Warner Bros. Interactive announced Injustice 2 Wednesday with a geared up trailer ahead of E3 and following a leak. NetherRealms Studios is back with a second entry in the DC Comics super hero fighting game coming to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One later this year. Will a new gear system enhance the brawler?
Rumors of Injustice 2 have floated around, but were first confirmed Tuesday with a promotional poster leak via Polygon that originated from retailer GameStop. This resulted in Creative Director Ed Boon responding on Twitter by humorously crossing GameStop off his party invitation list.
¯_(?)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/paHldDIoZr
— Ed Boon (@noobde) June 7, 2016
The accompanying trailer for Injustice 2 is all CGI and does not feature any gameplay. However, it does signal significant changes to the fighting game. Players will be able to earn gear through loot drops as they progress through the game and complete matches. This gear allows characters to be customized with unique looks. The press release also states the gear is “powerful,” suggesting the loot drops will provide some sort of ability boost or possibly deadlier moves.
At first glance, it appears Injustice 2 is joining the growing roster of games that supports DLC through the use of in-game drops and optional micro-transactions. Halo 5 , Uncharted 4 , and more support this model along with future titles such as Gears of War 4 .
The trailer also signaled the addition of new characters to the lineup of DC Comics characters in Injustice 2 . Supergirl joins the existing heroes, which includes Batman, Superman, Flash, and Aquaman. Meanwhile, new villains are confirmed as the Red Lantern Atrocitus, plus Gorilla Grodd. Additionally, arena locations mentioned so far include Metropolis, Gotham City, and Atlantis.
Injustice 2 continues the epic cinematic story introduced in Injustice: Gods Among Us as Batman and his allies work towards putting the pieces of society back together while struggling against those who want to restore Superman’s regime. In the midst of the chaos, a new threat appears that will put Earth’s existence at risk.
Not mentioned in the announcement is a PC version of Injustice 2 . Injustice: Gods Among Us originally released only for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on April 16, 2013. The Ultimate Edition of the game was later released on November 12, 2013, and added a PC release along with the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita. It’s completely possible a similar situation will develop with the sequel.
“In Injustice 2 , we are introducing new features that will change the way fans play fighting games,” said Ed Boon, Creative Director, NetherRealm Studios. “We’re always interested in pushing the genre forward and allowing players to customize and level-up their favorite DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains is a significant leap.”
“Expanding the DC Universe in games continues to be one of our top priorities, and Injustice 2 showcases amazing gameplay and an original story to bring the characters to life for players,” said David Haddad, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “NetherRealm Studios is offering fans an experience of customizing and battling with DC’s iconic characters in an entirely new way.”
Those that have the Injustice: Gods Among Us mobile game for iOS and Android devices can now unlock Injustice 2 versions of Superman and Aquaman through the in-game Challenge modes.
Injustice: Gods Among Us was a return to form for NetherRealm Studios. The game received Metacritic scores in the low 80s. It will be interesting to see if the developer’s changes and additions will improve on the formula or turn off fighting game fans.
What do you think of the Injustice 2 announcement? Will the addition of loot crates and possible microtransactions help or hinder the game? Sound off in the comments below.
[Image via Warner Bros. Interactive]