FIRST LOOK -- Injustice: Gods Among Us

Ever since this title was first announced, several of you guys have been messaging me via Facebook and via IM asking my opinions on this new fighter featuring the heroes and villains of DC Universe made by the folks at NetherRealms, who brought us Mortal Kombat 9.

I honestly haven't spent next to any in-depth time with MK9 since it's release, and I know, shame on me, but from the tournament footage I have seen it looks pretty bad ass. I have a hard enough time keeping up with the fighters I currently own, so I have honestly just neglected that title since I have my hands full enough as it is. I'm sure you guys that are more savvy on the MK9 engine can elaborate on a lot of this much better than I can so I'm just going to discuss matches from what I noticed with my untrained eye.

From the first screenshots to the first trailers that were making their way around the 'net a few months ago, I have to admit I REALLY hate that they decided to go with the New 52 comic book designs of costumes. I get that this is going to be a non-canon story with the writers already establishing that right of free reign to go nuts with the story by killing Lois Lane in the prequel comics. The villains look better designed than the heroes in terms of revamped costumes. I don't get what they were thinking on a lot of these redesigns and revamps of the heroes' classic costumes. I get that this stuff is supposed to be new and edgy to reflect modern themes but a lot of these look just as stupid as their live-action movie counter-parts. Yeah, I'm talking about you, Batman. His outfit looks like a leftover from Batman Forever...

Full Matches: 

Superman vs. Sinestro

I want to start off saying that I'm sad that Supes doesn't have anything that allows him to rewind time. I bet if he was in UMvC3 he would function like Dark Phoenix where if he stocks 5 bars and dies, he could reverse time back to the start of the match (laughing). Just imagine how broken that would be in tournaments...

Naturally, Supes comes off as a powerhouse in this game. He represents most of his staple skills well here (heat vision, frost breath, flight, super-strength), but in comparison Sinestro looks just as lame as Green Lantern (see below). It kills me that people in the recent animations and now in games make the Lanterns' constructs look so lame and not threatening at all when we have seen them cook up some brutal stuff in the comics as of late. Maybe it's just me, but Sinestro's super should have been more brutal too. I am intrigued at what could that assisting construct could do in his combos though.

On a side note, anyone without super powers, especially Bats, should die instantly from Superman's super. I'm just saying. (Laughing) Since this is the Fortress of Solitude, the battle intro should have had Supes lifting that key and unlocking the door to let people in prior to the fight starting. All jokes aside, it cool to see that Superman's home is well-represented in this game.

Green Arrow vs. Hawkgirl 

Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) looks like he has enough trick arrows to even teach Hawkeye a few new tricks. Plus, it looks like he's the only character who can combo after their super move has ended. He's looking really promising as a zoning character.

Hawkgirl, on the other hand, looks like she's not even finished yet. A lot of her actions look sloppily executed and seem like cut & paste animations from Superman, not to mention that her super move is literally the same thing as Supes' save with an Izuma Drop. I'm kinda disappointed that Jennifer Hale is doing her voice though. I love Jennifer Hale's voice work, but I would have been more satisfied with Maria Canals Barrera returning to do her voice from Justice League Unlimited. I guess Warner Bros. weren't too happy that she jumped at the chance to play She-Hulk in Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

Last but not least, let's talk about this Hall of Justice stage. One thing that really has blown me away on this game are the stage transitions and cameos from environmental damage. That's going to be the thing that impresses spectators watching from a far at first glance, but at the same time, I hope it's not going to become redundant over time. I was surprised at the boom tube conveniently placed in the environment to send your opponent directly to Apokolips' throne room for a healthy dose of Darkseid's Omega Effect before being zapped back to the Hall of Justice. Giganta and Atomsmasher fighting in the background was a nice touch too and how they get involved in the fight. I have to admit, I would have rathered Giganta be playable than just as a minor cameo as an environmental hazard.

Wonder Woman vs. Harley Quinn

If I were to choose two people to main in this game just by looking at the videos, I would have to go with Diana here. I was shocked to see that they captured Wonder Woman's sheer brutality in battle and she can switch from her lasso or sword & shield arms on the fly. Diana's fighting style reminds me a lot like Sophitia/Cassandra from the Soul Calibur series with a sprinkle of Rogue from Marvel vs. Capcom 2 in there. Then her super move... Dude, Diana and her Amazon bitches whoop your ass too? It can't get any better than that! I must say though, I'm still not feeling the pants suit for Diana. I really hope this game has a TON of alternate costumes as I rather the classic look. If I'm honest, I really don't like the New 52 looks for a lot of DC's heroes despite of one of my favorite comic book artists (Jim Lee) doing their designs nowadays.

Onto Harley Quinn, I feel like they should have had her like Tira from Soul Calibur IV, playing off her two personalities that she is struggling with in the comics recently - Harley Quinn and Dr. Harleen Quinzel. Good to see her gymnastic background in full effect here against a powerhouse like Diana, showing that she will be a very evasive character, much like Catwoman. I hope NetherRealms does some more work to make her a bit more diverse in terms of mobility than Selina. Harley needs some more silly weaponry and attacks to set her apart from The Joker. I'm honestly not feeling her New 52 costume either, but I'm just biased towards Harley Quinn's classic costume. Sadly, Tara Strong is reprising the voice role again for her from Batman: Arkham City as Arleen Sorkin is pretty much through doing voice work it seems.

Lastly, let's discuss the Arkham Asylum-inspired stage. That was a very wise of NetherRealms to just include majority of Bats' rogues gallery (Killer Croc, Penguin, and Two-Face) as cameos and environmental hazards instead of making them playable.

Cyborg vs. Aquaman

I'd love to slap whoever wanted Aquaman in this game. That being said, he doesn't look as lame as I thought he would function in this fighter. Here, Aquaman wields a trident and uses a shield of water to defend against attacks. I have to say that his super move is just as lame as he is - summoning the seas to his location just to bring in a shark to bite his opponent. Really? What's that shit going to do to Superman? What's this loser going to do when you have to fight on a stage that's in space?

Remember when I mentioned earlier about the two people I would want to main? Well, Cyborg is number two. BOOYAH! Khary Payton reprises his role as Cyborg from the Teen Titans animated series. Cyborg seems to have grapple wires like Spencer from Marvel vs. Capcom 3, but he has homing projectiles to boot. Was that an overhead too after the grapple swing? C'mon, how come that Proton Cannon... err Super Sonic Cannon didn't beat Aquaman? I think someone was trolling in this video...

About this stage... Man, I'm loving Wayne Manor, but I hope you guys know Alfred is going be mighty damn mad that ya'll are fucking up that house because he's the one who's going to have to clean up that shit.

Solomon Grundy vs. Green Lantern

Like I mentioned about Sinestro previously, the Lanterns in this game are really a letdown so far from what I have seen in this game. Sure, it was cool to see Hal bust out the gatling gun like he was John Stewart on the battlefield, but overall, from top to bottom Green Lantern's moveset looks really dull. What really turns me off to this game is the piss-poor hit detection and sloppy looking animations. I hope they really clean this stuff up before the retail release.

Now Solomon Grundy on the other hand, I was VERY impressed with. When I heard he was going to be added to this game with Bane (who was already established as a grappler type character), I was skeptical at first, but Solomon Grundy really stands out as a heavy-hitting grappler. I honestly felt like he should have won this match instead of GL as he was literally beating the shit out of him during the entire match. Nice touch by NetherRealms to have him recite the Solomon Grundy poem during battle too.

I'm guessing this stage is supposed to be Star Labs or LexCorp with all of the spare battle suits and Brainiac tech laying around. Compared to the other stages, this one is pretty boring.

The Flash vs. Shazam

Shazam (or more accurately, Captain Marvel) fights just like Mortal Kombat's Raiden, with a hint of Street Fighter's M. Bison (Dictator) for good measure. I wasn't impressed at all off his super move as I literally asked, "Is that it?" afterwards. I was expecting a huge He-Man/Thor-style bolt of thunder/lightning at the end.

The Flash seems like he's going to be fun to play. Did everyone catch during the stage transition where Flash used his ability to vibrate his molecules and allowed Shazam's projectile to pass through his body without harm? I don't know how I feel yet that Flash has to charge up his attacks much like in MvC3 with She-Hulk's Runner's Start. You would think that he would be a high mobility character with tons of rushdown and mix-up potential.

Is it just me, but this game has TOO many Batman-themed stages? Gotham City, Arkham Asylum, Wayne Manor, and the Batcave. This one was okay, but far from the worst and far from the best.

The Joker vs. Lex Luthor

From first glance, it seems like Lex Luthor is the only character who seems to have a wave-dash mechanic of sorts. His projectiles seem to function like Cyborg's though, as he has homing capabilities. I also saw him toss out a sentry drone of sorts, much like Sinestro's assisting construct. Joker capitalized on the offensive before we could see what it could do though. Lex's super was pretty bad ass though, I won't deny that, but at the same time, I have to wonder. Lex can afford and invent all of these high-tech gadgets and stuff, yet he can't cook up a helmet for his battle suit nor cure his baldness? Just saying...

The Joker's fighting style is essentially what I was expecting it to be - a psychopath armed with a knife. It was a nice touch for him to pull out that crowbar that he used to kill Robin with too. I was surprised that his acid spraying flower made it in as a special move as well. Sadly, we don't have Mark Hamill reprising his signature role as the Clown Prince of Crime, but whoever this new fellow is hasn't given me any reason not to like his take on Joker's voice thus far.

This Metropolis stage is pretty bland, except for that stage transition from the top to the bottom of the Daily Planet building that was reminiscent of the last episode of Justice League Unlimited, when Darkseid slammed Superman through all of the floors of that building.

Batman vs. Bane

I know the The Dark Knight Rises fanboys are going to chew me out, but I don't give two fucks when I say this - Bane is completely wasted spot in this game. Solomon Grundy already stands out as a stellar grappler in this game and I don't see anything else that Bane can offer as an original fighter that Grundy already does better. (Rolls eyes) Of course they just had to add in the backbreaker in as a super move. Why the fuck does his costume look like they just spliced the Batman & Robin and The Dark Knight Rises costumes together via the Dragonball Z fusion dance? Fighting wise, Bane's charging while "juiced up" stance reminds me of She-Hulk's Runner's Start move from MvC3. In that game, it had multiple follow-ups, so that's what I'm expecting here. The only difference seems to be that he has super armor during some of his attacks. If that's true, then that's only to be expected with a powerhouse like Bane.

Now Bats on the other hand looks like a ton of fun to play with all of the gadgets and stuff he can use to attack with. I laughed so hard hearing Kevin Conroy say, "Get down here!" during Bats' grapple pull. NetherRealms just had to give Bats that obvious Mortal Kombat Scorpion reference. His super move was a  bit disappointing but at least we can say the Batmobile makes an appearance in game.

As for this Watchtower (Justice League's orbital headquarters) stage, it's pretty cut and dry compared to the other stages. I have to admit that I'm finding some of these environmental hazards should be limited to which particular characters you are playing as. Like Batman shouldn't be able to kick a guy through 5 buildings, toss cars, or anything else like that. NetherRealms should limit that stuff to the folks who have super-strength and cook up some other way for the non-powerful folks to do devastating stuff that are still believable within their talents.

Alternate Costumes: 

UPDATED (3/21/13)

Superman vs. Green Arrow

I'm just going to say it. Green Arrow got owned. That match wasn't pretty to watch. Communist Superman, err Red Son Supes, is a beast. That's pretty cool he has a special intro and victory animation. It would have been cooler if he had an alternate super move too. I had to laugh that they actually put in the CW's Arrow costume in this game though.

Wonder Woman vs. Batman

I'm really digging that Diana has her classic look in as an alternate. I don't know what to think about Bats' commando gear there. This Amazon themed stage looks as brutal as Diana fights though. And yes, I was pissed when she lost to Bruce. What can I say, this Battle Arena gimmick is a popularity contest anyway.

Aquaman vs. Green Lantern

Why couldn't they cast Josh Keaton to do Hal Jordan's voice like in Green Lantern: The Animated Series? This guy sounds so lame in comparison. I don't see how Aquaman lost though. He was dominating that entire match until after the stage transition. Who was that in the background though? Aquaman's alternate here is a huge meh from me, even more so for Hal's. I'm crossing my fingers for a John Stewart or Kyle Rayner alternate costume but I'm not holding my breath on it though.

The Flash vs. The Joker

To be honest, I was surprised that The Flash actually won this one. I was expecting that they were trying to rig the finals for a cliched Batman vs. The Joker in the finals. Nothing really new here from Flash that we haven't seen already. Joker seems to have a few tweaks as he has more wacky gadgets and toys that we haven't seen in play previously. Did you guys spot Gorilla Grodd in the background after the stage transition?

Reveal Trailers:

Catwoman

I'm going to be honest here and say that Selina's costume looks as stupid as it did in that The Batman cartoon. Moveset-wise, she looks mildly impressive, but she needs some more involvement with her whip within combos. She could possibly use a pistol or her bolos as projectiles in this game or caltrops for traps to setup even bigger combo possibilities. Like I mentioned with Harley Quinn above, her mobility options seem pretty generic for the more acrobatic of characters from DC Universe. I hope they do something more with her before the game hits shelves.

UPDATE (3/14/13) -- In the Raven reveal trailer, it seems like her moveset has been tweaked a bit. We finally see her super move and more of her cat-like agility in play here. I like that she can get around and counter projectiles with her pounce attack as before it seemed like she didn't have any real mobility options around them other than jumping off cars in the background.

Deathstroke

By far, Deathstroke has the slickest looking super move out of the bunch. I see the masses flocking over towards Slade here much like the masses did when Dante was added to MvC3. One thing is obvious in these character reveal trailers is that NetherRealms has little to no knowledge on knowing how to properly showcase your characters' movesets. Why the fuck are they showing them doing environmental attacks like that's one of their unique attacks? I won't lie, I wouldn't mind giving this guy a test run to see how he fairs against the bulk of the roster.

Nightwing

Yet another Batman-related character. From a moveset stand-point, he's a perfect fit for this game, but much like some of the other heroes and villains already announced, I feel like Dick Grayson could have been DLC for a future date. I literally rolled my eyes at his super move though as roughly everyone on this game's roster save for the Batman-themed folks would laugh at his offense. Regardless, it's cool to see him included in this game, but just can't help but be bitter that another slot on this game's roster was wasted on yet another Batman-themed character.

Doomsday

UPDATE (3/13/13) The villain who killed Superman is finally revealed to being playable after being leaked in the Blackest Night and Red Sun Costume DLC images. From the visuals on his moveset, I have to say a huge "Meh..." as what he does Grundy and Bane already do - if not better in some cases. His super move is pretty sick though. I'll give him that much. Superman should have a special super against him where he melts his brain with heat vision...

Raven

UPDATE (3/14/13) One of my personal picks has been finally revealed by NetherRealms today. First of all, what in sweet hell is up with her voice? Maybe that's a sign that she's on the villains side, possibly possessed by her father, Trigon. Her super move is pretty cool, especially with the cameo from Trigon, but I wish NetherRealms would cook up something better than everyone warping their opponent to a canned location just to their supers. It was cook when one or two people did that but now that the bulk of the roster is confirmed and the majority are doing it makes them seem stale in comparison. Her special moves could be a lot better, with the only saving grace I'm seeing right now is the 'rage state' she has that allowed her to do that Dormammu style energy pillar. Is it just me but doesn't she come off as a freaky Ermac/Shang Tsung hybrid? I was really hoping that she would be like Eddie from Guilty Gear XX. Other than that she seems pretty bland right now and that's a huge problem to say she's supposed be a really powerful character in the comics.

Harley Quinn (Extended Trailer)

UPDATE (3/21/13) Ed Boon must be reading fan feedback over the net as we're getting more incites on Harley's character in this newest trailer, showing her transformation after the tragic death of the Joker at the end of Batman: Arkham City. I have to wonder, are these two games tied together by the same angle or is it a huge "what-if?" scenario for DC Universe across the board? Other than that, we're got getting that much gameplay shown here of her fighting style. The biggest thing to notice in this trailer is that Scarecrow makes an appearance in this game as an environmental hazard.

My Dream Roster Additions:

Since this title's initial reveal, my fellow comic book dorks have been dying to know who are some of my picks for this game. Since majority of the roster has been revealed already, I'll go ahead and post my remaining picks for the last few spots on the roster or to appear as DLC. 

One thing I must say is that I hope and pray that this game's roster isn't completely wasted to a vast majority of Batman-related characters. We already got Batman, Nightwing, Catwoman, The Joker, Bane, AND Harley Quinn. There is no reason to add anymore Bats-related characters, yet on other forums and message boards I've seen the fanboys chiming to add Huntress, Robin, Red Robin, Batgirl, and others to the roster. No, no, and hell no. If you want to play as Batman characters, go buy Batman: Arkham City and hit the challenge rooms with all of the DLC. There you got Bats, Robin, Nightwing, AND Catwoman. Go nuts. 

I like Batman and his multitude of allies and enemies from his universe but this game is a golden opportunity for DC and Warner Bros. to expose fans to more faces in the DC Universe than just Batman. 

• Mercy Graves

I bet many of you are going, why her? The Joker gets his right-hand girl on the roster and not Lex Luthor? That's why I'm saying why not? She can be either that cyborg version that appears in Young Justice, an Amazon like her comic book counterpart, or just a hand-to-hand brawler in vain of the likes of Makoto or Jam (Guilty Gear series). Another possibility is to make her like Striker from MK or Chris Redfield from MvC3 with an arsenal of firearms.

If anything I want to see a rematch between Harley Quinn and Mercy Graves again... That shit would be perfect for Story Mode.

• Static (Static Shock -- Virgil Hawkins)

Warner Bros. and DC Comics put all of that effort to garner him quite a degree of popularity in the early 2000s and now with him with a role within Young Justice, he's a shoe-in for this game's roster. Static is pretty much DC's version of Spider-Man - it's hard NOT to like this guy. Besides, fighting games don't tend to have enough Black/African-American characters for my taste. If that dude from Infamous who literally is a Caucasian rip-off of this character can be in Street Fighter X Tekken then I think Static deserves the right to be in this game.

I think the recently deceased Dwayne McDuffie would appreciate his creation being in this title.

• Zatanna

Who wouldn't want DC Universe's favorite magician on the Injustice roster? Zatanna and Dr. Fate (see below) would have be executed like Dormammu and Dr. Strange in UMvC3. Zatanna would preferably play like Dr. Strange, uttering spells backwards to perform her arcane spells and charms to subdue opponents. Zatanna hasn't been in the spotlight in DC's projects until her brief addition to the roster of Young Justice at the end of season 1, but she has been absent from the bulk of season 2. I think DC's resident spellcaster deserves a spot on this game's roster. 

• Dr. Fate

Like Zatanna mentioned above, Dr. Fate would have to function like Dormammu from UMvC3, using spell charges to stock spells of various types to create even more devastating results. He could also borrow a few tricks from Dr. Strange in that game as well, defending himself with a few anti-projectile measures and giving the use of a handy teleport. 

• Aqualad (Young Justice/New 52 version)

If any other Aquaman-themed characters appeared in this game, I would have to go with Aqualad. Unlike his lame counter-part, Kaldur can channel water and wield them as various types of aquatic-based weaponry, as well as expelling an electric charge like an electric eel. I would mark out if he had an alternate costume wearing Black Manta armor. 

• The Cheetah
  
  
  

As many times The Cheetah has crossed Diana's path in the comics, one would think that she would be a shoe-in for this game. I'm honestly surprised that she hasn't popped up on the roster reveals yet. If it was up to me I would have her fight like Sabrewulf  from Killer Instinct and a bit of Jon Talbain from DarkStalkers.

• Firestorm

If NetherRealms wanted to troll Capcom, they could use Firestorm to fire his fusion blasts like Hadokens as an obvious shot at Ryu, but the joke being that the blasts cause different effects upon impact upon the ground and against his opponents. Other than that, I would love to see how his powers (rearranging non-organic objects' atomic structure) would work in a fighting game environment. If it were up to me, I would have this guy play like Nova from UMvC3. 

• Blue Beetle (Jaime Reyes)

DC Comics has invested a ton of their storylines and media outlets to get this guy over as a likable character. For me, he is one of their FEW characters that are not carbon copies of something you can find in Marvel Universe, so that's even more a plus in my book. His morphing armor would make for some interesting and unique special moves in a fighting game. That fact alone would make him a brilliant addition to this fighter. 

• Power Girl/Supergirl

Take your pick here. The ever busty Power Girl or Supes' cousin, Kara? Either way, we need that resident blonde bombshell that every Mortal Kombat-style game needs. The way I see it if multiple characters from the Bat family can get into this game, then there should be more than enough room for Supes' family members and villains. Design-wise, I'd go with Power Girl for obvious reasons, and for the fact that you could make her stand out on her own than essentially being a Supes' clone in terms of gameplay. 

• Starfire

A huge fan favorite among fans of the New 52 line where she is portrayed as a sexpot and then her former fans who remember her from the Teen Titans animated series, she's another shoe-in for the roster. My only concern with her being on the roster is her fighting style coming off too similar to both Hawkgirl, Shazam, and Superman's. 

• Killer Frost/Mr. Freeze/Captain Cold

Given that this game is being made by the Mortal Kombat developers, you got to have someone like Sub-Zero in this game. It doesn't matter which one they pick but at least have someone who is known to be cooler than the rest in DC Universe. If I were to pick one, I'd go with Killer Frost or Mr. Freeze, but since there's a lack of Flash villains on the roster so far, it would be fair to go with Captain Cold.

• Vixen

The challenge of creating this character in this fighter would be finding a use for all of her animal spirits in combat. Maybe the cheetah spirit can grant her a temporary increase in speed for a brief period of time, while the elephant gives her a power buff and super armor, and the tortoise gives her an increase in defense from taking damage from attacks. 

• Red Tornado

Now this will be an interesting character if executed properly. Since Red Tornado controls the winds, it would be cool if he could control spacing on the battlefield much like Storm and Magneto's repel and attraction fields in UMvC3 or like Seth in Street Fighter IV.


That's all folks. Overall, this game hasn't done nothing to make me jump out and buy it Day One, but it does look like a solid rental though. Let's hope that NetherRealms has another keeper here instead of another flop like Mortal Kombat vs. DC was. (Shudders) Okay, let's NOT think about that game...