Injustice: Gods Among Us is a fighting game by NetherRealm Studios who also created the more recent Mortal Kombat games. The Ultimate Edition has been created by High Voltage studios. The game pits the Super Heroes and Villians of Earth against each other. Their colossal and deadly battles threaten the world with their sheer force.
The graphics in the PS4 version of Injustice are absolutely incredible. The characters themselves have seen a huge increase in the amount of detail that they possess. The level transitions feel even smoother and the cut scenes look that little bit sharper. High Voltage managed to get the game running in 1080p which obviously makes things look even better. Still, the game doesn’t really look like a next-gen game. I think this is due to the fact that the artsyle favours a darker theme that doesn’t have much pop.
Sound design is still incredible. Sound effects are not repetitive and they chance based on what sort of attack you’re doing and how much damage your opponent is taking. Injustice’s soundtrack does what it should in building suspense and heightening the senses to anticipate the stories next turning point. All of these things add to the high presentation values of the game.
In terms of the Ultimate Edition that was released on the PS4, fans will be pleasantly surprised with just how much has been added. All 6 DLC characters have been included on disc as well as a new 52 skin for Black Adam that is exclusive to PS4. More than 60 new costumes have also been included which is bound to please any DC fan. 60 new S.T.A.R labs missions have been included. This was one of our favourite modes in the original so we’re absolutely thrilled to see that another 60 have been included.
We were shocked to see that a lot of the mini games in this mode also take advantage of the PS4 touch pad. This isn’t something that we’ve seen used a whole lot so it really pleased me. Whilst it’s not a huge improvement to the overall experience, it’s still a nice touch.
When I began playing Injustice, the gameplay felt a little bit slow and clunky for my liking. This wore off a little as I continued to play however compared to Mortal Kombat, I just felt that it didn’t have that same fluidness that we’d come to know. The thing that shocked me the most about the game was the variety in specific characters attacks. Every player has 3 unique special moves, one character power and then one mega epic super move. Going through each character and finding out their unique abilities was some of the best fun i’ve had in a video game. These moves are so true to their character and universe that it just works incredibly well.
There is a small downside to so many unique abilities though. At times I felt like there were slight balance issues. When using the character power(Circle or B), I found that some characters were extremely more useful than others. Whilst it’s great to have these specific character abilities, sometimes it felt a bit unfair that my opponent could attack me with a powerful attack from the other side of the stage whilst my ability was just to swap weapons. I also felt that certain characters were a lot easier to pull off combo with than others. For instance making combos with Batman felt like more than a breeze then some of the other characters. In the traditional fighting sense it felt that it was a tiny step back from Mortal Kombat in this regard.
It completely makes up in all other areas though! The arenas in this game are absolutely incredible. Every single arena has its own set of animations and is constantly changing from start to finish of every battle. You can use parts of the arena against your opponent and there are so many destructible things in the level that it just feels more alive than any fighter i’ve ever played. There are 15 arenas, all which have multiple sections which are activated by performing the Back + Cross / A move. This just adds even more replayability to the game and adds a new dimension to every fight. Another inclusion I really liked
The main story mode is quite a treat. It is set out in the form of a movie featuring DC characters. It features several chapters. In each Chapter you take over the role of a new character and then proceed through multiple scenes until you reach the next chapter. There is also a number of QTE just to change up the pace of the story mode. The cutscenes are well put together and will be extremely appreciated by DC fans.
As you play through the modes mode you will find yourself leveling up. Leveling up unlocks things such as backgrounds and icons for your profile. You also gain access cards throughout your play time which will allow you to unlock things such as concept art, music, backgrounds(which are interactive and destructible) and alternative costumes. You also use these cards to buy things such as bonus XP for a set number of matches and unlock the remaining battles.
When entering online I was greeted with the surprise of a daily challenge. This consists of a challenge that has you doing version things to earn XP. An example of this is playing as raven and besting 5 other raven players online in any game mode. This was a nice surprise And just another nice touch among many. When playing online you have the option to play in a player match. Ranked magch or a private match. Ranked matches are always 1v1 and when playing in non ranked matches you have the option to play 1v1, koth and survivor. Online system was extremely clean and extremely easy to get into a match.
Injustice: Gods Among Us was a great game when I played it back in April. Now it’s just that little bit better. If you haven’t got this game yet then now is the perfect time to grab it. With more content than ever and the game looked that little bit better, it’s a no brainer. If you had previously bought it then it still is worth it as WarnerBros are offering a cheaper upgrade program.
