Injustice 2

Fighting games are certainly not my forte.

I often downright avoid them the same as RTS and JRPGs because I'm not really talented at them, nor do they interest me all that much. 

That is unless it's a fighting game by NetherRealms studio. They're responsible for the few most recent Mortal Kombat games in addition to this new, really interesting series: Injustice. 

The first Injustice game didn't pique my interest enough initially and I ended up getting it for free via a month of PS+ freebies. I enjoyed it for the most part, though it felt like a neutered version of their Mortal Kombat games. It was cool that DC superheroes were fighting against one another, but outside of the main campaign, there wasn't much for me to do. A word about my review and my approach to fighting games: I do not go online with them. At all. It frustrates me enough when the AI kicks my ass, I can only imagine how enraged I'd be when some 12-year-old from North Dakota spanks me with a bunch of cheap shots. But that should explain why fighting games aren't often in my "most anticipated" lists. I'm done with them after the campaign and maybe a few bouts with friends -- they're short lived. 

That is, until I played Injustice 2. 

Bout to be a...girl fight!

Even as someone unfamiliar with this genre, I can tell you that Injustice 2 changes the game with a few simple, but HUGE additions much in the same vein as games like Destiny, The Division, and really any game with loot and randomly-generated events. Pair that with a really intriguing story better than everything in the current DCEU that isn't Wonder Woman, some smooth, sexy graphics, and a generally helpful approach to n00bs like myself and you have a fighting game that I plan on keeping for a while. And one that's probably the new gold standard for me when it comes to this genre.

Hey! Aren't you on TV now?

The story here continues off the tragic events that took place in Injustice: Gods Among Us. Superman was tricked into killing someone close to him by the Joker and now the heroes (and some former villains) of this earth must come to terms with protecting the Earth despite their differing moral compasses. Superman and his crew want to kill enemies. They've seen the error of their ways and understand now that the only solution to evil is a permanent one. Batman and his group still holds true to not killing enemies. They know that doing so only stoops you to the same level as them. When Braniac begins to steal worlds and their collective knowledge, these groups clash and ultimately have to find a way to come together to fight and save the planet. Outlandish? Sure. But actually pretty heavy and deep when you consider that these two groups aren't agreeing on almost the very exact thing that qualified them as "heroes" before. And for a fighting game to have this story as well is even more surprising, despite some parts that shoehorn pairs together to fight each other. There are a couple various endings for the game, both of which are of the cliffhanger variety. It's a tad annoying, but promises more to come. I only wish there would have been a villain campaign because you never get to play as any of the villains during that experience. It makes the whole thing feel a bit disjointed by the time you finish because your heroes will all be somewhat leveled up and your villains will be sitting at a whopping level 0 -- plus you have no context for who among the villains you enjoy playing as. 

Which brings me to the roster. It's mostly what you'd expect with core Justice League members on there. Batman, Superman, Aquaman, Flash, and Wonder Woman are present as well as other heroes like Green Arrow, Black Canary, Blue Beetle, Doctor Fate, etc. The villains include Joker, Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Bane, and others. I found the list to certainly curate based on current popular properties (i.e. CW shows and Suicide Squad from last year) which is a bit of a shame because I think there are members on this list that don't deserve to be here. Especially with potential glaring omissions that I'm sure hardcore DC fans aren't pleased about. Despite some poor roster choices however, I found a few characters that I was able to become very proficient with. Batman is my highest-level character, Wonder Woman is close behind, Green Arrow is the one I'm probably most talented with, and I also enjoyed Flash, Superman, and Catwoman. You definitely find the characters that feel best to you and I could immediately tell which ones I was uncomfortable with (basically anyone who was slow). 

The Multiverse:
An example in smart, but simple additions

The fighting is fast-paced and well balanced for the most part. Special moves look incredible and there's a good mixture of surface-level capability for players like me as well some deeper-level stuff for better players. The Power Moves are awesome, but do get a bit old after a while and I wish the developers would have done two different ones for each character, even if that would be a tall order. Once you get used to a character and memorize a few of their special moves, being "skilled" comes naturally and there were actually a few times I truly believed I was pretty great at the game, which is a rarity for fighting games. The biggest flaw with Injustice 2 emerges in this realm however and it led to some truly rage-inducing moments including some controller throwing (into couch cushions, luckily). Most matches or story moments are set up of a chain of fights between 3, 5, 8, or more fighters. At a few points in the story mode and fairly frequently in the Multiverse, the game delivers a difficulty spike opponent that is so f**king annoying that it gets my blood hot just thinking about it. For clarification, I like a good challenge. If I have to replay a fight a couple times to beat it, fine. But if I'm joining a multiverse event that has a set AI difficulty (designated clearly when you choose the mission) and I get to an opponent that requires 5, 7, 10 replays to beat them? That's bad coding. Plain and simple. I'm fairly certain it was intentional by the developers too because it's so apparent and to me, that's just annoying. I had to walk away from the game for a few days on more than one occasion and unfortunately that means I lost out on the multiverse reward (more on that later). I'm certainly no masochist when it comes to gaming (hence why I bought and promptly returned Bloodborne because I couldn't hang), but I like to be challenged. When I feel like the game is being cheap, or an opponent won't stop spamming a move, or grabbing you; I feel like the game is then wasting my time. And I've got zero patience for that. The good news about this criticism is that it's entirely based in my own opinion so if difficulty spikes and substantially surprising challenges are your thing, Injustice 2 can be basically as hard as you want it to be. 

"Oh I'm sorry Captain Cold. Wait...no I'm not."

Injustice 2 has a secret weapon (or a few, rather) that elevates it past other fighting games. To be honest, it's so substantial that I'll be curious to see how other fighting games cope as I imagine they'll feel very empty without these additions. First and foremost is a gear/loot system. Realizing they have a rich history of DC comics to pull from, NetherRealms has separated each character into 5 gear slots, a couple special moves, and color shaders. This means that you can customize your Batman to have specific armor, with a certain parry move, and be a specific color. It's a bold move as it does away with a significant amount of DLC they could have provided, but it makes the game all the better for it. It's exciting when you unlock a new gear piece that looks good and powers up your character. Maybe don't like the look of the gear, but enjoy its benefits? You can swap it's appearance with something you already have and keep the powers, and vice versa. Some characters obviously have more shaders/cooler gear than others, but in general this was an idea that adds a lot of longevity to the game. It also allows the game to work as a tie-in with there already being a Multiverse event associated with the Wonder Woman movie where you can earn Gal Gadot's now-iconic gear (and I must say, it looks great!). 

World, meet Bruce "Rath" Wayne. He's a BAMF

As to this Multiverse thing I keep talking about? It's the longevity of the game and it makes it one worth keeping, especially for people like myself that will likely never go online. The Multiverse is a single player page that sets up different events happening well...in the Multiverse (different universes in the DC lore). Sure, you're fighting in the same maps against the same roster, but each Multiverse has different tiers and awards that make them specifically enticing. I grinded for a while several days ago on a Batman-centric one just to unlock some epic Batman gear. Unfortunately I was thwarted by an aggressive Level 20 Joker (my Batman is only level 15 as of writing this), but it was motivating nonetheless. These events each have time limits and are replaced with new ones after they expire. Some only last for a couple hours, others, like the Wonder Woman one, last for a week or more. The Multiverse is where I visit most often now that I'm done with the story, and the possibilities for some quick hit action or long grinding sessions are both present. It's not only fun, but it's smart and the combination of character modification/customization with the Multiverse help the fighting genre enter into a new realm. It's a decidedly bold decision and I imagine there are some gamers that are disgusted by gear making your character better, but I think it adds an extra layer of depth to a genre that previously struggled to exist much outside of local multiplayer beat downs.

Flash's Super Move is a riot ^^

Injustice 2 frustrated the s**t out of me sometimes, absolutely. And unfairly so on many of those occasions. Yet I can't deny how great of a game this is and I imagine that in several years it will be referred to as an...ahem..."game changer" for this genre. It packs in so much content -- that isn't DLC, mind you -- that it makes it worthwhile for lovers of DC, lovers of fighting games, or even timid players like me who are weary about fighting games but have come to love the game for all it has to offer. I'm sure it'll get old at some point, as most games do, but the smart, large additions they've added have pushed out the date-of-expiration considerably and that's quite an achievement no matter what genre you're in. 

CONS

• I think the roster is fairly weak. There are several characters I've never heard of and others that don't deserve to be there. A little too much focus on capitalizing on what characters are in the "spotlight" right now via other mediums
• Feels like there's a rather low quantity of maps. Some are far better than others
• Difficulty spikes that are so blatant it makes me wonder if they're hard coded in. They're unwarranted and unappreciated because they don't keep with the difficulty of a particular event that you start and sometimes completely prevent you from finishing said event
• Instances where the opponent spams moves, blocks, or grabs are particularly aggravating
• No villains campaign
• Would like to see 2 super moves per character next time around. It can't really be that difficult can it?
• Fairly forgettable original score
• Cliffhanger endings are "meh"

PROS

• A strong continuation of the story that fits in with the fighting genre and keeps you engaged
• Fantastic fighting animations and technical aspects. This is a gorgeous looking and flowing game through and through
• Some really fun super moves and a handful of characters that suited me perfectly
• When it's not being obnoxious with its uncalled for difficulty spikes, it's a very fair, evenly matched game that forces you to learn each character to succeed
• The Multiverse was a fantastic addition and is a HUGE step forward for fighting games and games with previously short-lived shelf lives
• Epic character customization that makes the grind worth it. There are very distinct visual changes with most character pieces and the itch to upgrade your Batman or Green Arrow to be more powerful is very real
• Outside of frustrations, this is the most connected and enthused I've ever been about a fighting game. It's got the answers to a lot of issues (personal or otherwise) that this genre often has and makes it accessible for single-player lovers, n00bs, online fiends, and experts. Plus it's all about DC characters beating the crap out of each other. What's not to love?

 Rath's Review Score | 8.5/10