Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate (PS5)

Note: This review contains spoilers for Mortal Kombat 11.

With NetherRealm Studios’ relatively recent pattern of fighting game releases, it’s no surprise that they would follow up Injustice 2 with Mortal Kombat 11 (MK11) in 2019. Like Injustice 2, I waited for a physical copy that included all of the DLC fighters before giving it a shot, but the wait ended up longer than anticipated, as the studio released a physical Aftermath Kollection, followed by additional DLC and then Ultimate Edition. Once NetherRealm announced the end of service for MK11, I finally obtained a copy of Ultimate Edition for the PS5 so I could finally experience a fighting game on ninth-generation hardware. Unfortunately, despite how well the game implemented some of its interesting ideas, it seems that Games as a Service (GaaS) mechanics, as well as some further missteps, have taken their toll on the franchise.

Second Look - Batman: Arkham Asylum

When I originally reviewed Rocksteady Studios’ Batman: Arkham Asylum ten years ago, I admittedly didn’t put much substance into it, partly due to my lack of experience with reviewing video games. After I did some research on Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time for a review, however, I felt motivated to replay Arkham Asylum with the context that it originated this game’s famous Freeflow combat system. However, it also felt appropriate to replay the game in honor of Batman Month and give it the coverage it really deserved. It helps, of course, that Arkham Asylum has aged surprisingly well and even felt refreshing.

Hitman 2 (2018)

Note: This review contains spoilers for Hitman (2016).

After the release of Hitman (2016), IO Interactive split from Square Enix, their previous publisher, and got to keep the rights to the Hitman franchise in an unprecedented move. This led to their partnership with Warner Bros., which resulted in the release of Hitman Steelbook Edition and continued development of the World of Assassination Trilogy, including Hitman 2 (2018). Unlike its predecessor, Hitman 2 (2018) did away with the episodic structure and got a full retail release from the start. While Hitman 2 (2018) does feel very much like an updated version of Hitman (2016), it introduces enough changes to the formula that it feels like a better overall experience.

Injustice 2 Legendary Edition

After the success of 2013’s Injustice: Gods Among Us, NetherRealm set to work on the follow-up, Injustice 2, which released in 2017. Considering the track record with NetherRealm’s releases since Mortal Kombat (2011), I waited until the complete Legendary Edition in 2018 so that I could play without also buying all the DLC. However, it was only during the COVID-19 pandemic that I finally found time to play it. I don’t regret finally getting around to it, but the implementation of GaaS mechanics holds it back more than it should.

Batman: Arkham VR

One of the earliest titles available for the PlayStation VR was Batman: Arkham VR, developed by Rocksteady as part of the Batman: Arkham universe. The idea behind the game is to use the relatively new VR technology to make you feel like the Dark Knight himself. For the most part, it works really well, but it still falls a little short as an experimental title.

Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy) is informed by his butler, Alfred Pennyworth (Hugh Fraser), that Robin (Tom Austen) and Nightwing haven’t reported in for an unusual length of time. As this is cause for concern, Batman must go out and investigate their whereabouts, finding that both of them are in unusual locations. When he sees that Nightwing is dead, the investigation turns into finding out the identity of the killer as well the location of Robin.

The story is fairly easy to follow and, in true Arkhamverse fashion, grows darker and creepier as the game continues. This all leads to a very tense and frightening finale, which takes full advantage of the VR environment and shows a lot of potential for the technology. Unfortunately, while the story is well-written and engaging, and ties in well with Batman: Arkham Knight, it only lasts about thirty minutes to an hour and that’s if you’re not looking for secrets. At that point, it doesn’t completely feel worth the MSRP of $20.

What also doesn’t help is the general lack of replay value. After completing the main story, you gain the option to search most of the levels again for the obligatory Riddler trophies. Finding these trophies unlocks additional character models and bios you can view in the Batcave, as well as additional vehicles, the latter of which has no real effect on gameplay. These vehicles are drawn from Batman’s television and film history, including as recent as the Batmobile from 2016’s Batman v Superman and as old as the Batmobile from the 1966 Adam West series. Apart from Riddler trophies, there are also a number of destructible objects and optional easter eggs related to Batman lore, as well as some foreshadowing to Arkham VR’s ending and Batman’s mental state in Batman: Arkham Knight. Unfortunately, even if you did take the time to check every nook and cranny to find or destroy every single object, the entire game is still only about three to four hours long at the most.

One of the puzzles is recreating the crime scene for Nightwing's death.

That said, the gameplay is rather impressive for an experimental VR title. Arkham VR does an excellent job of making you feel like Batman, especially since you go through a phase at the beginning where you have to put on the Batsuit. Over the course of the game, you have access to three gadgets on Batman’s utility belt: the throwable Batarang, the Grapnel Gun and the Forensic Scanner. Using these gadgets at the right moments will allow you to solve puzzles during each of the game’s nine chapters and get Batman one step closer to finding Nightwing’s killer. It feels really cool to be able to throw a Batarang with your own motions and to control each object in the game with 1:1 movement.

However, there are some limitations to the gameplay, likely due to its experimental nature and the relative infancy of the VR market. You are not allowed to move around freely throughout each environment, as movement is restricted to teleporting to predetermined locations in your line of sight. Despite this, you are still able to use your own physical movements to move a couple steps around you, as well as look around objects or lean in for a closer look (Tip: looking around digital objects with physical movement is required to access a couple of Riddler trophies). Additionally, there isn’t much to speak of in the way of action. Instead, you spend much of your time using Batman’s gadgets to solve puzzles in a 360° space. While this does emphasize Batman’s role as a detective, it may leave fans of his action side wanting more. Also, while the game does generally do a good job of telling you what you can and can’t do, it doesn’t explain that you can zoom in on the environment by holding the Move controller to your head and pressing the Trigger button.

On a technical note, the graphics are very impressive, fully capturing the look and feel of the Batman: Arkham universe down to the color palette and level of detail. The environmental sounds also help to sell that you’re within the world of Gotham and the voice acting is top notch, seeing as you get to hear more Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill among others.

While by no means perfect, Batman: Arkham VR is a very solid experimental title. The game does an excellent job of pulling the player into the world of Gotham and making them feel like the Caped Crusader. In exchange, the player has to contend with restricted movement, a lack of combat and a heightened emphasis on detective work and puzzle solving. Even with the game’s shortcomings, it’s worth playing for the ability to feel like Batman and become a true part of Gotham’s dark atmosphere. However, its short length, about three to four hours at the most, and lack of long-term replay value barely justifies the $20 price point. If you can get it at a good price, it’s one VR title worth picking up.

The Lego Movie Videogame - Also Awesome!!!

There are two track records to keep in mind: that of Traveller’s Tales and that of movie-licensed games in general. Movie-licensed games tend to be very abysmal in their playability, as they are very often rushed out the door, usually with a development time of only a few months, so that the release can coincide with the movie. Traveller’s Tales, on the other hand, is well-known for their Lego adaptation games, having started with Lego Star Wars in 2005. They’ve done other projects, but at this point the Lego games are their main output and, having played the Star Wars games, are very fun to play. So when you combine Traveller’s Tales with a license for The Lego Movie, there’s a natural uncertainty in being able to pull it off considering how movie-licensed games usually turn out. Having said that, I think that The Lego Movie Videogame, while not without faults, is surprisingly fun considering that it’s a Lego game based on only one film.

I don’t really need to touch upon the story, since it’s pretty much the same thing as The Lego Movie; they even use clips from the movie as cutscenes during the Story Mode, complete with the original voice track. However, I can say that the story is preserved pretty well and though it omits a few scenes, they still managed to make it feel like the movie. There’s dialogue that obviously wasn’t from the source, but the sense of humor in the script feels so much like the movie that it doesn’t feel out of place.

Each of the game’s 15 levels, plus the Prologue, takes a specific moment from the movie and expands it into a playable level. The ways in which this is accomplished are varied enough that there isn’t a dull moment. Apart from standard levels where characters explore the environment across a semi-linear path, there are also driving or shooting stages, each with their own goals, though the levels which allowed more freedom of movement were more enjoyable. The final boss is also reasonably difficult even though death is pretty much a slap on the wrist like in other Lego games.

There is a good amount of replay value through the Free Mode, in which you can replay any level but with any character you wish. Going through the Free Mode can allow for more of a chance to achieve certain goals, such as The Special (gained for collecting a certain amount of Studs in a level), or obtain Golden Manual Pages or pairs of Pants. Golden Manual Pages allow one to build certain objects in a Bonus Room at the end of the game and Pants, which can be swapped in a Dispanster in the hub worlds, can grant additional powers to compatible characters. Completing these goals awards the player Gold Bricks which add to the completion percentage, with 100% completion giving a feeling of satisfaction.

It started out so simply...

Additional replay value can be found in the hub worlds, which feature heavily destructible environments and a few side quests, the completion of which awards the player with a Red Brick that they much purchase with Studs (the currency used in the Lego games). When the player obtains a Red Brick, they unlock certain cheat codes which add interesting effects to the game, including Stud multipliers or locators for Pants and Golden Manual Pages. These modifiers are actually pretty fun to use, especially since they make the levels easier to complete, though naturally you can have them turned off for an additional challenge.

While the game is fun, it’s generally pretty easy overall. The story moves at a pretty quick pace, although it took me a couple days to beat it, and the Platinum trophy wasn’t too difficult to get, but still required a good amount of time and perseverance. Over the course of the game, you can also unlock additional characters, for a total of over 90, by playing the story or spending Studs and inputting certain cheat codes. Some of the later characters feel a little overpowered, as they contain certain ability combinations that make playing through story levels even easier.

A couple other things to mention would be the co-op and a major glitch I came across. The drop-in, drop-out co-op allows for a second player to join the game quite easily and can make the experience even more enjoyable (my brother and I actually played co-op for the entire game), although certain actions like building according to a set of instructions was made a little more difficult due to two people aiming for the same pieces. As for the glitch, while my brother and I were in Free Mode, we played the first level with all cheats activated. We went along just fine until one particular event occurred, namely a dancing section. Our characters were supposed to join in with the NPCs during this time, but this event was skipped and the dancing continued indefinitely. The only way to remedy this was to restart the console and try the level again with all cheats turned off, although we ran into an additional error on the same level where the game stopped working for some reason. This error thankfully never came up again, though I wish that Traveller’s Tales had done some more testing on the game to iron out bugs like this before shipping it out.

The graphics are very accurate to Lego bricks and the color palette is very bright and fun. Everything is very distinct from each other, although it’s a little easy to get mixed up when using similar-looking characters. Visual effects are also very good and show off the capabilities of the PS4 pretty well. Certain sounds are repeated from previous Lego games, but they never really get tiring, and the voice acting is actually very good. None of the voice actors from the movie reprise their roles in the game, though when you compare the performances in the game proper to those found in the movie footage, the game has very spot-on impressions to where you can hardly tell the difference, if at all. I also like the soundtrack, as it fits in perfectly well with the mood, especially the more upbeat tracks that match the fun atmosphere, though be prepared to hear plenty of remixes of “Everything is Awesome!!!”

The graphics fit in very well with the game's tone.

Whether or not you’ve played a Lego game before, The Lego Movie Videogame is an experience I can safely recommend. It helps to see The Lego Movie first though, since the story is coherent, but feels a little incomplete without the additional context. Aside from that though, the game is very fun to play, especially with an additional person, and the experience is very hard to leave behind, even though it’s a bit familiar to those who have played previous Lego games. This is a movie-licensed game that is actually very good and I wish that other studios would take this level of care into crafting one.

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate

In an effort to continue interest, and profit, from the popular Batman: Arkham series of games, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released two games on the same day, October 25, 2013, which serve as prequels to the games developed by Rocksteady (Arkham Asylum and Arkham City). I’ve already reviewed one of them, Arkham Origins, but I have yet to discuss the other one, and the subject of this review, Arkham Origins Blackgate. Rather than have WB Montréal develop the game, this one is done by Armature Studio, whose only other work beforehand was the Vita version of Metal Gear Solid HD Collection (I have yet to play this version of that game, but I’d like to out of interest). Fittingly, I’m going to look at the Vita version of Arkham Origins Blackgate, which I think is all right, but could have used a lot of improvement.

Three months after the events of Arkham Origins, Batman spots Catwoman stealing from a high-tech building and chases, eventually capturing her and having her taken to Blackgate. Two weeks later, Batman is informed of an explosion at Blackgate and goes to investigate. When he arrives, he is told by Catwoman of multiple hostages being held captive underneath the prison in the Arkham Wing. In order to open the Arkham Wing, however, Batman will need to take out the leaders of three different factions running the prison: Joker, Penguin and Black Mask. With this knowledge, Batman enters the prison and begins his journey to rescue the hostages.

Also, more obscure guys like Bronze Tiger show up.

The story of Arkham Origins Blackgate is a little looser from the previous Arkham games. While there is a beginning, middle and end, the shape of the story itself is a little more dependent on what order you decide to tackle the bosses, with the ending and final mission being drastically different depending on who you take out last; In my playthrough for this review, I went in the order of Joker, Penguin, Black Mask. The script is pretty well written, and I was able to get into it, but it didn’t have the same impact on me as the other Arkham games. Despite this, the ability to replay the game in a different order to see different events is an intriguing idea and has almost roped me into playing the game again, although the gameplay didn’t grab me quite enough to get me to do that.

When it comes to the gameplay itself, one could think of Arkham Origins Blackgate as a light version of Arkham Origins, only set entirely in Blackgate Prison. The spaces are more enclosed than before, even in regards to Arkham City, and strips down the gameplay of the Arkham franchise to the Metroidvania aspect, meaning that the game isn’t a Metroid title but has the backtracking elements of Metroid, which is fitting considering that Armature Studio’s founders worked on Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Batman also only uses four gadgets, the Line Launcher, Explosive Gel, Batarangs and Batclaw, and has him placed into a 2.5D brawler with mild predator elements. This isn’t that bad of an idea, since it works pretty well for a handheld, but combat is much easier compared to Arkham Origins, eventually making a lot of fights pretty trivial. That said, Blackgate is laid out pretty well as the emphasis on puzzle-solving works out well by forcing you to really think about your environment.

There are still a couple things that bugged me about the game though, one of which is how Detective Mode is implemented. In this game, you activate it by tapping the touch screen (and like in the other Arkham games, you’ll never want to turn it off), which allows you to see a lot of hidden objects or figure out where the bad guys are. However, before you’re able to interact with a lot of the environment, you have to hold down the touch screen and scan green objects, which will have the Batcomputer analyze them and turn them orange, usually allowing you to interact with all objects of that type in the area. It may not sound that bad at first, but consider that you must do this every single time you come across a new object or obstacle, which can prevent you from coming up with new solutions for enemy encounters on the fly or making any progress with the game. I’m not kidding; I actually thought I was doing something completely wrong at one point because I tried everything, only to feel stupid once I started scanning the area. Sometimes, you even have to do the scanning every single time you find an object of the same type, primarily surfaces which the explosive gel can bust through. The main reason this annoyed me is because in every other Arkham game the interaction points were all revealed instantly upon activating Detective Mode, so I thought that suddenly they had changed the rules on me.

Now imagine that before actually throwing the Batarang,
you had to first scan the chandeliers.

The other thing which didn’t seem quite right was the boss fights. It’s interesting to be able to fight Joker, Penguin and Black Mask, but their fights, as well as a couple other skirmishes, feel rigid in their design. Essentially, there is really only one way to take down each and every boss and deviating from that path in any way or trying to be creative in your approach will get you killed. Eventually, replaying these fights to figure out the solution becomes an exercise in tedium and I just wanted them to be over with so I could continue the story. This structure causes the final boss fight to be annoying as well and it’s easy to see how a lot of players would have an extremely difficult time against them. I also want to mention that at one point in the sewers, you suddenly fight Solomon Grundy. He just shows up right out of nowhere, has no relevance to the plot and is barely mentioned again afterwards, although he is required to defeat in order to continue and the environment still requires scanning some objects individually. After a while, I just sort of rolled with it and did my best to beat him before continuing on with my mission.

Graphically, the game understandably doesn’t look as good as Arkham Origins, with decent models for a handheld game. However, this didn’t stop me from doing a double-take with Joker during his fight or questioning aloud why Batman never moves his mouth when he talks (possibly due to the alternate costumes you can unlock). The comic book style cutscenes look pretty good though, capturing the feel of the characters and events pretty well, although I think word balloons instead of captions would have made the feeling more complete. Due to how much is shown in these scenes though, I suppose that what they did was for the best. On a different note, the music is mostly borrowed from Arkham Origins and the voice acting, featuring the same people from Arkham Origins, is still of great quality.

Joker certainly looks better here than in the actual game.

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is a good Batman game, but not quite as enjoyable as the other Batman: Arkham titles. Its story and gameplay do allow for a good amount of replay value, but combat and Detective Mode aren’t as fun and the levels, despite taking great advantage of the 2.5D style, have a little more tedium involved in their exploration. Still, if one is looking for a decent Metroidvania brawler to fill a gap between games, as I did while waiting for Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, and they like Batman, this would be that game.

Injustice: Gods Among Us - Doesn't Pull Any Punches

When you hear the name Midway Games, there's a chance you'll be thinking of the Mortal Kombat franchise, known for its extreme gore and single-handedly leading to the creation of the ESRB (that rating system that parents don't seem to pay attention to). In 2008, the franchise saw an installment known as Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, its purpose being self-explanatory, which was achieved by having Warner Bros. and DC partnering with Midway to license certain characters for use in the game. While the game had mixed reception, it would turn out to be the company's last project before going bankrupt. At this point in time, Mortal Kombat creator and director Ed Boon formed NetherRealm Studios and immediately began working on a Mortal Kombat reboot, simply titled Mortal Kombat, released in 2011 to universal acclaim. Now it seems that history has decided to repeat itself, with Warner Bros.' ownership of NetherRealm leading to the creation of the subject of this review, Injustice: Gods Among Us, a fighting game with a roster made entirely of DC characters. The idea intrigued me when I first heard about it and so I decided to give it a shot. The end result is something that could be considered a new high for NetherRealm.

Before I begin, I'd like to mention that I feel my review of the Mortal Kombat reboot is inadequate and didn't do the game any real justice (then again I wrote it in the fifth month of this blog's existence). Similarly, I feel my review of Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds to be poorly written. With this review of Injustice, I plan to make up for these earlier reviews in spades and cover it more completely with the style I have developed from writing reviews for over two years. So, without further delay, I'd like to present my review of Injustice: Gods Among Us.

This can't end well.

Just like Mortal Kombat, Injustice comes with a Story Mode featuring an actual plot, something that doesn't appear all that often in fighting games. The premise is thus: As the Justice League are fighting various DC villains for no discernible reason, Batman is close to stopping The Joker from completing his latest scheme. Joker's plan?: to blow up Metropolis with a nuke planted at the base of a Superman statue. When the caped crusader finally arrives, the clown prince of crime has already armed the device, detonation now a single button push away. With the presence of the Dark Knight, Joker alters his scheme to include two more in the body count and inches his finger closer to the trigger. As Batman jumps to stop him, the Justice League are all on their way to Joker's location and are a split second away from converging when balls of light suddenly appear around most everyone there. Within that same time frame, everyone taken by the light ends up in a dystopian version of Metropolis with a strange symbol visible everywhere; The Joker is annoyed by the fact that his detonator is now completely useless as it simply clicks with no reaction. Now in what appears to be a different dimension entirely, Batman and everyone else involved have to figure out what's going on, why they are there and how they can return safely home.

At first I was confused by the initial fight between the Justice League and various villains, but as the plot went on it felt surprisingly coherent and I think the end result was actually pretty good. The story switches off between playable characters within the narrative based on what's going on at the moment, which actually helps with the game giving the player an opportunity to play as roughly half the cast while still transitioning between events seamlessly. Characters are also pretty quick to figure out what's going on, which makes sense considering that the DC universe has had the characters visit alternate realities a few times, this being no exception, and everyone seems to react realistically to the situation they are in. I thought the pacing was pretty good and I was able to get more into it as it went along. Although the way the story ends is a little predictable, it's still handled well enough to feel like a well-written DC story anyway.

Superman, ruler of the Regime.

In a rather unique move, there would also sometimes be a brief mini-game between story segments. These usually consisted of throwing/firing something, like Batarangs or eye lasers, via button prompts in order to fulfill a specific condition. What I liked about these mini-games was that they were not only inserted in a way that didn't disrupt the flow of the story, but they could also be used as a way to determine starting health once the next battle began. This is a nice touch that makes a story mode for a fighting game more immersive and, along with the story treatment in general, raises the mere idea of a Story Mode in the genre to new heights that will be difficult to surpass.

Speaking of difficulty, I think it would be good to mention that the difficulty of Injustice's story is mercifully toned down compared to the Mortal Kombat reboot. In Mortal Kombat, the difficulty would naturally increase as it went along, but it would always get to the point where I'd actually have to lower the difficulty to even stand a chance against an AI that is more likely to cheat, reading controller inputs for instance, especially if I wanted a remote probability of taking down the final boss, Shao Khan. In Injustice, I was able to stay on the Normal difficulty for the whole game and while I did have to eventually attempt a fight multiple times, I was still able to overcome the enemy by employing the right strategy. That isn't to say the AI isn't above using dirty tactics however, as the AI is capable of stringing attacks together in a way that's too quick for a human to pull off in real life, even going so far as to string multiples of the same attack together in an impossibly small window (I'm looking at you, Green Lantern). Still, I like that NetherRealm lowered the difficulty and I hope they apply this to the next Mortal Kombat, should they decide to make one.

Next, I'd like to discuss one of the most important elements of a fighting game: the character roster. Before I get into any specifics however, I'd like you to look at the following image:

Before you ask, no, Bane is not voiced by Tom Hardy.

There are a total of 24 characters. I'd like to point out a certain ratio, which is that of Batman characters versus literally everyone else. Out of those 24 characters, seven of them, if we count Solomon Grundy, are from the Batman comics; that's about a third of the roster dedicated to Batman. I don't have a problem with this as a Batman fan, and I understand that the property is the best thing Warner Bros. has going for them right now, but at the same time I understand any complaints about how the other franchises are underrepresented.

As for how I feel about the roster itself, I think it perfectly highlights what DC is trying to push at the moment. The inclusion of everyone from the current Justice League as of the New 52 (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman and Green Lantern) makes the most sense, as with the inclusion of major villains or arch enemies from their universes, like Doomsday or Sinestro. What's more interesting however are the second-tier characters they decided to include for roster depth and exposure. The presence of Raven and Deathstroke for instance provides some great fanservice for fans of the Teen Titans cartoon and they are welcome additions to the lineup. Shazam (directly under Aquaman in the above image) is a hero that DC has been pushing through the current run of Justice League, but due to him not really being in the public conscious, I have a feeling that not very many outside of those reading the book or watching the DC cartoons would know who he is, as with the villain Black Adam (to the left of Bane). The villain Ares (below Lex Luthor) is also a much lesser-known character and, due to my lack of knowledge on Wonder Woman lore, this is pretty much the first time I've seen him. There are two characters who I can't understand why they are there however, one being the character Hawkgirl, who I have sort of heard of and seen, but I'm sure that at this point only those paying attention to the cartoons would know who she is. As for the other one, I think I'll get some flak from Young Justice fans for asking this, but I feel it must be done:

Who the hell is Killer Frost (between Ares and Doomsday)? Thanks to my casual knowledge of the overall DC universe, this is literally the first time I have ever heard of the character, let alone as a villain, so I have no basis for her personality and will just have to assume that her portrayal here did her any justice. I'm betting that NetherRealm included her to fill in the "Ice Guy" slot they are used to having in their games (think Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat), but that doesn't make her inclusion any less questionable to me.

Pictured: literally everything I know about Killer Frost.

Another important fighting game aspect is its controls, which Injustice succeeds at very well. Its control scheme is very intuitive and easy to pick up and play. This probably has to do with it being lifted directly from Mortal Kombat, but that should show just how NetherRealm has nailed a great layout. While controlling the action is very fluid, I have a couple of complaints about the overall mapping. First of all, I actually dislike having to use a directional button to control my blocking. While I'm sure this is what most fighting game fans like, I've had it where I'm blocking a series of attacks and then I'm backed into a corner, which creates a situation where I'm totally screwed if I miss the timing, especially against an AI. If there was a dedicated button, then I'd be able to stay in one spot and remove the risk of self-cornering. The other thing is the timing window for nailing a three-four button combo. I think this window is a little too small, since I can't just tap the buttons in rapid succession to pull off what I want to or am prompted to. To give an example, one combo requires that (on PS3) I press Square and then Triangle before pressing two other buttons simultaneously. Rather than just tap Square and then Triangle, I have to swipe or roll my thumb across both buttons for it to actually count before pressing another two button combo. It got frustrating after a while and so I depended more on clever maneuvering and special move use to get by (it worked surprisingly well).

Pictured: Clever Maneuvering.

The move list for each character is also very well constructed. Everyone has the same basic combos, creating ease of use, as well as unique combo strings and special attacks that match their attack styles very closely. By not relying on long pre-determined combos, success is determined by how well the player can chain various combos and special moves together, which is a nice way of creating a bit of depth. On top of this, each character also seems suited for a different playstyle, such as long-range attacks or getting up close and personal to interrupt plans, which ensures that players will find a favorite in no time (for me, that would be Green Arrow, Deathstroke and Batman). What's rather unique for this game however is the ability to activate a character power with the press of a button. Character powers are different for each character, obviously, which can provide a power buff, shielding, or an alternative means of attack, such as firing an arrow or switching weapon stances. I enjoyed this feature, as it helped stay true to each character and provided an opportunity to mix things up.

The big draw for each character however would be their Super Moves. Just like the X-Ray moves in Mortal Kombat, pressing the two trigger buttons when a meter is full allows one to perform a Super Move, which most often activates after an animation connects from a certain range. Once it hits however, it deals a lot of damage while a cinematic plays to demonstrate just how powerful it is. This can range from Green Arrow firing arrows in a very controlled fashion to Superman taking his opponent into space and then punching them back down to Earth. These moves are all very awesome and I love it when I get the opportunity to properly pull one off. While one can also use the Super Meter to power up special attacks, I find it more satisfying to wait for the Super Move.

And then Aquaman gets totally badass.

But what good is it to have characters and special moves if you don't have a place for them to duke it out? Before I go into significant detail however, I need you to look at another picture:

It's pronounced "Theh-mih-skih-ruh". You're welcome.

There are 15 stages, six of which are Batman-related. Two of them are different permutations of two others, with one of those just being literally the same stage but at night. Since about half of the stages are Batman, it can give the impression that they were very strapped for a good level selection and decided to just repaint or relight a couple to fill in the blanks. Every stage does get visited in the story so it becomes a little more justified, but those who skip that mode, which sadly quite a few will in their impatience to get to multiplayer, won't really see much of a difference. In fact, the permutations are pretty much identical, so what I'll say next will mean that there are a couple of duplicates that operate in the same way.

The 15 stages of the game are all designed and detailed very well, with a very good illusion of depth and opportunity for secondary characters to show up in the background. There may not be as many visual distractions as in Mortal Kombat, but that didn't stop me from wanting a really good view of the area. The highlight however is that the stages are very interactive. There are objects that combatants can press, throw, plant explosives onto or jump off of, among so many others. Combos can actually be extended or set up with these interactions, which shows just how much thought the developers put into the environments. The best things about these stages however are their stage transitions. By hitting an opponent at the correct side of the map, an animation is triggered in which the combatants transition to another section of the stage while the one on the receiving end of the blow takes a good amount of damage. This makes fights bigger and potentially more jaw dropping, and it's very satisfying to pull one off...unless you pick Atlantis or Ferris Aircraft, since they don't have a transition to begin with (aww...).

Like a pie in the face.

For some additional replay value, there are a couple of different Single Player modes to check out. One is a mission mode where players complete S.T.A.R. Labs mission objectives to earn stars that will unlock more missions to try out for more characters. These missions are all tailor made for each character and encompass a sort of very loose story for each set, which can cause it to sometimes become unintentionally amusing. Missions are a great way to get a good grasp of each character's abilities as well as test out the player's skills. I looked and saw a total of 240 character-specific missions, which I know would take a very long time to get through. I suppose that means they did a good job then, right?

The other mode to explore is the Battle mode, which contains a traditional Arcade fighting format for those who don't want to do single fights. However, there are several different ways to go about the mode as well, with multiple versions of the mode available that provide a different rule set or condition for the battle. For instance, there's one mode where you fight the entire Injustice roster, one where you're poisoned and lose health over time, and one where the character you use is randomly chosen for each individual fight. Each version provides a new kind of challenge, preventing things from getting dull. Keep in mind however that the AI will eventually begin to mercilessly cheat if you play long enough.

Like a bazooka to the face.

The game also features a universal leveling system, where no matter what mode you play on, you can gain experience points and increase your level, which seems to cap at 100. Leveling up earns such rewards as ways to customize your Hero ID along with Access Cards and Armory Keys to unlock more stuff in the Archive, like concept art or alternate costumes and battle modes. You might spend more time unlocking things than fighting, but the sheer amount of replay value put into this game is phenomenal and is a great incentive to keep coming back for more.

Finally, I'd like to point out the game's technical abilities. The graphics look very good for a fighting game and there is an amazing amount of detail in the characters and environments. During the story, the difference between the cut scene and gameplay graphics is a little different, but otherwise unnoticable if you don't pay attention to the change in smoothness. Characters can be highly expressive and the battles can be pretty colorful, you know, as colorful as it can get with the dark color palette. The music for each stage is also good, but the best sounds come from the voice acting. Everyone sounds good in their roles and the lineup is very well selected, with returning voices like Kevin Conroy as Batman and Grey DeLisle as Catwoman. Sadly The Joker is no longer voiced by Mark Hamill, but Richard Epcar has a very good voice and maintains the spirit of the character very well. I have no real complaints about any of the voice actors.

Injustice is a great example of what fighting games should be like. Its controls are very easy to use, its input language is easy to understand and the combat has a lot of depth to it without sacrificing quality. While I do have some problems with the combo timing window, costumes and story resolution, I still had a great time and would enjoy playing the game further when I get the opportunity. Fighting game veterans have probably already begun playing this game, but newcomers will enjoy the ease of access and those on the fence should definitely give it a whirl. NetherRealm has managed to make one of the best games of this year so far and I hope they continue to make great fighting games in the years to come.