The Hype Inducing Launch Trailer for Injustice 2 Has Arrived

Esports Pro: From an esports angle, Netherrealm have announced that Injustice 2 is going to have a large presence over the next year with several fighting events. “Injustice 2” for consoles will roll out on May 16 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

On the official website for “Injustice 2“, the characters available in the new game are listed with short descriptions of how they play into the story of the game. No longer will a character be inaccessible to a player because they don’t like how they behave, according to lead designer John Edwards. NetherRealm’s multiple-chapter approach to fighting game campaigns felt fresh back in 2008 with Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, but the studio has done little to shake up the formula and iron out its issues. Each of them have a variety of looks – from comics accurate, to Injustice follow-ups, to even Flarrowverse styles – and the graphics for each character are stunning. “It was born from that [idea]”.

“Like its cast of heroes, Injustice 2 is exceptional”. Fighting game players are aware that these games aren’t about mashing buttons or trying to rely on sheer strength. But players anxious about game balance, fear not.

Eurogamer recommends Injustice 2 in its review: “Despite annoyances with the gear system and the loot boxes, Injustice 2 is a huge amount of fun“. He mostly attributes that to the studio’s heritage as the home of the notoriously violent Mortal Kombat fighting games. Both sides are kind of equal. His example: If a player wants a defensive Gorilla Grodd, they can outfit Grodd with gear with high health and defense.

If you’re accurate enough with your button presses and precise enough with your timing, you can string together nearly any attack or combo, and cancel the animations on the back end of those so you can take it even further. It’s a neat addition, but it doesn’t help that many fights still feel contrived. “The games were created to take a quarter every X-minutes or something, so you made gameplay and design decisions to accommodate that”. Unfortunately, there are still so many cool characters that we haven’t done that we’ll be getting a few of them done with DLC which will be cool. With that being said, the launch trailer shows off some gameplay and highlights various characters in the game. “Maybe I wanna play Bane because I like Bane, but his playstyle doesn’t jive with me”. Some of my favorites include the ability to spend meter in order to gain invulnerable movement to escape projectile-happy enemies, allowing you to block some environmental attacks, and a global increase in the speed sharpen the action. Blue Beetle or Firestorm?

But what about sanctioned esports?

What I don’t understand is why the gear system exists at all. But, while Injustice 2 has donned a lovely new coat of paint, NetherRealm Studios‘ latest title suffers from questionable mechanics and sloppy execution of their once-successful formula. Part of that revival comes from not only solid games, but also an even more dedicated fanbase in esports. Featuring a massive selection of DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains, players can personalize iconic DC characters with unique and powerful gear earned throughout the game. The goal was to have competitors on even footing, much like Edwards’s aforementioned chess metaphor.

Developed by Mortal Kombat’s NetherRealm and continuing on from the original Injustice (alongside the popular series of comics written by Aussie Tom Taylor), this sequel rightfully ditches the vanilla heroes we know and love. Character training gives a brief overview and the bare basics for each face on the roster, but the gap between those introductory fundamentals and the 20-hit, 600-damage combos is wide, and Injustice 2 does little to guide beginners across it.