![]() More impressive is that those stats aren’t exactly set in stone. To balance that out, though, he has lower defense than most smaller characters, which allows quicker, weaker fighters to find a path to victory. For instance, Atrocitus, one of the physically strongest characters in the game, has a base strength of 1290, making a punch from him feel like being hit by a fire truck. They offer up a clear, numerical representation of the balances when comparing characters. Each fighter has four stats: strength, ability, defense, and HP. What helps balance all of the types, though, are stats. Helping to balance out the triangle of types are sort of hybrid characters which blend any two of the proficiencies without breaking the game. You have your large, strong characters like Atrocitus (who comes complete with murderous kitty, Dexx-Star), medium, more technical fighters like Batman, and insanely quick warriors like Cheetah. Like the first game, combatants in Injustice 2 are broken up into general groups. Just about anything I could’ve held against Injustice: Gods Among Us was gone, leaving me with a fighting game that offered tons of viable options and satisfying, fluid combat. Thankfully, the game that greeted me was not just a successor, but an evolution as well. There was a reason you saw so many Supermans when playing online, and it was a memory that left me worried while jumping into this highly anticipated sequel. Characters were unique, which was certainly appreciated, but it was very clear who was good and who was bad. One of my gripes with Injustice 2’s predecessor was that, to me at least, it felt very stiff and the balance was not as tight as fighting fans would appreciate. It’s a deep, involving story that serves as a jumping point for what proves to be even deeper and more involving gameplay. Each path offers a distinct view of the mind of a hero, showing the struggle of doing what’s right in a world full of so many wrongs. You can choose how certain chapters play out, picking who fights to gather more insight into the current affairs, and even altering how the entire story plays out. The result is a branching story line that follows heroes through multiple chapters and locales as they fight for what they truly believe in. While many titles are content with providing a gauntlet of increasingly difficult competitors laced with a bit of dialogue in between, NetherRealm brought that same magic we witnessed in their last two projects and doubled down. That’s not the type of praise that’s normally ascribed to a fighting game, but credit must be given where credit is due. The foundation laid by Injustice 2’s narrative is dark but offers options which honestly provided one of the more enjoyable plots I’ve played in 2017 thus far. And so, Injustice 2 opens with the Dark Knight working to restore order to the world he vowed to defend without breaking its one rule. There was one hero who couldn’t let things continue as they were, though, the Batman. Krypton’s last son, who was once a shining symbol of hope for all humanity, became a shadow cast over the world of heroes and led to the disbanding of the Justice League. If that required the death of perpetrators, there was nobody against it within the new team. ![]() Wonder Woman, Superman, Cyborg, Green Lantern, The Flash, and even old villains became part of a new world order that sought to crush crime before it could even be carried out. ![]() After Superman turned to a more permanent solution with the Joker, a Regime was formed by some of Earth’s strongest defenders. Injustice 2 picks up a few years after the events of its predecessor. NetherRealm had adopted a lot of new systems for its two most recent fighters, Mortal Kombat X and the first Injustice, so seeing the next evolution of everything they learned had me hopeful that this latest iteration would finally break out of its inspiration’s confines. ![]() Yet, when Injustice 2 was first revealed I couldn’t help but feel intrigued. Sort of like when Joker stapled his own face back on that one time, but something about it just always seemed off even though it was entertaining. Seeing my favorite villain shine with his pure violent nature kept so well intact was thrilling, yet I couldn’t help feel like it was a skin trying really hard to cover up that it was an experimental clone of the beloved Mortal Kombat series. Watching the Joker beat the ever-loving crap out of the Flash with a crowbar and some toxic gas sent mix feelings through me when Injustice: Gods Among Us released back in 2013. ![]()
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