Alongside sports titles, fighting games are as popular as ever, thanks to old franchises such as Mortal Kombat, Tekken and Soul Calibre. Those titles paved the way for current titles to employ better graphics, immersive controls and most importantly, some form of story.
Injustice: Gods Among Us is a rather special title, in the sense that it makes use of all the modern superheroes and throws them into the ring – to battle to the death in the quest to save the world. But amid the hype, has the game lived up to expectations?
What we like about it
There has been no other title that has pit so many superheroes against each other, as players will have a massive library to choose from – Superman, Batman, a number of Xmen and even Shazam are all included. There might be one or two characters who may be unfamiliar to gamers, but this forum provides an ideal environment to get to know them better.
While gamers will be able to compete in one-on-one battles, Injustice is focussed on the story line. Fighting titles have come a long way since the original masters such as Mortal Kombat, and while that game had a semi-plot attached to it, Injustice weaves an intriguing plot that naturally involves the forces of good against the forces of evil – in a complex ‘alternate reality’ kind of way.
It is rather refreshing to have a bit of back-story for the all the fighting, as it makes the battles worthwhile without being repetitive.
As mentioned, the roster of available characters are rather extensive, and it’s great to see that each character has their own moves, special combos and distinct attacks. This allows players to develop intimate knowledge of a specific combatant, hone their skills and unleash devastating attacks on whoever is standing across the screen.
In terms of gameplay, the play style is incredibly similar to the previous Mortal Kombat title, where players can punch enemies through the floor, roof or other objects, which will trigger a level transition onto another tier within the level. It conveys a sense of power – which these superheroes rightfully wield.
Some of the levels include Batman’s Batcave, the Justice League Watchtower and even Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. There are enough levels too keep gamers amused, and each arena also features a number of objects that can be used within a fight.
What we did not like about it
Injustice uses a rather complex set of move combinations and skill actions, and while the basic moves are pretty easy to pull off, gamers might struggle somewhat with the advanced techniques and power moves.
It also seems as though the game’s settings are too sensitive for the control scheme, as it is rather difficult to find the exact sweet spot that will trigger a move from the analogue sticks. With that in mind, there also does not seem to be a practice arena where players can hone their skills against a non-combating opponent. However, there is a lengthy tutorial that will guide gamers through the different aspects of the title.
While the graphics are of a very high standard, something as small as the controller sensitivity is enough to throw any player off their game. It is important for controllers and game mechanics to be responsive, but being too sensitive (or under-performing) will ruin the experience.
Conclusion
Injustice: Gods Among Us is a great game and a must-have for any fighting and superhero fan. The graphics are great, the sound is enough to let players hear every little detail, and plot has enough material for a good soap opera.
But the one nagging issue we had with it, was the control scheme. It is irritating when you know you are pressing the button in the correct order, just to realise that you are pressing them either too fast or too slow. As mentioned, it is also difficult to find the exact direction with the analogue sticks for some moves, which leave the character doing a rather unsavoury move every now and again.
Apart from that, the title is sure to keep fans coming back for more, as a number of interesting modes turn up the re-playability a few notches. But also, at the end of the day, it is a fighting game where players will repetitively battle villain after villain – with a short cut-scene story in between to explain why the battle is taking place.
Our score: 7.9/10
