Full Review of Injustice: Gods Among Us. The Wrath of Superman is Upon Us

 I was naturally surprised when I first heard that Superman was turning into a villain for this game. It was a heartbreaker. But all sentimentalism aside, Injustice delivers perfect fight mechanics and a solid storyline that is nothing short of riveting.

Graphics: 4.5

The cut scenes are CGI-HD rendered. However, the actual fighting takes place in a 2.5D environment presented on a seemingly 3D background. The characters look realistic enough and in fact, are modeled superbly, and their different power-ups and special abilities all come to life brilliantly on-screen. The attacks are brutal, and you’ll be clutching your gamepad tightly the whole time action is taking place with cut-throat battle scenes.

Gameplay: 4.0

While Injustice has a narrative, fighting is the ultimate aim of the game, pitting characters of the DC Universe against each other. The Joker tricks Superman into killing his wife Lois Lane, who’s also carrying their child, and sets off a nuclear bomb that kills millions. This sends Superman berserk, and he goes on a rampage killing The Joker in the process. In the years after, Superman grows increasingly tyrannical and chains humanity to his will.

An insurgency rises led by Batman, and the battle is to bring the regime down. The plot discovers that in an alternate universe, The Joker’s plan failed. This leads to some superheroes from that world such as Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Green Lantern being teleported to join the insurgency. The gameplay is, however, fighting-based, limited to 2D movement. The fights capture the full abilities of the DC characters, which is the best part of the game. Tactical possibilities are possible, with clashes that break combos that can only be used once per match.

Controls: 4.5

Injustice works primarily with three attack buttons and a single trait button for each of the characters. These buttons play into the unique abilities of each character. This makes the controls simple yet effective for a combat-style game. While there are only 4 action buttons, there are different combinations which bring out special abilities for different characters. Learning these combinations is tricky, and even checking them in Settings won’t do you much help.

Replay Value: 3.5

The only reason I’d replay this game is that the fight scenes are awesome, giving NetherRealm a big win. The character variety in Injustice is excellent, and having their wide range of abilities at your fingertips with superb fight mechanics is a huge incentive to replay the game. The corny storyline puts me off, and I have to force myself to indulge in a world where Superman has gone rogue.

Conclusion

Injustice is a fighting game, and if you’re looking for anything other than a good fight, you’re bound to get disappointed. The fighting mechanics and your ability to toss around background objects make it distinct as a fighting game. A lack of replay support in online multiplayer games takes away from the excitement of ranged fighting. The game gives little instruction on player abilities, so this will be a turn off for newbies in the fighting genre.