Injustice: Gods Among Us Review (PS3)

That's right, the time has finally arrived. I'm going to tear into, in my opinion, this year's fighter-to-beat. For those of you who don't know me, I'm pretty into the whole comic scene, and its resulting characters and lore. So when I heard that a beat'em up that utilised Mortal Kombat's Unreal engine was on the horizon, I nearly imploded with excitement. I've been keeping a very focused eye on the game as it ticked closer to release date, snatching it up on its first day on the shelves. So, did it live up to my expectations? Well, that's a mixed bag.

Let me begin by talking about this monster's true strength: its story. There hasn't been a fighting game like it, at least to my knowledge, this side of the century. Others on its level, such as Street Fighter or Tekken, don't have that solid or engaging a tale. Injustice smashes its way through that glass ceiling with a narrative that rings slightly of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Without giving much away, it reloves around an alternate Superman who loses his wife and unborn son, as well as Metropolis, to the Joker. In a fit of rage, he establishes dominion over mankind. A rebel force, led by Batman, fight against his reign and so plays the game. Honestly, you need to see the story unfold to truly get it. There's some cracking moments to be shared. The only downside is the main campaign's length, a measly five or six hours at best. If you like your tales long and winding, you will probably be disappointed.

Secondly, the roster of 24 characters, and numerous skins, gives the player a fair amount of styles to play with. However, many skins are exclusive to pre-ordered games which will rob most players of some entertainment. No doubt they will become available as DLC at some point in the future, but it isolates the player from the word 'go'. Apart from that, there is a trove of unlockable treasures such as music, concept art, backgrounds and more. They are unlocked by the acquiring of certain cards, which are obtained through leveling up. This seems to be the only true purpose the level system serves, minus establishing your skill for ranked online matches. That is slightly disappointing, as I would have liked to fine-tune certain characters to better balance them.

Imagine if this guy was as limber as an acrobat. The carnage!

The online aspect is simple, generally effective but slightly lackluster  It's simple ranked matches, although the ranking system feels broken. Someone who has managed to complete the brief campaign can still be thrashed by a veteran fighter, moved on from another game, whose level is far below their own. There is very little in the way of rewards in the multiplayer, minus a background skin and various pictures for your dog tags. While I agree that online play should be a simple affair, I feel that there could have been more incentive for me to continue through match after match.

The graphics for the character models and stages were engaging and rich, with each having a sense of gritty realism that I highly enjoyed. However, it became very clear in the first cutscene that the rest of the game suffered as a result. Buildings, and indeed whole cities, are bland. Non-essential characters look as though they were designed back in the early Noughties, and really bring down the overall visual appeal of the game. But when you're punching someone through the core of the planet, you forget this detail. That's the complex magic this game weaves. It's weak in parts, but so strong in others that you just can't bring yourself to care.

Finally, there is an additional campaign called S.T.A.R Labs that follows a mini-arc for several of the main characters. This adds a good 10+ hours of play, depending on your skill level and does a reasonable job at extending the game's life. Personally, I felt little compulsion to complete these, and there was very little drive put in place to draw you to it. It felt very much like a case of 'it's there if you want it, but whatever. It's cool either way'.

So, did Injustice do itself, well, justice? Yes and no. It succeeded where so many other fighting games have failed in terms of story, character development and additional content. But in certain aspects it felt less like its own game, and more of a suped-up Mortal Kombat spin-off. If I had to describe it, Injustice is very much a social game. It's one for friends, a night in with music, drink and a super-powered tournament  If you prefer to game alone, then this beat'em up will only give you brief satisfaction and flicker out. I still love it, despite its flaws and would reccomend it to anyone who likes to game in a group. If not, give it a miss.

Disagree? Want to know more? Just leave a comment below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Til next time.