Injustice 2: Review

So you admired what you observed in Injustice 2, yet you weren’t too convinced to buy it immediately and patiently waited for the price to drop a little to reduce the stakes. If the reader falls into this category, this review is for you.

Injustice 2 is the second instalment, obviously following Injustice 1, of the Injustice series. The game is based on the Injustice DC comic books, with a story that continues where it left off in the first game. It’s safe to say that Netherrealm have certainly outdone themselves to create a content filled title which stands from the shoulders of the problems of MKX and Injustice 1. Yet, no game is perfect, so let’s delve deeper.

Starting with the gameplay, Injustice 2 consists of detailed and characteristic stages, from the noisy atmospheres to the intricate textures. Frame rate on consoles is a smooth 60fps with an acute number of frame drops and glitches. The basics of the game are quite easy to pick up, with concrete combos and mix-ups requiring more time and determination. Super moves and stage transitions are back and improved from Injustice 1. Many super moves are epically dynamic with the player feeling each powerful hit internally, while some are rather luck-lustered. The stage transitions are quick, barely slowing down the game and fail to get uninteresting even after the 15th time. Overall, gameplay is refreshing, although familiar to experienced gamers and riddled with many cinematic instances with add another dimension to the fighting experience. A small point is an easily ignored game bug which has carried over from Injustice 2, when a character loses all health and hits the ground, he/she gets back up and falls again.

Graphics and Sound

The graphics of Injustice 2 are just remarkable, with each crease in Batman’s cape easily identifiable, the Joker’s insane facial expressions defined marvellously and the fine fur of Grodd as if created hair by hair. Injustice 2 is a staple of next-gen console graphics, confidently flexing the muscles of such hardware and delivering a great looking game. Regarding sound, as a whole, it’s pretty impressive with a few minor gropes. All characters have convincing voices, each punch greeted with a rewarding sound and ambient noise fitting in perfectly. Some flaws can be found in the transmission of some lines, some being too soft or spoken to early and thus easily missed. There are a few sync errors I’ve encountered too, the delayed clanging noise of Wonder Woman battering her shield and poor lip syncing for a few Green Arrow lines, to be exact. Although there are minor mistakes, the sound is captivating, with fitting music and fantastic voice acting for the most part. Also, dialogue between characters before each fight and in clashes is very interactive, with minimal repetition, and includes many references to the DC universe which fans will definitely love.

Content

Injustice 2 is filled to the brim with it. Firstly, comes the story mode. The story recounts a dystopian society of heroes and villains spread on both sides of the ‘good’ and ‘evil’ spectrum, defining of the Injustice universe. The player follows a main character or two in each chapter, taking down any foe the game presents. However, although you may have heard this all before from previous titles, at certain instances, the player may pick from two characters to use.

An element of decision which has never really been there before.  As the story progresses, anxiety builds, and the player is constantly choosing a side, using his/her conscience to decide who is in the right. Ultimately, the one holding the controller must make this decision to unlock one of the two endings available. Regarding the ending, I believe there could have been a stronger boss fight, but it isn’t a push-over, trust me. In short, it’s a sensational story which follows the comic diligently and does manage to add some thought to the choosing of side at the end of it, providing persuading arguments for and against.

Continuing on content, is the rest of the game. The multiverse is a new imagination of the traditional ‘Towers’ mode but done so much better. Fitting in with the DC concept of multiple Earths, different multiverses keep opening and closing. There are an infinite number of possibilities in each universe, different modifiers, sidekicks, bosses, difficulties and prizes. The multiverse is a leading contributor in creating a sense of refreshment that no prior title has really had. Compared to the Towers of MKX, this is a massive step forward. In the multiverse mode, under ‘battle simulator’, are the arcade stories of each character which are common-place in Netherrealm fighters. 

Regarding each character, the appealing roster of 28 DC icons is a healthy mix of light and heavy heroes and villains, all of which can be found in the story mode and are relevant. However, much controversy has built up on the inclusion of the Joker, with only a minor appearance in a small dream; many think that this spot could have been filled by a new character. Yet, why would Netherrealm leave out DC’s most notorious villain in a fighter game? I’m afraid Joker simply has to be there.  Moving on, every character has unique special moves, combos and traits with the potential to be ranked up to level 20. You may be asking; ‘What’s levelling up gonna do ?’ - A lot.

Levelling Up

The levelling up system is brand new to fighting games, and Injustice 2 does it just right. By levelling up, one can have access to new gear, ranging from common to epic and potentially changing the look of your favourite DC villain drastically. One can also unlock abilities, to switch things up and even add shaders, to colour some heroes like never before; have you ever seen a blue Flash? What really adds incentive to levelling up is the loot system rewarding by all types of mother boxes.  Ranging from bronze to diamond, the level of awesomeness of the gear corresponds to the precious metal.

The game does an annoyingly amazing job at rewarding gear a few levels higher than your character’s current level, so you must play a little more just to equip it. Don’t worry, there is a myriad of activities one can carry out to level up a character, you don’t have to spar with an ai bot. One may defeat multiverses, complete the arcade story mode, assemble a team of ai bots to battle those of other players, play online ranked and regular games while also contributing to their guild. Guild? Yes, guilds are also a new aspect of Injustice 2, an outtake on the well-known ‘clan’ system. Guilds may consist of up to 50 players, who together complete daily and weekly challenges, rewarding all participants heavily.

A guild multiverse will also pop up now and then, which you and your buddies can take out together, with even team boss battles available. The possibilities are many with which one may upgrade his character, and Injustice 2 is very generous with loot. Playing locally with friends and receiving respect for how ‘cool’ your Green Lantern looks is worth the grind.

Cons

There are a few minute cons to Injustice 2, one of them being the currency system. The game has 4 currencies. Personally, I was confused at the beginning, scared to spend any of the currencies before I learnt which were more valuable and what I could spend all of it on. Another point is the micro-transactions, they aren’t too problematic, but through them one may instantly level up a character to level 20 cheaply. However, getting a character to level 20 is extremely possible if done normally, the game doesn’t imply that one must pay to win, but it is easier to pay. Until now, I have 3 level 20 characters and a few at level 10.

A final point is the DLC; in my opinion, Warner Bros DLC is either a rip-off or has no content. For Injustice 2, 9 DLC characters will be entered, the most DLC characters ever, meaning that not buying it surely entails that you are missing out. This is true, but a good number of players will be content with the original 28.

So, to summarise the review, Injustice 2 is an incredible game. Packed with persuading content, interesting and ambitious changes, Netherrealm have made one of their best fighting games yet. Although there may be a few small problems, including a hell for perfectionists due to constant ‘new gear’, the title is a gem in the DC universe with a vaulting fun-factor and sense of refreshment. The game also connects to DC films and offers events such as the recent Wonder Woman multiverses, which rewarded her gear from the movie as an example.

With no numerical score, this game is definitely one to buy if one finds himself to either be a fighter game enthusiast or a hard core DC fan.