By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)
Warner Bros Interactive and DC Entertainment released a mobile edition of Injustice 2 (for Android and iOS) well ahead of the console edition due out May 16th, and I did not get any other work done over the weekend because of it.
The gameplay is familiar, and the story mode kept me engaged for hours, while watching Paul Dini and Bruce Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series in the background. While the Mortal Kombat / Street Fighter-like mechanics will always be awkward when played on tablet-like surfaces — tapping and swiping for to activate certain moves — but this game does something to improve the momentum of the character’s moves. I find the controls a lot more intuitive to figure out, especially when I’m the type who does not pay attention to the tutorials much.
To see this game rendered for this portable market had me recharging the battery every few hours. As with any graphics-rich game, the bigger the screen the better; I recommend a phablet as a minimum. As with most free-for-play games, a bit of spending is required to power up the characters (especially in campaign mode) to make knocking down the basic enemies down easy.
In the story mode, which follows after the events of the first game, Batman is the hero working to restore order after the defeat of Superman. In campaign mode, the free-for-alls has Batman and Harley quickly teaming up to kick some major butt. I suspect this choice is done to prepare fans for the upcoming Batman and Harley animated movie. Although different character designs are used in both, I can’t wait! In this option, players can engage in 3-on-3 fighting action with an almost impressive roster of characters made me wanting to see how soon I can unlock Hawkgirl (my favourite character) to play. She’s not immediately available to use, and I suspect I have to keep playing until I reach the higher levels to see what’s hidden in the locked parts of the game.
4 Stars out of 5
From the Press Release:
“With Injustice 2, the team has worked extremely hard to build upon an already successful mobile game to bring a fresh fighting game experience to mobile devices,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios. “We are excited to have fans experience a few of our favourite new features including upgraded special moves, improved combat and Story Mode, which will be released chapter by chapter.”
Injustice 2 for mobile expands on the hit game Injustice: Gods Among Us with new and improved combat, an engaging story mode, exciting features for gamers of all types and customization options like never before. Designed specifically for mobile devices, Injustice 2 for mobile now offers players the ability to move heroes and villains across the “fight line,” perform jumping and crouching attacks and implement advanced zoning techniques with projectiles, all via touch screen controls. New features offer new and exciting ways to play, including an “Operations” mode allowing players to send characters away on missions and a new “Arena” mode for competitive PvP action.
Similar to Injustice 2 for consoles, Injustice 2 for mobile will feature a unique Gear System where players are encouraged to collect, upgrade and customize gear for their favourite characters. In addition, cross-platform functionality with the console game will allow players to complete daily objectives for special in-game rewards across both platforms.
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