A polished and content-heavy fighting game for veterans and newcomers alike.
By: Ryan Ramakrishnan
Reviewed on PlayStation 4
Reviewed on PlayStation 4
Injustice 2 provides game modes to keep players coming back for more all day long, simultaneously boasting a beloved roster and fast, polished gameplay.
I was drawn to Injustice 2 for the exciting roster of DC Comics characters and the ability to alter gear but I never thought it would take up so much of my time. The gear system is deep and personable. There is so much to customize to your liking and Injustice 2 boasts dynamic game modes to assist that. Thanks to all this and the cinematic beauty it is during fights and in its campaign, Injustice 2 is one of the best fighting games in recent years and impossible to put down.
Story
The campaign in Injustice 2 actually tells an interesting story and proves that fighting games can and frankly should have more than a simple arcade mode for a core single player experience. The plot sees Batman allied up with other characters like Green Arrow and newcomer Black Canary working at rebuilding the society broken by Superman’s regime. That regime and the evil side of Superman return from the previous iteration, Injustice: Gods Among Us. This time around, the threat is still there and the deep rivalries exist during it all but new evil comes into play. I found the story to be interesting for the most part, mainly because of its inclusion of so many recognizable characters I love, brought to life. I enjoyed it but the pleasure comes from the presentation more than the actual plot.
Some of the characters depictions through cutscenes and storytelling are hard to enjoy like the oddly dark (but not in the way you want him to be) Joker. As for the rest, they are generally fully realized and feel at home. The bleak world of Injustice 2’s story mode provides fan service with some character interactions like the aforementioned Green Arrow and Black Canary being together or Superman’s relationship with his cousin, Supergirl. It's hard to deny the attention to character motives and relationships in the story. There is a lot of dynamic to it all amidst the grim story.
Gameplay
As a one-on-one fighting game, Injustice 2 delivers on all ends. It improves the fighting from its predecessor, being a faster and more varied game. Injustice: Gods Among Us sends over a handful of fighters to its sequel but Injustice 2 comes packed with many new characters to choose from. Each of the expansive roster has their own style with a great deal of skills to learn. Every character has their simple combos and special attacks, easy to learn; however, they all have a variety of longer combos to string together, each with their own statistics and and pros and cons.
The special meter has important functionality in Injustice 2. You have the ability to keep building it up and use your super move or enhance special attacks. It can also allow for a roll to dodge an attack. The game also has a clash which allows for players to gamble their special meter points to heal or deal damage.
Injustice 2’s gear system provides the opportunity to customize movesets for characters, sometimes altering their play styles more than you’d expect. Nothing drastically changes them but there is a decent amount of variety in gameplay thanks to the system. The gear system does also allow statistics to be increased and of course lower some others in exchange. It makes for a personalized experience when figuring out how you wish to fight.
Game modes like the ever-changing multiverse and online matches leave the player with a lot to do to learn how use each character and act as their own tutorials in a sense but way more fun to play and teach through experience.
All in all, Injustice 2 does an exceptional job at giving you the feeling that you are that superhero or villain thanks to the love that went into the combos and special attacks alike.
Graphics
Cutscenes in the story mode are stunning to watch. The whole presentation of the campaign is what made it most enjoyable, more so than the plot itself. I was in awe when looking at character models and details in costumes and faces, as well as the environments in the story. The presentation is well-directed and a marvel to see in a fighting game.
Injustice 2 fortunately carries all of this over to its fights as well, as it should. The gameplay looks great, even when the fights get chaotic. Character customization through the gear system, a huge part of the metagame, comes with some satisfying visuals in its interface. It’s exciting scrolling through tens of hundreds of gear options and seeing how they look, in the game’s gorgeous engine, on your favorite characters. Injustice 2 is ultimately a very pretty game that oftentimes boasts photo-realism in its dynamic characters and arenas’ environments alike.
Sound
Injustice 2’s voice acting is both well-done and accurately representative of the characters. I loved the small interactions the fights begin with. It is a nice touch to see characters speak to one another and even better when they reference their source material. That delivers on the fan service that this game lovingly crafts for DC fans. Injustice 2’s characters all come with multiple introductions and brief dialogues. And of course, that dialogue is expanded upon in an interesting way in the story mode. Like the admirable presentation the campaign has to offer in the visuals department, the voice acting and delivery of lines and dialogue is all generally superb.
Sound effects within fights like the many projectiles and landed hits and combos, as well as the environmental interactions like explosions or stage transitions all sound spot on and fitting for the fighting game.
As a one-on-one fighting game, Injustice 2 delivers on all ends. It improves the fighting from its predecessor, being a faster and more varied game. Injustice: Gods Among Us sends over a handful of fighters to its sequel but Injustice 2 comes packed with many new characters to choose from. Each of the expansive roster has their own style with a great deal of skills to learn. Every character has their simple combos and special attacks, easy to learn; however, they all have a variety of longer combos to string together, each with their own statistics and and pros and cons.
The special meter has important functionality in Injustice 2. You have the ability to keep building it up and use your super move or enhance special attacks. It can also allow for a roll to dodge an attack. The game also has a clash which allows for players to gamble their special meter points to heal or deal damage.
Injustice 2’s gear system provides the opportunity to customize movesets for characters, sometimes altering their play styles more than you’d expect. Nothing drastically changes them but there is a decent amount of variety in gameplay thanks to the system. The gear system does also allow statistics to be increased and of course lower some others in exchange. It makes for a personalized experience when figuring out how you wish to fight.
Game modes like the ever-changing multiverse and online matches leave the player with a lot to do to learn how use each character and act as their own tutorials in a sense but way more fun to play and teach through experience.
All in all, Injustice 2 does an exceptional job at giving you the feeling that you are that superhero or villain thanks to the love that went into the combos and special attacks alike.
Graphics
Cutscenes in the story mode are stunning to watch. The whole presentation of the campaign is what made it most enjoyable, more so than the plot itself. I was in awe when looking at character models and details in costumes and faces, as well as the environments in the story. The presentation is well-directed and a marvel to see in a fighting game.
Injustice 2 fortunately carries all of this over to its fights as well, as it should. The gameplay looks great, even when the fights get chaotic. Character customization through the gear system, a huge part of the metagame, comes with some satisfying visuals in its interface. It’s exciting scrolling through tens of hundreds of gear options and seeing how they look, in the game’s gorgeous engine, on your favorite characters. Injustice 2 is ultimately a very pretty game that oftentimes boasts photo-realism in its dynamic characters and arenas’ environments alike.
Sound
Injustice 2’s voice acting is both well-done and accurately representative of the characters. I loved the small interactions the fights begin with. It is a nice touch to see characters speak to one another and even better when they reference their source material. That delivers on the fan service that this game lovingly crafts for DC fans. Injustice 2’s characters all come with multiple introductions and brief dialogues. And of course, that dialogue is expanded upon in an interesting way in the story mode. Like the admirable presentation the campaign has to offer in the visuals department, the voice acting and delivery of lines and dialogue is all generally superb.
Sound effects within fights like the many projectiles and landed hits and combos, as well as the environmental interactions like explosions or stage transitions all sound spot on and fitting for the fighting game.
The music here is oftentimes epic in a sense, as much of a cliche as it sounds. The feeling of being a superhero or a villain in a fight gets that epic nature thanks to the music. It doesn’t always remain that way however, which is fitting. When it isn’t epic, the music in the background will be more somber. I found it to be appropriate for the bleak world and storyline in Injustice 2. The music when going through menus isn’t anything particularly special but it fits.
Content
Between the multiverse and the gear system, Injustice 2 was the only game I was playing for hours on end on a daily basis at one point. I genuinely couldn’t stop coming back to these addictive systems. I never imagined it to be so deep and I didn’t even get into it at first. In the beginning, it was about playing with friends and finishing the campaign.
I did soon find out that the multiverse is one of the most accessible and enjoyable grinds I have personally came across. There are different fights with unique scenarios and modifiers to complete for gear. They range from very easy and quick runs to long chains of fights with the hardest of the AI. The best is how the multiverse is always updating. Even months after the game’s release, Injustice 2 continues to refresh these times events and give more incentive to keep playing. It is beyond addictive to fight your way through all of the events to not only get gear but also to level up and learn to be better.
The gear system is seemingly limitless. I loved it for the cosmetic and the technical perks alike. There is a great pleasure in making your favorite hero or villain look the way you like them to and showing it to the world. I found myself using up all of the loadout slots for each character, even the ones I wasn’t super keen on. It became a collection of cool looking characters and statistically varied characters alike. Each day, I’d mess around until it looked perfect. That is the wonderful thing about this system: it replaces simple skins with fully customizable appearances that even change the gameplay.
Even if you aren’t tinkering with the extremely open gear system, Injustice 2 still has reason to play for hours on end. The campaign has several alternative fights to complete and even boasts a different ending, providing more to do once the credits roll.
And then there is online play which comes with different directions, whether you wish to play with someone of your skill and level or just anyone in the world.
Injustice 2’s massive roster also allows the player to level each up to level 20, which is no small task. This is ultimately a meaty package for fans of fighting games and is by no means limited to just playing with others. It is impressive to look at the amount of content existing in Injustice 2.
Conclusion
NetherRealm Studios hit it out of the park with Injustice 2, making it easily the most polished and diverse game in their library yet. It succeeds its 2013 predecessor in seemingly every way. The story mode is a fine follow-up, perhaps not as good plot wise; however, its presentation both visually and in performances is unprecedented. Injustice 2’s graphics beautifully translate to every other aspect of the game’s interface and fights. The characters all look and feel as incredible as comic book fans would hope and they are extremely customizable thanks to the fully fleshed out but not intimidating gear system. With improved fighting and some of the most exhilarating combos to execute and unadulterated love for the source material, Injustice 2 is an easy to access but satisfyingly challenging to master fighting game filled with hours of content.
Who was your favorite character in Injustice 2? Did you get into the gear system? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Content
Between the multiverse and the gear system, Injustice 2 was the only game I was playing for hours on end on a daily basis at one point. I genuinely couldn’t stop coming back to these addictive systems. I never imagined it to be so deep and I didn’t even get into it at first. In the beginning, it was about playing with friends and finishing the campaign.
I did soon find out that the multiverse is one of the most accessible and enjoyable grinds I have personally came across. There are different fights with unique scenarios and modifiers to complete for gear. They range from very easy and quick runs to long chains of fights with the hardest of the AI. The best is how the multiverse is always updating. Even months after the game’s release, Injustice 2 continues to refresh these times events and give more incentive to keep playing. It is beyond addictive to fight your way through all of the events to not only get gear but also to level up and learn to be better.
The gear system is seemingly limitless. I loved it for the cosmetic and the technical perks alike. There is a great pleasure in making your favorite hero or villain look the way you like them to and showing it to the world. I found myself using up all of the loadout slots for each character, even the ones I wasn’t super keen on. It became a collection of cool looking characters and statistically varied characters alike. Each day, I’d mess around until it looked perfect. That is the wonderful thing about this system: it replaces simple skins with fully customizable appearances that even change the gameplay.
Even if you aren’t tinkering with the extremely open gear system, Injustice 2 still has reason to play for hours on end. The campaign has several alternative fights to complete and even boasts a different ending, providing more to do once the credits roll.
And then there is online play which comes with different directions, whether you wish to play with someone of your skill and level or just anyone in the world.
Injustice 2’s massive roster also allows the player to level each up to level 20, which is no small task. This is ultimately a meaty package for fans of fighting games and is by no means limited to just playing with others. It is impressive to look at the amount of content existing in Injustice 2.
Conclusion
NetherRealm Studios hit it out of the park with Injustice 2, making it easily the most polished and diverse game in their library yet. It succeeds its 2013 predecessor in seemingly every way. The story mode is a fine follow-up, perhaps not as good plot wise; however, its presentation both visually and in performances is unprecedented. Injustice 2’s graphics beautifully translate to every other aspect of the game’s interface and fights. The characters all look and feel as incredible as comic book fans would hope and they are extremely customizable thanks to the fully fleshed out but not intimidating gear system. With improved fighting and some of the most exhilarating combos to execute and unadulterated love for the source material, Injustice 2 is an easy to access but satisfyingly challenging to master fighting game filled with hours of content.
Who was your favorite character in Injustice 2? Did you get into the gear system? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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