Great content and graphics from NetherRealm
There was talk amongst the grapevine of Injustice 2 featuring a less serious, less gritty cast and storyline than its predecessor, but in my many exhilerating hours of playing the latest anti-hero fighting game from NetherRealm Studios, there hasn’t been anything to suggest that gloom and grit aren’t the order of the day.
Injustice 2 exists in a happy medium between retaining the strengths of the original Injustice and making smart and wholly necessary changes to improve overall mechanics and flow. There’s everything from new additions to the famed and thrilling environmental attacks, to flashy transitions between different areas of the battle locations. As well as that, there are a multitude of new abilities, such as the chance to burn your meter in order to gain invulnerable movement to escape the perpetually annoying projectile-happy enemies. There is also a global increase in the speed of the game, making for a nice change in pace when compared to the sometimes-plodding nature of the original Injustice.
Injustice 2’s story mode is particularly impressive. Although it may be jarring to some comic book fans, I found the grim nature of the story a pleasant counterpoint to the often black-and white, good vs. evil nature of many comics. The thoroughly enjoyable, five or so hour adventure kicks off with Superman behind bars and his tyrannic Regime from the previous game in tatters. The invasion of Brainiac forces the benevolent Batman to consider the unthinkable: free Superman so that he can help save the Earth.
Although I am a massive advocate for games being able to hold their own through gameplay alone, I simply cannot write this review without commenting on the graphics in this game. Injustice 2 is quite simply beautiful. The dazzling depth of field, the astonishing particle effects and the sometimes-photorealistic nature of the characters is an absolute joy to behold. NetherRealm has created impossibly realistic visuals that - for better or worse - nail the dour art style that the current iteration of the DC universe is known for. NetherRealm has outdone itself with the facial animations. Although they naturally stray into the Uncanny Valley, this phenomenon actually fits really well with the hyper-realistic aesthetic that the likes of Harley Quinn and The Joker are based on.
This game is chock-full of a near-overwhelming amount of content. It may not be as fast and fluid as the likes of Street Fighter and Tekken, nor does it have such a rabid following, but Injustice 2 is a terrific game that will surely stand the test of time just as well as its contemporaries.