DC Comics have always been plagued with sub-par video game tie-ins, from the horrid Superman 64 which had players awkwardly maneuvering through rings as they flew through a green mist, to the less than exciting Batman Begins movie game. Superhero games in general just don’t do very well for themselves. Of course there are some exceptions that push past the benchmark to be something unique like the PS3 & PC MMO, DC Universe Online & the Batman: Arkham series but these are few & far between. Now comes a gritty fighting game from Nether Realm Studios, the creators of Mortal Kombat, and it’s called Injustice: Gods Among Us.
Considering this is a ‘serious’ fighting game created by an experienced developer, it’s refreshing to see so much time & effort put into a fighting games story. The game’s set in an alternate reality where Metropolis is reduced to ash by the Joker and the Man of Steel is drugged into killing Lois Lane & their unborn child. Superman then murders the Joker during an interrogation with Batman which sparks a series of events that lead to Superman beginning a new world ‘Regime’ & Batman founding the ‘Insurgency’. This is the premise for a series of battles that take place in various locations from the DC universe.
With any decent fighting game, the first question on everyone’s list is which famous (and infamous) characters will be joining the roster. Luckily the roster is nothing to disappoint, with characters from all over the DC universe joining Superman’s crusade or Batman’s rebellion. From the well-known such as Batman, Green Lantern, The Joker & Lex Luthor to the lesser-known like Killer Frost & Raven and even the obscure like Ares, there’s a character here to suit everyone’s play style. Move lists differ depending on that specific characters power. For instance, Batman doesn’t have a ‘super’ power therefore his move list relies more on grapples & counters to take down a rival whereas the likes of Bane or Solomon Grundy use their sheer strength defeat an enemy.
As one would suspect with a fighting game, each character possesses a signature move, which the player can activate once their power meter is full. These moves replace the iconic ‘fatalities’ from the Mortal Kombat series. In place of the gruesome fatalities, these super moves show off a specific characters super power or ability. They’re rather fun to watch unfold although once you’ve seen them more than once, they become quite dull & repetitive. Each character type makes for some interesting match ups though, especially since the arena is multilayered and includes interactive objects.
Combatants are given an assortment of locations to fight in ranging from the batcave to the watchtower & even the hall of justice. Each arena contains an assortment of interactive objects that help tip the odds in one players favor. On top of this, players can also trigger transitions that allow one player to knock the other through into another area. Another addition to the Mortal Kombat formula is the ‘wager’ system. This mechanic allows players to ‘wager’ sections of their power meter to earn health & damage their opponent. It’s a nice way to break the heat of battle & give players a bit of a breather.
Injustice: Gods Among Us is a serious fighting game that melts fan service & gameplay into a juicy DC package that both hardcore fighting fans & comic book fans can enjoy. It has some flaws but the overall core gameplay experience isn't damaged. My only concern is the games longevity, which rests primarily on the online & tournament community.
Injustice: Gods Among Us gets 6.5 ‘Muted Microphones’/10
+ Attention to Detail & Lore
+ Tight Controls
- Unpredictable Online Play/Community
- Becomes Repetitive
- Falls Short of the Promise
