Injustice 2 is a 2017 street fighting video game based upon the DC Universe. It is developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. It is the sequel to 2013’s Injustice: Gods Among Us. The game was initially released in May 2017 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One; a Microsoft Windows version was released later in November 2017. An expanded version of the game, titled Injustice 2: Legendary Edition, was released in March 2018 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. Similar to the previous installment, a companion mobile app was released for Android and iOS devices. A prequel comic book series of the same name, written by Tom Taylor, was also released beginning in April 2017.
The core gameplay remains similar to its predecessor, albeit with minor adjustments to returning game mechanics. Injustice 2 introduces a new feature called the Gear System, a loot-dropping system that rewards players with costume pieces and equipment that can be used to customize characters’ appearances and modify their abilities and stats. According to developers, the idea for implementing a role playing game (RPG)-style progression system into a fighting game had existed since before the fall of Midway Games, the original publisher for the Mortal Kombat series. Director Ed Boon also sought to incorporate gameplay mechanics used by multiplayer shooter games, such as personalization, character creation, loot, and leveling up, into the fighting game genre, which led to the development of the Gear System.
Injustice 2‘s storyline centers around Batman and his Insurgency’s attempt to restore society after the fall of Superman’s Regime; however, the arrivals of the newly formed supervillain group “The Society” and the alien Brainiac forces Batman to consider freeing the imprisoned Superman to help combat the threats. The game received positive reviews from critics, who praised its story, presentation, improved gameplay mechanics, abundance of in-game content, and character customization options, while criticizing its random loot and microtransaction systems.
Gameplay
Injustice 2 is a fighting game in which players compete in one-on-one combat using characters from the DC Universe and other third-party franchises. Using different combinations of directional inputs and button presses, players must perform basic attacks, special moves, and combos to try to damage and knock out the opposing fighter.[3][4] Injustice 2 retains numerous gameplay mechanics from Injustice: Gods Among Us, including environment interaction, stage transitions, clashes, and character traits.[5][6][7] The trait system, like before, provides a temporary buff or ability that complements each character’s playstyle.[5] The super meter, which allows players to execute enhanced special moves and unlock powerful “super moves” when fully charged, also returns.[8] Players can expend meter to perform new techniques, such as an evasive forward roll, which provides a way to overcome enemy keep-away tactics, or an air recovery, which lets characters escape an opponent’s combo early.[5][9] Most environmental attacks, which were completely unavoidable in the first Injustice game, can now be blocked or dodged; however, certain environmental attacks with large amounts of startup, such as throwing a car, remain unblockable.[3][9]
Injustice 2 introduces a loot-dropping system, known as the “Gear System”, which offers character-specific costume pieces and equipment with status-altering effects.[10] The Gear System uses RPG-like mechanics to reward players with experience and loot after every match.[11][12] Every playable fighter is given four base stats: strength, defense, health, and ability, the latter of which impacts special attacks.[12] As players collect experience points and subsequently level up, their characters’ base stats will increase.[12] Players can enhance their base stats even further by equipping gear obtained through loot drops, which also lets players customize the look of their characters.[12][13] Rarer gear can include one or more bonus augmentations, which range from new visual effects for special moves to higher yields of in-game currency or experience points.[12] Players can receive additional bonuses by equipping their characters with all five pieces of a single gear set.[12] Gear comes in three varieties: equipment, shaders, and abilities.[14] Besides the random loot earned at the end of a fight, all three types of gear are available to purchase in loot crates, known as “Mother Boxes“, using in-game currency.[14] Each character has five equipment slots for donning new costume pieces, which include their head, torso, arms, legs, and an accessory; two ability slots for equipping new or modified special attacks; and one shader slot for altering their color scheme.[14][15] The game will also include five separate gear loadouts for each character, allowing players to switch between their setups at the beginning of each match.[15]
The game also includes a microtransaction system.[16][17] Players can buy “Source Crystals” using real-world money to purchase cosmetic adjustments for fighters, such as premier skins and shaders, instead of waiting to obtain them through normal play.[16] Source Crystals can also be used to buy “Transform Gear”.[16] Transform Gear lets players apply the visuals of one piece of gear to another, allowing them to match their preferred stat modifiers with their preferred costume pieces.[16] Lastly, once players have reached Level 20 with at least one character, Source Crystals can be used to level up other characters to their maximum levels.[17] NetherRealm representatives clarified that any purchases made with Source Crystals are strictly cosmetic and offer no gameplay advantages.[16][17]
In addition to the campaign, online, and arcade modes, Injustice 2 introduces a new “Multiverse” mode.[18] Similar to the “Living Towers” mode from NetherRealm’s previous title, Mortal Kombat X, the Multiverse allows players to travel through series of parallel worlds within the DC Universe and battle against opponents with various handicaps, stipulations, and goals.[18] Online multiplayer will feature the option to disable Gear System upgrades and modifications, reducing all base stats to their default levels, turning any equipped gear into purely cosmetic items, and providing more balanced gameplay for competitive matches.[12][19][20] Players can also form online “guilds” with up to 50 other players.[21] Guild members can collaborate to complete daily and weekly cooperative objectives to earn and share gear exclusive to guild gameplay and climb the worldwide leaderboards.[21]
Characters
The base roster for Injustice 2 includes 28 playable fighters, consisting of both new and returning heroes and villains.[22][23] The game also features 10[24] additional characters available as downloadable content (DLC). Red Hood, Starfire, and Sub-Zero made up Fighter Pack 1, while Fighter Pack 2 consisted of Black Manta, Hellboy, and Raiden, and Fighter Pack 3 brought in Atom, Enchantress, and the TMNT. Darkseid was a Pre-Order bonus and later made available as standalone DLC from the Fighter Packs.[25][26]
New playable characters are listed below in bold, while the underlined ones are guest characters.[27]
- Aquaman
- AtomDLC
- Atrocitus
- Bane
- Batman
- Black Adam
- Black Canary
- Black MantaDLC
- Blue Beetle
- Brainiac
- Captain Cold
- Catwoman
- Cheetah
- Cyborg
- DarkseidDLC
- Deadshot
- Doctor Fate
- EnchantressDLC
- Firestorm
- The Flash
- Gorilla Grodd
- Green Arrow
- Green Lantern
- Harley Quinn
- HellboyDLC
- The Joker
- Poison Ivy
- RaidenDLC
- Red HoodDLC
- Robin/Nightwing
- Scarecrow
- StarfireDLC
- Sub-ZeroDLC
- Supergirl
- Superman
- Swamp Thing
- Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesDLC
- Wonder Woman
Additionally, several characters are playable as “premier skins”, which transform characters from the existing roster into other characters from mostly DC Comics Universe with unique voices, dialogue, and in certain cases, altered normal/special/super moves and character powers.[28][29]
- BatwomanMOB
- Bizarro[30]
- Black LightningDLC[31]
- Bruce Wayne
- Grid[32]
- Flash (Jay Garrick)[32]
- Green Lantern (John Stewart)[33]
- Mr. Freeze[32]
- Multiverse BatwomanMOB
- Multiverse Black LightningMOB
- Multiverse Captain ColdMOB
- Multiverse Green ArrowMOB
- Multiverse FlashMOB
- Multiverse Supergirl (Normal and Armored Version)MOB
- Multiverse White CanaryMOB
- Power Girl[33]
- Reverse-Flash[33]
- ShazamMOB
- Silver Banshee