injustice 2 is one hell of a looker. It’s a collection of amazing character modeling, facial animation, and texture work, so much so that some scenes could very well be in a CG blockbuster movie. If you have an HDR compatible set-up, this is one title not to miss. It all sounds the part too, thanks to amazing voice acting work and casting.
For now, let’s get to the fighting. Again, I’ll have to stress that I come from a casual fighting game background. Like any casual scrub, I turn to light button mashing when in a panic. If that sounds like you then boy have I got news: Injustice 2 is a blast to play.
This boils down to largely universal button inputs, easily triggered specials, and a returning Clash mechanic that spells the difference between a loss and a desperate comeback. I’m not implying dumbed down gameplay here, as there are plenty of online players who’ll hammer home the fact that skill matters, usually through a series of juggling combos. It’s just easier to get your foot in the door and to start having fun; it won’t leave you staring at fully charged meters, wondering what the hell to do.
The best part about it all is that Injustice 2 has plenty of solo content to chew through while one’s skills develop. There’s plenty to learn here, from the various character move sets to core concepts such as zoning, juggling, counters, and cancels. Rather than being in practice mode all the time, players can hop into the new Multiverse mode to tackle a series of challenges. Essentially, it pits you against alternately-skinned characters in a series of matches, with varying levels of difficulty, fighting conditions, and challenges. It’s a constantly updated list, each Multiverse destination tied to a countdown timer, some of which are longer than others. The proposition here is that it serves as an endless, dynamic extension of single-player, playable offline and sweetened by the allure of Gear and character-specific endings.
Gear is the other new addition to
