After the success of the reboot of Mortal Kombat, NetherRealm comes back on the market with a new fighting game inspired by the heroes of the Justice League of DC Comics. An extensive single-player campaign and a new interactive approach with the scenarios are just two of the qualities of this title, which has convinced all along the line.
Introduction
” What would you do if our greatest heroes became our greatest threat? ”
Usually we associate the figure of the superhero image of the champion of justice, who shall bear the misfortunes of an entire city, or perhaps around the planet. And if the unexpected supporters of the weakest would end in order to become the main threat? Injustice: Gods Among Us takes its cue from this event to set a game universe in which all the principal members of the Justice League will converge against each other, siding opposing factions, fighting among themselves.
It is not the first time that we have to deal with a fighting game inspired by DC Comics heroes. In the last months of 2008, Midway Games put on the market Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, trying to offer a worthy crossover of two very different universes. Despite a very large roster and guidance of the creative director Ed Boon – historical creator of the Mortal Kombat franchise – the project disappointed the expectations from various points of view, primarily because of the difficulty of mixing in an organic two worlds so far apart.
Five years later, many things have changed. Midway no longer exists and the Mortal Kombat franchise has been brilliantly re-launched in the spring of 2011, under the guidance of NetherRealm and Warner Bros. Injustice: Gods Among Us uses the same platform technology, but this time, there were unlikely shuffles: the panorama of reference is only one of the DC Comics characters. The same Boon, in the months prior to the launch, had repeatedly declared that ” this game covers 100% the DC Universe. ”
Although the basic approach remained the same and improvements have been made to the individual character animations and the yield of the arenas, the development team and the same Warner have pointed out on several occasions this be interpreted as a gaming experience completely new and peculiar traits, compared to what was shown two years ago with the reboot of Mortal Kombat.
From the aesthetic point of view, this title abandons the tone deliberately extreme and bloody of the previous project, to enhance the unique characteristics of its protagonists, alongside all of the extensive destructibility of the arenas. ” In the game we are trying to show a wide range of characters and varied game play, this is one of the main objectives that we have set.
For this reason we have chosen to opt for two categories of a person: those with mainly of gadgets, such as Batman, and others who rely on their superpowers, including Superman. And the mix between these two types, the way they use the surrounding environment, which makes them very different to what they can do within the game, ” Boon stated in recent months, to those who asked for clarification on his new baby.
A description that, after trying in depth this title, we would like to marry in full. One of the main strengths of this game lies in the characterization of the roster and spectacular derived from interaction with the scenarios seamlessly.
But you’re Superman?
As we had already reported after our hands-on of March, Injustice offers a true single-player campaign, which tries to make the story even expendable for a genre historically waterproof to this type of approach. Also in this case a road is retraced in part already undertaken with the story mode present in the reboot of Mortal Kombat.
The script was designed by the same NetherRealm, in collaboration with two key figures: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti. The first is always associated with the trademark DC Comics. The second debuted in Marvel Comics, and in the past has been involved in the development of Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.
The plot of Injustice narrative unfolds through parallel worlds but communicating with each other, in which the events and history of the characters follow a very different path and evolution. In one of these alternate realities, Superman has lost control of himself and his powers.
Due to a deception perpetrated by the Joker, Kal-El was induced to raze it to the ground and the city of Metropolis to kill Lois Lane, together with the child she was carrying. Moved by fierce anger Superman decides to kill the Joker in Batman’s eyes and to establish a sort of totalitarian regime worldwide. Much of this parallel world of superheroes decided to join forces with Superman and subjugate humanity to the will of an elite, completely repudiating the ideals of justice for which you are always made to carriers.
It will be the resistance, led by an indomitable Batman, to find that elsewhere the facts are otherwise, and there is still a Justice League, uncorrupted wrath and opportunism. For this reason, decide, using highly advanced equipment, teleport Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern and Green Arrow in its present, while Batman and the Joker will be involved in a completely involuntary. It so begins a difficult journey in which the heroes struggle to recognize each other, to understand who is from the Justice League and who is deployed with the tyrannical version of Superman.
And one of the few times that a brawler tries to walk the streets of the narrative and storyline to offer a slightly more structured than what we usually see usually. Beyond the plot, is the connection with the whole context of the game to prove successful. Compared to some unsuccessful attempts of the past – just remember the chilling story mode implemented within Tekken 6 – the solution created by Ed Boon and his team is apt in the light of the style of play adopted, which does not differ in any so what you would expect from a 2D fighter. In that case, each 1v1 combat is interspersed with cut-scenes that follow the evolution of the plot.
During the campaign, divided into seven chapters, you will use almost all available characters in the roster, dressing sometimes the clothes of the resistance and its new allies, in other cases, those of Injustice League. This approach also allows you to make quite varied and entertaining enjoyment, especially if you decide to play the story before getting to know in detail all the features of the characters, their finisher or the dynamics of interaction available in scenarios.
There is no shortage some difficulty in following the evolution of events, mainly due to an overlap of identical characters, which on several occasions makes it difficult to figure out which side you’re talking about, and hang up the dialogue accordingly.
To act as the glue between cinematic sequences and phases of combat real, NetherRealm has decided to introduce some mini-games, which involve the concatenation of buttons in series. It just so happens to have to destroy a set of objects with the laser eyes of Superman, or hurl a series of arrows from the bow of Green Arrow, or even dodge a series of attacks so as not to start the next battle with the energy bar reduced.
Environmental destruction and use of powers
As you may have guessed, the two key figures of Injustice are those of Superman and Batman, charismatic leaders of two opposing forces that are fighting to the death. But this opposition – doubled by the presence of a second Batman for the duration of the storyline – is also reflected on the division between two opposing categories of character.
On the one hand, we have the superheroes who use a variety of technological supports to be able to fight on par with their opponents. Among them are the same as Batman, Nightwing, Raven, Harley Quinn, The Joker, Deathstroke, Catwoman, Cyborg, Green Arrow. In the other, category instead included all the heroes that use supernatural powers, including Superman, Shazam, Sinestro, Ares, Doomsday and Black Adam.
This contrast of styles is reflected also on the characteristics of character power, which is not conveyed by Injustice button combinations but by the simultaneous pressure ridges, always on the basis of mechanical accessible for less-experienced users and not technical. To confirm this had been the producer Hector Sanchez, who had told us that ” make the character also means knowing how to use the other combo that will make the difference in the tighter and tournaments. ”
What was seen playing injustice is multilevel accessibility. While not reach the heights of other products of difficulty, the game is attractive to a wide audience, thanks to a gradual supply of combos that can please the neophyte – or who do not usually have the patience to learn tons of moves – without neglecting to lovers of the genre.
There is a sub-fund of moves stratified, to which are added the custom finisher and the Wager system. The first replaces the typical Fatality Mortal Kombat and are activated only after filling a specific energy bar is divided into four parts and located in the lower part of the screen, which will be filled only after you have received numerous and repeated blows from his opponent.
For each of the 24 characters available has been arranged a custom sequence. Some are decidedly over the top, others less so, but the most extreme and spectacular surely, we include those of Superman, Doomsday, and Flash.
The Wager system is instead a clash in time, activated by a combo counter, where you can bet a certain amount of your super gauge, which will relate to the bet made by the adversary. The player who placed the highest bid will win the contest and get an increase in your energy bar, always in relation to the size of the bet placed.
Another feature that was enhanced by the developers during the preview is the Transition Stage, a system created specifically to violently throw the opponent to the outside of the setting in which you are fighting. In these cases, we will start a short scripted sequence, and you will be catapulted into another arena, while in some settings you can also move more than once during the same match.
This aspect of the game is to connect the effectively strong cinematic components that wants to be conveyed in the single-player campaign, but also the high destructibility of the scenarios, which is one of the hallmarks of this title.
In each of the fifteen arenas facts, there are some crucial points, with which you can interact during the combat phase. You can hurl vehicles parked, press buttons to determine explosions, open ventilation ducts or throw your opponent against one or more objects in the background. Each arena has unique traits and will be destroyed gradually through a series of scripted sequences, depending on the amount of items used during the meeting.
The arenas are alternated mainly between the city of Metropolis and Gotham that: we have two levels inside Villa Wayne and two others in Arkham Asylum (Rocksteady who in the meantime has already made known far and wide …! ), as well as other stages at the center of Metropolis, the penitentiary Stryker or the Watchtower. But there are also references to the city of Atlantis and the Fortress of Solitude, familiar places for all lovers of the DC Comics universe.
Beyond the main campaign, there are also two other single-player mode. The first of these is called Battle and is subdivided into a series of challenges from the changing patterns. In Normal mode, you deal with a group of opponents in standard conditions, but there are many variations on the theme (twenty, fifteen of which are unlockable). For exemple Poisoning, where his energy continues to fall, or Survivor, where you only have one health bar start to finish.
Then there are the missions of STAR Labs, which developed a series of subplots related to each character. From this point of view we perceived some parallels with the Fight Lab mode that was proposed last year in Tekken Tag Tournament 2. Also in this case it happens several times of having to complete some challenges, correctly concatenating a series of combos shown on the screen.
NetherRealm but went further and suggested as many as 240 positions, although different from each other, which can be performed with a variable score, up to a maximum of three stars. Doing so may increase the experience points of their own tags and also get additional credits to unlock collectibles.
Multiplayer and the technical part
The multiplayer side takes the basic approach of Mortal Kombat, providing three different game modes. Alongside the traditional 1v1 ranked much, there are two versions of King of the Hill mode already popular two years ago. In DRC mode, you can take part in a lobby up to a maximum of seven players, in which only two parties face off in a duel and others can observe the match, waiting their turn.
The winner remains in play, keeping the position of Re, while the other will take part from time to time as challengers. Meanwhile, observers can also place a bet on the winner of the meeting and, in case of prediction guessed, is in the room no extra experience points. Moreover, the improvement of your score and increase the level of the single player side will remain unchanged even online, there are two separate progressions.
The mode Survivor traces the same pattern of play, with the difference that the lobby is static, it is then possible to view the match, or make any bets. There are also a number of daily challenges that can be captured within a time limit, for example, try to win 10 online matches in the role of a single character.
Contrary to Mortal Kombat is not meant for fighting tag team, which did not ever contemplate, even during the single-player campaign. Rounding out the picture, the inevitable leader board and its hero card that summarizes all the services provided during the online sessions.
It must be said that, during our testing, we found some problems of matchmaking, in many situations that caused an excessive delays before being paired with another player. We hope that this problem will be solved as soon as possible with a corrective patch.
Even from a technical point of view Injustice: Gods Among us recover what good was accomplished with the reboot of Mortal Kombat. The reproduction of the models of the various superheroes is very faithful and detailed, as well as cured to appear environments, both in attention to detail and the variety of interactions.
The progressive destructibility gives a huge dynamism to the stages of the game, and sometimes you do not even have the impression of being inside a two-dimensional setting. Just like the previous project has been paid particular attention to the animations of each character and the profound changes in the style of fighting that, while not affecting the technical difficulty of the control system, are enhanced in terms of style and aesthetic.
The game uses a heavily modified version of Unreal Engine 3, already used for the development of Mortal Kombat but also used under the label of Midway Entertainment, the publisher before closing in 2008.
Basically, it was reclaimed part of the work already done in the past with Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, with the aim of enhancing the strengths and avoid the solution of the DC Universe crossover, which already showed obvious limitations. As explained by the creative director Ed Boon, the improvement on the side purely graphic was taken from the point of view of lighting.
” This game has a lot more dynamic lights dedicated to lighting scenarios and characters. It shows a higher level of detail than the last chapter of Mortal Kombat, ” declared in the weeks before the release. The quality from this point of view can already be seen after the first few games, even more so when compared with the overall look of the cut scenes, which are less refined and more opaques. From this point of view, you could certainly do more.
It has also played an important work of editing and customization of the system input script, already used in previous projects. With the help of this proprietary technology, perfectly compatible with the characteristics of the graphics engine from Epic, it was possible to perform a careful, especially on the quality of the animation and collision detection.
A technique which has actually already been refined over time and, which now enables the firm to perform most relevant changes with less effort of time and resources. And finally adopted a new mechanism for rendering the service of interactivity: thanks to this new technique, the developers have managed to put the screen to triple the number of objects that were present within the arenas of Mortal Kombat.
Conclusions
Injustice: Gods Among Us confirms the good NetherRealm has achieved with the relaunch of Mortal Kombat. The elements to speak of a fighting high-level are all there. Depth and longevity of the single-player, the more possible solutions for the multiplayer combat system genuine and appealing for many categories of player interaction and a broad scenario are just some of the qualities in support of this product, which is also supported from a technical sector of a good standard and a frame of reference that after all lends itself to a broader egregious than Mortal Kombat.
In recent years, mainly thanks to films dedicated to the heroes of Marvel, to those focusing on Spider-Man or the Dark Knight – not to mention that soon will arrive in cinema’s man of Steel, the new Superman film dedicated to – comic book heroes have literally been cleared in popular culture, with a force unthinkable in the past. Here then Injustice: Gods Among Us is also particularly effective in attracting a very diverse audience, not excluding the access of the less gifted and fulfillment of skillful players.
It is also true that the latter, as it did for the reboot of Mortal Kombat, could not digest some of the choices that were made and prefer the landing on other shores, where the high technical capability is a sine qua non that does not leave much room for other interpretations.
Moreover, there also were a number of initiatives that aim to make it even more complex universe of Injustice. Concurrently, with the release, which occurred on March 19, DC Comics has decided to publish a comic extension of fifteen episodes, which serves as a prequel to the events narrated in the game compared.
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