Game of the week: Injustice 2

Welcome to a new “Game of the week” piece where we introduce you to a new or old game on a weekly basis. Each "Game of the week" is a high-quality title that sells at a discount. This week Injustice 2 sells 50% off the regular price.

Developer: NetherRealm Studios
Year of Release: 2017
Regular Price: $49,99
Current Price: $24,99
Store link (Steam)

If you’re not a fan of fighting games and want to give them a try, Injustice 2 might be a good place to start. Developers from NetherRealm Studios took their time before delivering the game to PC audience, but since the port finally arrived, it’s been working flawlessly. Injustice 2 is relatively new (released on PC December 1, 2017) and it’s the first time the game has been on such a big discount.

Injustice 2 plays like you would expect from any Mortal Combat game, but with DC superhero cast. The game supports all popular types of input, so you can use controller, joystick or keyboard.

A gateway to DC Multiverse

I’m not much into DC comics, but Injustice 2 makes the charters very attractive, especially when your main point of reference is DC Extended Universe movies. There’s something special about the familiar superheroes performing their signature tricks and getting their butts handed to them by DC’s B-teamers like Blue Beetle, Captain Cold, Poison Ivy, and Cat Woman.

The only design of a character I personally disliked was Green Arrow, whose moustache and goatee was a huge overkill. I’d like the character much more if NetherRealm Studios just used Stephen Amell’s Green Arrow from the CW show as a prototype (it’s also probably the first and last time I pass a praise on CW).

DLC packs expand the character roster of Injustice 2 beyond DC Multiverse. For example, you can get access to all four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with unique fighting abilities and a ton of Easter eggs.

Rich single-player mode

Injustice 2 set a new standard for single-player experience in fighting games. You can spend countless hours kicking around without so much as touching the multiplayer. Almost everything you do while playing grants you something, be it experience level or a new type of gear. The game feels like a good type of grind, when you want to play for new rewards, not because it’s a chore.

You can pick a superhero and give it a buffed up modern look or grind out gear that makes him/her look like they just left the set of a classic DC movie from 1950-s.

The gear picked up in single player mode can be used as cosmetic elements during online matchmaking but without any of the buffs.

Classic melee fighting game combat system

Players who are new to the fighting genre can get by using just 3 attack buttons. There’s also a throw and interact buttons, that make the game more interesting, but increase its complexity. All characters have their own unique gimmicky moves, like shellocopter from the Ninja Turtles, or robot bats from Batman.

There is also a meter that allows execution of special or ultimate abilities when it gets properly filled up.

Injustice 2 is by far the best fighting game created by a Western studio.