INJUSTICE 2
A brave and bold step forwards
Everyone online is playing as Batman. It stands to reason: he’s popular and has enough Mortal Kombat move-set heritage to make him an easy pick-upand-play hero. Some may say ‘cheap’. Not me, but some people. After a day online, I really wish there was a ‘Martha’ move to stop old Bats in his tracks. Thankfully, the gaming world’s obsession with the Caped Crusader is one of the rare downsides to playing Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon’s new brawler. An evolution of the classic fighting series, Injustice 2 has enough new features, revisions, and polish to ensure it’s more than an extension of familiar traits.
The core button combo system remains intact – light, medium and heavy attacks on the face buttons, throw on o – so anyone who’s bought into the Boon brawler way of doing things will be at home from the first punch.
Where things get fun is with the advancements made to the Meter Burn system. By holding i after a flurry of attacks you can use a chunk of your Meter Burn to push the combo string past three or four hits and into big numbers; it also enables you to dash-roll out of an opponent’s strike and counter. There’s a tactic to how and when to use Burn, as depleting the meter means you can’t access your hero’s signature special.
Burn management was in the first Injustice, but now it’s fundamental to success. It actually sets the tone for the game and signals the deeper layers of play on offer. You’ll begin building Meter Burn with the goal of launching a hero special, but after repeated play it’s clear you can eat away at your rival’s health faster, and with more efficiency, by using multiple Burn combos.
This sense of progression has me hooked, and it’s a feeling that permeates the entire game. In fact, it’s what makes the addition of the Gear system fit so well. This is the make-orbreak addition of loot and XP levelling to the classic fighting game format. Being able to spruce up Black Canary with +35 armour should break the game. But it doesn’t, it saves it from mediocrity.
Every match, win or lose, sees goodies ping up on my screen, from classic costume parts to new weapons. Even special moves are mine to collect. Playing online it means I no longer become frustrated at losing to the world’s finest; instead a loot drop and XP from playing higher-level players rewards my endeavour. And good players will always beat bad, no matter how much levelling is involved.
Offline, loot is meaningful too. The new Multiverse mode is another winning addition to the game. Every day new challenge ‘worlds’ appear and offer set objectives and a roster
“MANIACAL SUPERMAN GOES TO PLACES EVEN ZACK SNYDER WOULDN’T DARE.”
of paraphernalia-powered CPU fighters to defeat. The low hanging fruit are easily picked off, but soon you’ll face level 20 AI, and will need to grind through the gear collection and XP rewards to rank up and return to beat them. It is possible to defeat higher-level characters, but it’s easier done with a dip into the Gear vault and a tweak of a hero’s loadout.
Filling your Gear vault is Injustice 2’s hook. It keeps rewarding you, and regular daily challenges, such as landing 10 heavy attacks in one online match, only serve to ensure you will remain in its tight grip.
SUPER STORY
The main story mode is a fivehour joy, treating the characters with respect and indulging every avenue the first game’s alt-heroverse setup allows – NetherRealm Studios’ maniacal Superman goes to places even Zack Snyder wouldn’t dare turn, and pulls it off. Like everything else in Injustice 2, it wants you to come back. A new chapter branching feature means you’ll need to play through multiple times to see the true ending.
I could criticise the animation – Boon’s games have always had a stiffness to them – but for the most part even here the game has been improved, particularly on new characters like Black Canary. Indeed, the character roster is a bloated Who’s Who of the DC universe, and even makes room for cult classics Swamp Thing and Doctor Fate. In fact, given the range of heroes on offer, there really is no reason to still stick with Batman.
VERDICT
Not only is Injustice 2 a polished celebration of DC Comics’ finest characters, but the new Gear system takes the fighting format to a new level. Rewarding and challenging, Injustice 2 is essential. Ian Dean