Review: Injustice – Gods Among Us

New game Injustice: Gods Among Us treats us to a fantastic plot and fighting experience from the makers of Mortal Kombat.

Alessandro Iacovangelo

Whether you’re a long term DC Comics fan or a newbie, we all know Superman is a goody-two-shoes, so imagine the shock of learning he will become a dictator – the villain.

Injustice: Gods Among Us instantly catches your eye simply by hinting that Superman will be the antagonist of his own free will, that he will break his promise to never kill and lose sight of what is right.

Regardless of whether or not Superman is the good or bad guy he is still as powerful as ever, forcing all heroes and villains to subject to his regime. Thankfully, during in-game fighting he is not as powerful as described in the story, and even the Joker stands a chance of winning.

Visually delightful

In terms of gameplay, it is very similar to its predecessor Mortal Kombat. One unique aspect is the ability to charge a hit that can blast your enemy from one stage to the next. This is visually delightful, albeit largely exaggerated when you see your character brutally blasted through buildings and other obstacles with little damage.

In order to allow normal humans such as Batman and the Joker to survive the likes of super-beings, the story adds this obvious ‘equalizer’ that may make DC fans clench their teeth, but this is unavoidable when creating a brawler with such a broad roster.

Tactics to survive

Each character has a special trait button unique to that hero or villain, the main examples being that Superman can use rays of the sun to give him a temporary boost, while Batman can summon his superior gadgets easily.

Players are also given the choice of how to use their built-up special gauge to either interrupt enemy combos, activate their own special attack or wager it when in a sticky situation with a clash that is luck-based. All of these features add a tactical element making it more than a button-masher.

In terms of graphics, the characters are well designed and many are paired with the original voice actors of the Justice League. In certain cut scenes, however, the birds-eye view of the city appeared bland compared to the well-designed characters.

Epic clash

All in all, Injustice has great content and a great story, proving to be a great game. The environment’s graphics could have been a bit better in certain cut-scenes but this is not necessarily noticeable when you are watching epic heroes and villains clash. 

Once the two to three hour story is complete there are several missions, unlockable content and online competition to explore. This is a game anyone can enjoy, and for DC fans it is truly irresistible.

Injustice: Gods Among Us was released on April 19.