From the creators of Mortal Kombat comes a fighting game that features over 20 heroes and villains from the DC Universe. The game is fun and also surprisingly violent for a Teen rated game.
This isn’t the first time NetherRealm Studios have worked on a DC fighting game. In 2008 they combined Mortal Kombat and DC Universe for (duh) Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe. The game was fun but the down side was it was basically a toned down MK and the super heroes just seemed tacked on. That game did feature some unique features. One that has been carried over for Injustice and that is the ability to knock your opponent through multiple stages. But enough of the past let’s dig into the new.
Injustice takes place in an alternate universe where The Joker somehow tricks Superman into killing Lois Lane and his unborn child! Yes, it’s shocking and it is a very cool way to start this game. Superman enraged kills, yes kills The Joker. This changes everything. Supes now rules the world with an iron fist and kills any super hero in his way. I was sucked into this game instantly. I loved the new take on Superman and that Batman is rallying rebel heroes against him makes it even cooler.
While the story is cool it means nothing if the game is not fun to play, and thankfully Injustice is a lot of fun. One of the things that NertherRealm does better then anyone in the game business is make punches,kicks and throws feel painful. You will fell the impact and cringe at some of the moves. NetherRealm has also made subtle changes to the fight engine. Gone are High Punch, Low Punch, etc. Now you have 3 different attack buttons with the 4th serving as a unique attack for every character. The controls are tight and have a lot of depth. Backgrounds are also alive with objects that the fighters can grab and throw at an enemy. Some characters are a lot stronger then others, and it does seem silly that The Joker or Catwoman would engage in a fight with Superman, but who cares it’s still a blast. Fatalities are gone. In their place are some devastating super moves that are earned by beating your opponent to a pulp, and they are really cool.
The graphics are a mixed bag. The main characters look fantastic, but the other characters like civilians and police officers look horrible. What makes it even more jarring is how great everything else around them look. I was actually cringing when there was a scene involving many police officers, not only do a lot look the same, they are animated extremely stiff. The backgrounds are also a mixed bag. Arkham looks great but some of the details are just not that detailed. Another bummer is some of the characters are lame. Would you rather play as Raven or Hawkman? Killer Frost or Mr. Freeze. I do respect the developers for digging deep in the DC universe but we are missing some really cool characters. Also some of the character designs are really silly. It feels like DC did not want there to be any doubt that this is not canon so all the characters have some sort of lame armor on.
One thing NetherRealm never skimps on is bonus content. Besides the normal arcade ladder there is also a lot of unlockables. There is also a MK style battle tower called Skylabs where you earn stars and exp to purchase goodies. And this is one of the only fighting games I can think of that actually has a level up system. And while that doesn’t make you stronger it does unlock more stuff for use in the game.
Injustice: Gods Among Us offers a lot to not only fighting game fans but also comic fans. It packs one powerful punch and with a lot of stuff to unlock this game will keep you busy for hours.
Graphics 4.0
The main characters look great almost everything else looks blah.
Control 5.0
Tight and precise, exactly what you need in a fighting game
Sound 4.5
The punches and kicks sound great, some of the voice work is great. Some not so much
Fun Factor 5.0
Lots to do, huge combos, brutal super moves make this one awesome fighter