‘Injustice: Gods Among Us’ pits DC heroes against each other

Since “Justice League Task Force” was released in 1995, a fighting game based in the DC Comics universe has not been released, apart for the crossover “Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe,” which received mixed reviews. The upcoming game, “Injustice: Gods Among Us,” seeks to bring back the “Justice League” in a 2D fighter.

It should be pointed out that the developers of “Injustice: Gods Among Us” also developed the newest “Mortal Kombat,” which was praised for its story mode and overall gameplay. When it comes to story, “Injustice” is no different. The plot is set in the newest DC Comic’s “Injustice” storyline, which have released comics leading up to and following the game’s release.

The general storyline goes as follows: the Joker has Superman kill his love, Lois Lane. Superman then kills the Joker and then decides to rule Earth with his own regime, feeling as if humans are inferior and cannot control themselves. This then pits superhero versus superhero, as well as super villains with superheroes, in the battle against Superman and friends, which includes other heroes, such as Wonder Woman.

As the roster goes, there have been 20 confirmed fighters, all from the DC Universe. From the superheroes, like Superman, the Flash and Aquaman, to villains, like Lex Luther and Bane, and from the most well known, like Harley Quinn and Green Lantern, to the obscure, like Shazam and Killer Frost, the roster runs deep, and DLC characters are expected.

The arenas are also varied, from Gotham to Atlantis. These arenas are also tiered and interactive. That means Superman can crush Batman with a car or a dumpster if it is nearby, or the Joker can slam the Flash into a helicopter.

These interactivities are a simple button press away, which is also how simple the combat is also. Any fan of NetherRealm’s “Mortal Kombat” will feel at home here, with the control scheme similar, although this can be changed. If new players are unfamiliar with the combos, the move list is in the start menu, and the moves can be placed on the main screen while fighting when a certain button is pressed.

Included with these combos are two types of special events: the characters super moves and wagers. The super moves, unique to each character, can be performed using the meter at the bottom of the screen. When full, the attack can be unleashed, and these range from Lex Luther launching a satellite beam to Doomsday and punching all the way through the Earth twice. The wager battles are determined by how much meter is wagered. Whoever wins the wager performs an attack and regains some health, which is given in two bars.

Multiplayer is also offered, where a spectator mode and King of the Hill tournaments are held. Also, there are ranking systems, showing how much experience one player has over another.

Although this game is great, flaws are apparent, even thus far. Due to the story being related to the comics, either the comics provide story not in the game, which might leave people confused, or the comics simply retell the story, something that seems counter-productive to the game. Throughout the story, several mini-games, called “S.T.A.R. Lab Missions,” litter the experience, which provide some break in the fighting sequences, but can also seem silly to some fans.

Although the game may stumble a bit, these missteps do not spoil the experience. DC fans, as well as Mortal Kombat fans, will enjoy this game, which is worth the money simply for the in-depth story, not to mention the chance to beat up Superman with Batman or Solomon Grundy with Harley Quinn.

“Injustice: Gods Among Us” is currently released for PC, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360.

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