Injustice: Gods Among Us

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As a fighting game enthusiast, coming from Street Fighter 2, Original Mortal Kombat, to today's generation of fighting games (Street Fighter 4, MvC3, SFxT, etc) I have to say that this DC Super Hero version has met, and somewhat exceeded, certain expectations.

Now first off, I do have to say I didn't have great expectations to begin with, considering how MK vs DC was a bit under par. But certain previews at least gave me some hope. I'm also not some elite player in all those games, but I can pull my own weight to at least offer some perspective about certain fighting games. And based on what I've played so far, I was actually impressed. I'll try to note some of the highlights that caught my attention. I've just had time to beat the game in single player mode, so I haven't done a lot with multiplayer to comment on that yet.

This review may assist with someone still on the fence about the game, and wanting certain answers.

[GAMEPLAY Highlights]

Fight style is very similar to Mortal Kombat, as one would assume. However, there is no more need for a block button. This time, just hold back (away from opponent). This makes it easier for new players, unfamiliar to MK, to pick up. Basically, allows for a larger audience. However, hardcore MK fans may or may not appreciate this.

There is a meter bar that is built up with attacks. Up to four meters to be used individually for move cancellations, or full meter for Super Signature moves.

Ability to cancel certain abilities/combos (uses a meter bar), helps to connect long chained combos.

Basic combos are simple enough for newbies to make use of. But, it can get complex enough to keep the hardcore entertained in finding long combo strings.

Meter bar also used for wager mode. While you're being chain hit, you can cancel the opponent's chain by initiating a "clash". During this phase you and the opponent place a "bet" of your meter. 1-4 of your meter to be used in the wager, against the opponent's. Once the wager is placed, the two figthers do a slow motion power clash. If the initiator of the clash wins, he/she gains a % of health based on the difference of the meter waged. If the initiator of the clash loses, then the opponent does an amount of damage that is the difference of the wager. However, this can only be performed once per character, within a game, and when you're down to your 2nd health bar. In-game should explain this more clearly, but it is a pretty nice touch, imo. Additionally, it can be used as a bait/psych move against another player. For example, you could choose to initiate the clash, and not wage any of your meter. Yet, your opponent might panic and wage all of his meter. You take some damage, but it may be worth taking that damage over possibly the opponent using their meter for more damaging combos or supers. And of course, whoever has no meter during this will automatically lose. Ties will just end up in a Tie with no damage nor health bonus.

Rather than rounds, you have 2 health bars. This is great to keep the fight flowing. It wouldn't make sense for some voice to announce "ROUND 2", anyway. But once you deplete the first bar, there is a slight pause... kinda feels like you knocked the wind out of the other char, and he's regaining his senses. Something to note, with two health bars, it is not continuous. Meaning, if you do more damage than is necessary to deplete the first health bar, it doesn't carry over to the second health bar. So, you would be wasting a super when the opponent only has 5% left of their first health bar.

Very interactive stages. This could be a hit or miss with the crowd, but I feel it's fitting for a Super Hero game. Certain objects in the stages can be thrown, activated, or jumped off of. For example, a hovering vehicle could be picked up in mid air and slammed at the opponent. A button on a panel would activate the missiles on the Batmobile. Some heavy objects on the stage may be picked up by a stronger character, but a more agile character would jump off it as a defensive maneuver. Objects thrown/activated this way is unblockable.

Characters can also be knocked through walls to other sections of the stage. In the process you see them hitting various objects, which differs from stage to stage. For example, hit through a wall, into a helicopter, which then crashes into another area. The character does take damage along the way.

Character specific special, activated, abilities. One button is assigned for this, and it can be activated any time when it's off cooldown. Every character has a different ability. IE: Batman activates radio controlled Batarangs that circle around him. These can then be use to shoot at the target, or create a defensive barrier. Green Arrow just shoots an arrow when pressing his button, but if you did a half circle back + button he loads up an ice arrow head. Next time you press that button, he shoots the ice arrow which freezes the opponent briefly. Another motion would load up fire arrows. Doomsday activates power armor that decreases damage for a short period. All these abilities do have a cooldown, amongst other conditions. Another nice addition for this type of game, imo.

[STORY LINE Highlights] **** Warning Spoilers ****

I feel they presented the story mode very well. I actually felt like I was part of the story. And personally, I think the story was well written for a game of this sort. If you think about it, how in-depth of a story line do most fighting games have? Street Fighter 4... Story? A few short animated scenes maybe.

Basically, the story is based on the comic line where Super Man is drugged and mistaken Lois for Doomsday. He unintentionally kills Lois, and his unborn son, which triggers a rigged nuclear explosion, all thanks to the Joker. Super man pretty much goes insane and kills Joker, and all goes downhill from there. Superman goes vengeful mode and pretty much becomes a conqueror of Earth. This happens in another dimension.

Around the same time, in another dimension (the Good Superman), a similar incident is in progress where the Joker is about to set off a nuclear bomb. Right before that happens, part of the team gets teleported into the "Injustice" dimension, and that's where the fun begins.

During all this you get to play different perspectives, starting with Batman. Throughout you will transition to different character's points of view and play as those characters, split into chapters. Between scenes, the story does take its time to build everything up, and present decent cut scenes. You don't just go fighting the next guy right away. And the cut scenes actually have very decent fight cinematics. There's clearly well done martial arts motion-caps that happened in this game. For example, apparently Aquaman and his guards know Wu-Shu... who would've thunk.

There are also mini games in the story mode, which adds a nice touch. Not all will agree, but it's not bad. I can see it being a bit repetitive if you play through the story mode a few times. Those mini games are part of the story transitions. For example, Grundy is coming at Green Arrow. You're viewing Green Arrow from a 3rd person perspective and controlling his arrow targeting. You have to hit the things Grundy is throwing at you, while trying to hit Grundy. Or you're Joker and you're throwing explosive playing cards at Nightwing. You have to press buttons in certain sequences that popup to succeed. Fail too much and the fight begins with you having less health.

In the story, it does explain how all the characters can fight on equal terms. They swallow a pill that has Kryptonian characteristics, which increases strength and durability by a few thousand percent. HOWEVER... if I must nitpick... it still doesn't explain how bullets can still hurt characters like Superman or Doomsday. The bullets weren't modified, yet Deathstroke can hurt all the characters the same with his guns. And, although Aquaman's Super looks great with a giant shark biting into the opponent... it certainly shouldn't hurt Superman... unless the Shark took the pills too. Now granted, you don't really fight Doomsday or Superman in the story, as Deathstroke, but the point stands when you're fighting in other modes. It's just one of those nitpicky things.

The entire story line took about 3.5 to 4hrs for me. It would be faster if you can quickly beat through all your opponents. But as you switch off to new characters, and being a new game, it's a learning curve. Although, if you do want to go through the story mode quickly, just set the AI mode to easy. But I do have to say, that was a pretty long story to play through for a fighting game. However, I think it is fitting since it is telling a rather long story.

Personally, I think the story line was decent enough to have made a movie/animation out of it. So having that in a fighting game was a nice bonus.

[SINGLE PLAYER MODE Highlights]

I didn't get to go through all of them yet, but you do get a training mode where you can practice. There's also a STAR Labs Mission mode which tells Superman's side story while giving you goals to achieve. (IE: Being affected by Kryptonite, you can't get hit by CatWoman for 20 seconds and try to get bonus pts by doing certain combos to her). It works as part training and entertaining achievement challenges.

There's also other modes, like fighting all the villains only, super heroes only, survival mode, poison mode, etc. There are more modes that I haven't unlocked yet.

[CONS]

Some combos did seem a little clunky at times. For example, I was doing a combo like, low, med, (fireball motion) heavy. But instead of registering the fireball motion heavy, it did a fireball motion med. Happened more than one occasion. I can't tell if it's a matter of more practice or some clunkiness of controls that I need to get use to. It wasn't consistent so I'll keep testing and practicing. So it could just be me. If others are noticing this, they can add to the comment.

There are certain parts that made me scratch my head. For example (***SPOILER ALERT***) there was a part near the beginning, after the transport into the different dimension that Joker was able to beat down Batman pretty badly. It would make sense if Joker had already swallowed the power pill, and Batman didn't. But at this time, there was no implication that Joker had any major advantage. That didn't make a lot of sense to me.

*My personal bias, perhaps* Doomsday nowadays seems to be weakened quite a bit in order to allow balance, and make him beatable. If they kept Doomsday the way he was during the "Death of Superman" comic line, he would be a much greater adversary against an entire team, by himself. I mean, if you have Superman AND Doomsday fighting against you... it should be "Good night, you will be destroyed". But, he has to be dumbed down so he's not Overpowered on the roster.

Based on my run through in Single player mode, I can't say I've run into many more Cons at this point.

[CONCLUSION]

Overall, I'd give this game a 4 out of 5. I don't usually give 5s unless I'm just completely blown away.

I think this game has enough interesting, and unique, aspects to make it an entertaining Fighting game based on the DC universe.

People need to be careful of their expectations. This is NOT Mortal Kombat. There are no finishing moves, there is no extreme blood and gore type violence.

There are obvious things to nit pick about, based on the DC universe, but you have to come in with the expectation that not everything will make sense. It's just an entertaining way to allow Super Hero fans to fight with their favorite characters, with an interesting story to follow.

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I love getting the chance to play as my favorite superheroes (and supervillains) and I'll usually give any game wherein I get that opportunity a try. Even today, after the Arkham games and certain others raised the bar for those types of games, they're hard to pull off correctly. You have to make for a good game while at the same time having the heroes you came to see act consistent with their comic-book counterparts' power level and moral codes. That's easier said than done; if you're going to have Catwoman go toe-to-toe with Doomsday, you have to have at least a semi-plausible reason for this to be possible.

The creators of Mortal Kombat, one of the more legendary fighting games out there, have managed to pull it off. Now, I enjoyed their previous Mortal Kombat VS. DC Universe title, but I must admit that I never bothered to play as the MK characters when I could be Batman or Superman instead. This game, then, was the logical next step, and they've given it a pretty interesting story, even finding a believable reason even Superman would go into full-villain mode. It's chock full of references to classic DC stories, and I admit watching Aquaman's special attack put a smile on my face. Bonus points for including Kevin Conroy, the one true Batman, in the voice cast.

The graphics are good, the gameplay is mostly solid, and most importantly: you can run people over with the Batmobile. So what are you waiting for? Buy this game and let the punching begin.

Buy Injustice: Gods Among Us Now

If you are looking for an incredible Justice League movie, you have to go no further than this video game. The cinematics on this are simply amazing. The plotline of the game is simple: a handful of heroes are pulled into a parallel universe where Superman is bad and has taken many of the Justice League with him. While you go to this game for the fighting, the single player mode gives you the most compelling story you could imagine. I am at best a casual gamer and never sit down to complete a game in one sitting, but this one kept me glued to the television until I have finished it. There are plot twists galore in this thing, and one in particular late in the game has Superman killing one of his associates in the such a way that it left both my son and myself speechless because that moment shows you this Superman has no hope of change.

And the storyline just makes the fighting times make sense. You get 12 chapters here which means you'll fight as 12 different heroes, most of the time facing 5 opponents before the chapter ends. There is also a section of bonus missions through STAR labs which will let you continue on with another story (though without cinematic action) much longer than the main storyline and allowing you to play as all the characters eventually. There is a quick fight mode, and of course multiplayer that will allow you a lot of fun. Completing the game gives you a new costume (after the closing credits roll) for Superman. You can also download more character skins and even newer fighters are supposed to come out soon. This is definitely the game to grab if you are a comic book fan!

And yes, Kevin Conroy is Batman in this one. Yet another reason to buy it!

Read Best Reviews of Injustice: Gods Among Us Here

Having played MKvsDC before...and MK9, there is a healthy balance to what a DC fighter can and should be. I've read a bunch of reviews that talk about re skinning MK9 and no innovation involved with the game. Those comments are off of the mark by a mile.

Game play: The game play here is just what you'd expect if you have played MK9 or any other decent caliber fighter. It's a little frustrating at first but once you get the hang of it and start recalling the moves without hesitation, it becomes a very beautiful controlled chaos. The little touches of flavor here and there in the form of picking stuff up and environmental attacks add just enough to keep it interesting. The super moves, while not a fatality by any stretch, are still fun to watch and even better to land (It will never get old with Green Lantern slamming buses on your face) and will fill you with a sense of 'eff yea' if you are a fan of the character you're playing with. Top shelf game play, which sadly is standard now a days, makes the game handle as expected. Which is totally fine by me.

Graphics: What can I say here...they are superb. I really can't gush enough about how fun it is to crash through the environments with your favorite super heroes. All the super moves and little special effects that come from each character just adds more "awwww yea" when you play. Shazam's pulsing lightning bolt is super cool, for example. Really, really great graphics. The game runs smooth too.

Sounds: While the score is second rate...and nothing I would ever possibly consider buying a sound track for, the voice acting is just sublime. Its nice to hear some old veterans doing the voice work for some of the most beloved characters around. The foley sounds leave a little to be desired but nothing that should be bashed.

Characters: The character selection, right out of the gate, is pretty awesome. They have DLC planned for more characters too. All the fan favorites from the comics are here, and a few that fly a little closer to the "who's that?" trail. If you are a DC fan at all, then you should have SOME idea who everyone is. They all have some decent costume selection, but on the whole I'm disappointed with that aspect. It's so minor that it's almost not worth bringing up save for the simple fact that I'm a big vanity oriented player. Having people unlock new costumes with iOS app stuff (being an android user) seems a little under handed, but alas that is the day and age we live in. If they do release new costume packs for each character with 3-4 options...and really make them fancentric then I think that minor gripe will be washed clean.

Story: With a plot you'd expect from the comics, I do have to say I ran through the story mode very quickly. This isn't a complaint for me. If a game can get me to commit without wanting to go to the bathroom or find something else to do, then I am very pleased with it. Though the whole story (I really didn't look to see what time I started playing) seemed like it didn't take long to complete, I really didn't look at the clock once or worry at all about the time. The writing and dialog feels good when you listen to it, it isn't stiff or boring. I was genuinely interested in what was going on. I don't want to give anything away..its not really a "SURPRISE MOTHER EFFER!" type twisty plot but that didn't bother me at all. It's very Superman heavy on the story line, while taking you through different POV with new characters. If you've ever wondered about "How would they deal with this or that?" it's a great story to interact with and you'll certainly be pleased.

Overall: This game panders to the comic book/gamer fans more then the hard core fighter series audience. I found little to no flaws through out the time I've spent with the game (15 hours since yesterday) and don't anticipate in doing so anytime soon. With slick graphics, fun character play styles, intuitive controls with easy to learn & hard to perfect skill sets a character list that will make any fan boy/girl wet him/her self in delight Injustice is a fighting game worth the price of admission if you're a devout DC fan, or at least a good time rental if you're a fighting hobbiest.

I really don't think you could go wrong if watching your favorite DC Heroes go toe to toe and smack the bejezus out of each other is what you're looking for. Hell, even if it isn't what you are looking for you should still do yourself a favor and try it out. While it isn't a "perfect" game, I do think its 15 feet and 9 inches above most. Call it a reskin if you want, MK9 was a great game. Cheap money grab?, NO. Worst fighting game out there?, are you serious?! The bottom line is picky people are always going to complain and whine about a game they aren't good at. I'm not particularly skilled here, but I do know a well made, fun game when I play it...and boy howdy does Injustice have that in spades.

Want Injustice: Gods Among Us Discount?

NRS made a great job with Injustice!. It is a complete new fighting system, lots of characters and I totaly recommend it.