
In essence, the system allows you to build your own superhero, focused on your best preferred play style. In essence, the system allows you to build your own superhero These stats can be further modified, along with fighters’ appearances, by equipping new gear and abilities. Defense controls how resistant you are to opponent attacks, while health deals with how much damage your character can take before calling it quits. Strength dictates power of normal attacks, while ability covers the power of special attacks. As a character levels up, their four stats - strength, ability, defense, and health - rise with it. It may not be the first fighter to introduce RPG mechanics, but it is definitely the first to do so successfully.Įach fighter features their own individual progression, which increases statistics and impacts their effectiveness. Individual character stats rise as you level up, and stats and appearance can be further modified by equipping new gear. The meticulous detail put into the campaign stands out, but the most novel aspect of Injustice 2, the leveling and loot system, essentially turns the fighter into an RPG. Injustice 2 sets a new high-water mark for character rendering, but thankfully, it’s much more than a pretty face. You can read the cold determination on Brainiac’s face.

If you mute the game while watching one of its many cutscenes, you can follow along just by reading Batman’s and Superman’s lips. There are moments in Injustice 2, the second DC Comics inspired fighting game from Moral Kombat developer NetherRealm Studios, that feel so innately lifelike that it’s hard not to think of the virtual characters as actors putting on a show. The near three hours worth of lovingly rendered scenes create one of the most engaging on screen DC storylines. In the end, Injustice 2’s story is NetherRealm’s best effort, and arguably the best we’ve ever seen in a fighter. The story takes place in just one dimension, and though its opening moments may be jarring, you can comfortably follow Injustice 2’s cinematic heavy narrative without previous knowledge of its predecessor. It also doesn’t hurt that the story put the convoluted multiverse narrative of Injustice: Gods Among Us behind it. The campaign offers one of the best DC stories in years. It’s just as grim as the original, but this time it actually uses its bleakness to pose a meaningful question: To what end is justice served? Batman and Superman may be working on the same side, but tension lingers, created by the inevitability that Brainiac won’t be a threat forever. While it’s standard comic-book fare, Injustice 2’s story balances it’s many layers of personal and fantastic drama. After destroying Krypton long ago, Brainiac has come for the Man of Steel, forcing the embattled factions of the former Justice League to try and put their grievances aside for the sake of the planet. That threat is Superman’s classic foe, Brainiac. In Injustice 2, Superman has been locked up and depleted of his powers, while Batman and his team help rebuild civilization and keep a watchful eye for the next colossal threat to Earth. The first Injustice, Gods Among Us, sees Superman becomes a totalitarian dictator, prompting a revolt from Batman and Justice League members from multiple versions of the DC Universe. The story of Injustice 2 picks up where the original leaves off. Injustice 2 does something unique by offering a deep, enriching experience for both casual players and seasoned pros.

The emphasis on making the game inviting to all comes through in the loot system, which allows you to customize stats and appearance. The campaign offers one of the best DC stories in years, packed with meticulously designed cut scenes filled with a bevy of DC superheroes and villains. Injustice 2 builds on that concept, eclipsing the campaigns of its predecessors, while also adding new systems and modes that specifically target non-competitive play.

These campaigns, which NetherRealm introduced, in the rebooted Mortal Kombat (often referred to as MK9), fill a gap left open in most fighting games: A compelling single-player component for players who don’t necessarily have the time to keep up with the devoted competitive players who dominate online.
Injustice 2 review series#
Injustice 2, the follow-up to Moral Kombat developer NetherRealm’s Justice-League-inspired fighting game, is the studio’s fourth game with a cinematic campaign, which strings together a series of one-on-one fights with extended cutscenes to create a de facto interactive movie. We claim, probably too frequently, that “you could mistake this for the real thing.” This kind of talk is often hyperbole, often used to impress and excite, rather than to accurately describe them. Potential balancing issues from loot in multiplayerĬritics and fans tend to overstate the cinematic qualities of video games. Fitbit Versa 3Įnvironmental damage can still be frustrating
