Well, yes. For better or worse (mostly better),
Injustice 2 has taken a leaf from the RPG book, and
introduced an experience and gear system for its
characters. As you battle with each character you
level them up (to a cap of 20), improving their base
stats, and can then equip them with gear that not only
changes their appearance, but also their attributes.
A level 5 logo for Superman might increase his
Strength, for example, or a different pair of boots
might improve Captain Cold’s Health. Juggling
these stats, and matching your gear loadout to
your opponent (some gear might have a Kryptonite
augment, increasing its damage against Superman
and Supergirl, for instance) becomes crucial the
more you progress in the single player modes, and
even impacts multiplayer matches as well (although
both players can opt to turn off the stat effects to
make a more even playing field). It’s a novel idea,
and it mostly works, especially for the single player
modes, where it adds an additional level of depth and
a welcome degree of character customisation.
Stripped of the RPG-lite trappings and cinematic
story mode, Injustice 2 is a beat-em-up very much
in the vein of other Nether Realm fighters. You have
three main attack buttons - Light, Medium, and
Heavy, as well as a dedicated button for character-
specific moves. The effects of the character button
vary pretty drastically, and can be anything from
Black Canary using her banshee wail to Wonder
Woman calling for a blessing from the gods. You
also have a super meter which can be used in various
ways; you can hold a shoulder button to perform
‘Meter burn’ moves - think EX versions of special
attacks that deal more damage - and to escape
from combos. You can also stockpile it up to use
for a Super attack, accompanied by an over-the-top
cutscene and delivering massive damage. You can
also use your meter to gamble in Clashes, where each
player commits in secret) an amount of super power
and the winner gets either a portion of their health
restored or deals a chunk of damage.
The movesets for the characters are varied, and there’s
considerable nuance to some characters, especially
around the way their unique abilities work, and the
roster comprises of a good mix of popular and less
well-known heroes and villains from across the DC
universe. That said, it’s easy to get by using similar
attack patterns for most of the characters - I found a
cross-up, followed by a Light-Light-Medium-Heavy
combo was enough to get me through most of the
battles against AI opponents on Medium difficulty,
though clearly that was never going to work against
other players. The adherence to the Mortal Kombat
fighting style occasionally works to the games
detriment as well; fights can often feel fragmented
and interrupted; its hard to build up a good flow
of battle as you’d find in the likes of Street Fighter,
Virtua Fighter, or even Guilty Gear.
The game deserves considerable praise for its
visuals - built in Unreal Engine 4, Injustice 2 hits a
rock-solid 60fps on PS4 and Xbox One, and looks
simply spectacular, with gorgeous lighting and
environmental effects. Loading times are maybe
a touch longer than you’d like, and the soundtrack
is disposable orchestral fair, but the voice cast,
which features the talents of Kevin Conroy, Alan
Tudyk, Jeffrey Coombs and Laura Bailey, delivers
consistently even during the heavier story moments.
Injustice 2 might not be the most finely tuned or
expertly balanced fighter around, but it’s fun and
approachable to play, with well-paced tutorials to
make it easy for newcomers. The sheer volume of
single player content is difficult to argue with, and the
climactic story mode is a real standout for the genre.
It’s probably not going to have the dedicated online
community that the likes of Street Fighter V attracts,
so if you’re looking for a purely competitive fighter
you might be better off elsewhere, but for any casual
fighting game fan, or DC comics aficionado, you can’t
go wrong. 8/10
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