Injustice: Gods Among Us seeks to rectify the bad taste that was left in the mouths of many fighting game fans.  Does NetherRealm Studios’ newest fighting game based on the DC Universe succeed where Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe failed? Press START and hit the jump to find out!

In 2008 Midway Amusement released a fighting game that combined characters from Mortal Kombat and the DC Universe,  looking to get a piece of the cash cow that Marvel Vs. Capcom had been enjoying for years.  While the game was well received critically, many fans were disappointed with the way characters from each franchise were portrayed and how they played and interacted against each other.

This year NetherRealm Studios (formally Midway & WB Games Chicago) seeks redemption in the eyes of fighting game fans with the release of Injustice: Gods Among Us.  Ditching the Mortal Kombat characters all together, Injustice includes characters from all across the wide DC Universe.  All the DC heavy hitters are here as one would expect, such as Aquaman, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.  But with 24 characters to choose from (and more on the way in DLC), this means gamers will be able to play lesser known characters such as Solomon Grundy, Black Adam, Killer Frost, Hawk Girl, and Ares to name a few.

The plot of the game was written in collaboration with both NetherRealm and DC Comics, and looks to have as much care put into to it as 2011’s well received Mortal Kombat reboot.  Injustice follows in MK’s footsteps using cinematics to further the plot in Story Mode.  The result is a story that is engaging and fun, and moves from each cinematic to fight pretty seamlessly.
The basic story is Superman establishes a new world order when the Joker destroys Metropolis and tricks The Man of Steel into killing the woman he loves.  A battle is then joined between Superman’s new regime and the heroes/villains aligned with Batman’s insurgency.

Having a good story is great, but how does the game feel to play?  In a word, just about perfect.  The Mortal Kombat games have been known for their use of combos and special moves through a six-button setup.  However, Injustice streamlines the control scheme making it easier to just pick up and play.  The controls feel not only streamlined, but more intuitive as well.  This means a player won’t have to spend a lot of time memorizing a ton of buttons and combos, but instead learning and perfecting a specific character is made easier and more fun.  Injustice balances that fine line between “easy to pick up” and “hard to master” more than any fighting game in recent memory.  Fans of the fighting game genre, new and old alike should feel right at home and be able to jump straight into the mayhem with their favorite DC superhero or supervillain.

Now as with any NetherRealm game there are a TON of unlockables in Injustice.  Everything from character skins to concept art to music.  There is also various modes to play through, such as various fights in the battle mode, S.T.A.R. Labs missions, online multiplayer, etc.  Add to that future characters released in DLC, the ability to unlock content by playing the Injustice mobile app on iOS devices (The Injustice mobile app will unlock content for the standard game and vice/versa), and the fact that the game is just as fun to watch as it is to play.  Injustice: Gods Among Us will keep gamers playing for months to come and may just end up being a serious contender in the world of fighting game competitions.

-Judge Faiz