Injustice 2 Preview
As I was sitting back in a large theater room at E3 slouched in a comfy leather chair at the Warner Bros booth I started thinking about a couple of things. For one, I stink at fighting games. I’ve always been that mindless masher who may get lucky pulling off a couple of combos but for the most part I’m awful. The second thing I was pondering was how I wish I had played the first Injustice game. Seeing all my friends lose their minds when the Injustice 2 reveal trailer dropped had me a little envious. Well, after watching the extended demo at E3 I see what all the fuss is about, Injustice 2 looks so bloody amazing. As I absorbed the glorious demo I was in awe with the gorgeous visuals and how entertaining the matches were. So for a guy who is not a big fighter fan, Injustice 2 is all of the sudden on my radar and in a big way. The icing on the cake was when I managed to get some hands-on time with the game behind closed doors.
Those familiar with fighters (so everyone reading this) will notice you are getting more of the same in some instances. It is one-on-one Mortal Kombat style fighting with more combo moves and finishing moves than you can shake a stick at. The characters are over the top superheroes and the fighting is fluid and fast. Injustice 2 will feature 28-characters (or at least we were told that). We didn’t get to see all the characters in action but the ones available at E3 included: Aquaman, Atrocitus, Batman, Flash, Gorilla Grodd, Supergirl, Superman, and Wonder Woman.
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“Warner Bros Injustice 2 is an absolute stunner that will surely round up some amazing review scores when it drops in 2017.”
With each character there is a host of customizable options available. There are apparently so many different options that you’ll likely never see the same looking player with the same looking outfit online, ever. This is according to the developers. I am not sure how they plan to have so many different options available but it’s an impressive feat if they can pull it off.
The outfits, upgrades and all those wonderful customizable options are unlocked as you play the game. NetherRealm would not reveal if microtransactions would be available but I anticipate we will see some. After each fight you are awarded gear which includes new armour, outfits and other assorted items for your legs, head, arms and body. You can also change the colour scheme for these items as well. The gear also boosts your player’s attributes. This all lends itself to a game that has a nice progression and XP system. I was told the original Injustice game was lacking in the customization and progression department; however, this time around this does not appear to be the case at all.
What I enjoyed the most about my hands on time was that even for a noob like me, I never felt like I was out of fight. Granted the developer I was playing with definitely let up a bit but regardless I was handling my own. Sure there were occasions where I was getting spanked but there were other times I was on a roll delivering the pain.
Each character has a special ability which is accomplished by pulling down on both triggers. You cannot use the ability whenever you want as it recharges but when you do use that amazing special move the result is satisfying. Gorilla Grodd delivers a punishing move while Batman has his own flashy move. It all makes for combat that is fluid, fast and incredibly dynamic.
Visually the game looks incredible. The sequences where a character gets pulverized into orbit and snagged by a bat plane look fantastic. It is about the best I have seen a fighter game look, yes better than Mortal Kombat X.
Warner Bros Injustice 2 is an absolute stunner that will surely round up some amazing review scores when it drops in 2017. Granted there is nothing incredibly innovative or original demonstrated at the show; however, what you do get is a brilliant looking fighter with an amazing amount of customizable options. NetherRealm Studios have a promising fighter on their hands and one I am certain fans will enjoy.
