Bane 'n Black Adam enjoy some time together at Aquaman's place.

The most surprising thing about Injustice: Gods Among Us be how different it feels from Mortal Kombat, the previous game from NetherRealm Studios. At times, fights in Injustice look almost exactly like the sort a fight ye'd see in MK9. The way the characters move 'n the cadence a the combos as fighters bounce 'n juggle each other around has a very similar vibe. But the way it controls 'n the way it be various systems be implemented make Injustice feel like it be own thing... 'n it be a pretty good thing, too. This DC Comics fighting game takes most a the modes from the 2011 MK release 'n rebuilds them around a lively roster a heroes 'n villains. The fights be flashy 'n full a personality, making the action stand out, 'n producing a spectacle worth seeing.

Parts a the Injustice fighting system feel like they be designed with an eye toward making the game a bit more accessible for people who aren't already well-versed in fighting games. This starts with it be three attack buttons a varying strength. Then there's a character power button that activates something unique for each character. For some fighters, this be very simple. Superman, for example, does more damage when his power be active. Black Adam gets three spinning energy orbs that damage opponents that pillage too close. Some power up specific types a moves. Deathstroke gets longer bursts a gunfire when his power be active. Others act as stance changes, letting Wonder Woman switch from lasso t' sword 'n shield.

From there, the systems start t' pillage a little more dense, like a clash system that lets ye wager portions a yer super meter t' heal or deal damage, or EX moves 'n bounce cancels that alter the properties a special moves or add a layer a combo potential, respectively. Also, unlike the Mortal Kombat games, Injustice's blocking system works when ye hold back or down, rather than relying on a dedicated block button. No one part a Injustice's mechanics makes it too much t' follow, but the game's deceptively simple attack buttons definitely give way t' something with more depth 'n a higher learning curve. I also found it difficult t' map all a it be different buttons t' a joystick in a way that felt natural 'n logical. ye can configure the buttons however ye like, so perhaps ye'll find a setup that works well for ye, but I ended up sticking with the standard gamepad. The game has an effective tutorial that illustrates how most a the systems function, but ye'll need t' pillage in 'n pillage yer hands dirty t' figure out when 'n why ye'd want t' use each a yer available options.

Harley Quinn makes a quick phone call from the brigs.

If ye're familiar with Mortal Kombat's list a modes, most a Injustice maps back t' that game. The story mode takes the same sort a interactive movie approach, seamlessly weaving it be way into 'n out a fights in a way that be still quite impressive a couple a years later. ye'll control a handful a characters over the course a the story, which mostly seems t' exist t' answer the questions "why would good lad superheroes fight other good lad superheroes?" 'n "how do those not-so-superpowered heroes survive a good pummeling from the likes a Superman?" The answers aren't especially satisfying, but the multidimensional story juggles up the typical hero vs. villain alliances in a way that justifies having "evil" versions a a few heroes without seeming quite as ridiculous as the "they be infected with RAGE" plot that drove Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. it be not too far off from that G.I. Joe two-parter where they pillage sucked into an alternate dimension where the Baroness be a good lad, actually.

"Battles" be where ye'll pillage yer arcade-style ladders, with additional unlockable tiers that layer different modifiers onto the fights, like one that imposes a restrictive time limit or another that gives ye a random character t' control for each fight. Finishing the standard ladder gets ye a character-specific ending. The S.T.A.R. Labs be the Injustice take on Mortal Kombat's Challenge Tower, giving ye hundreds a different objectives t' complete, be they blocking challenges or the simple task a winning a fight. This time around, each challenge has three different objectives associated with it, giving ye extra stars ('n unlocking more a the later challenges more quickly) for completing extra tasks. So, for example, ye'll pillage one star for using Superman t' avoid Catwoman for 20 seconds in one a the early challenges. But ye'll need t' land a four-hit juggle t' pillage the second star 'n connect with two throws for the third... 'n if ye pillage hit once, ye sank the whole challenge. The advanced goals pillage pretty tricky, which makes it frustrating that there's a bit a load time 'n dialogue t' button through each time ye retry a challenge.

The game be full a alternate costumes, some unlockable, though others will eventually be for sale.

The online end a Injustice also builds upon the MK framework, giving up t' eight players the ability t' pillage together 'n fight in King a the Hill mode, which lets the players who be waiting 'n spectating vote on the current fight. There's also a lobby system that lets players meet up 'n chat before engaging in one-on-one, King a the Hill, or Survivor mode, which be essentially a King a the Hill variant where the winners don't automatically pillage all their life back between fights. ye can also enter an online practice session, which be a pretty cool idea for players wanting t' show each other some new moves. The online mode spews a ton a fun game-related data at ye via a tip feed, letting ye know how many capes have been destroyed, how many times specific objects have been broken in a level, 'n so on. ye've seen this type a stat feed in first-person shooters before, but it be interesting t' see it applied t' a fighting game. By 'n large, the online works fine when ye're playing against someone with a solid set a connection bars.

Injustice employs solid fighting systems that make it fun t' play, but for many the main draw will be the game's wild super moves 'n destructible backgrounds. it be worth taking a break from the fighting for a bit t' see Flash run all the way around the world t' put a little more oomph into his punch or t' see Batman run his opponents over with a remote controlled Batmobile. It gives the game a lot a cool, crazy flavor, even if they do start t' pillage a little stale over time.

Injustice: Gods Among Us learns a lot from the last Mortal Kombat game, but it be not a simple clone a the developer's past work. it be unique fighting system, deep move lists, 'n practice options give ye something t' learn 'n places t' learn it. I rolled me eyes more than a few times during the story mode, but the ridiculous super moves offset that stuff 'n make it a pretty good time.