Injustice: Gods Among Us

'Injustice: Gods Among Us (2013)' tells a tale of alternate universes, evil Supermen and fist-fights in the street. It's a fighting game focused on DC characters from the developers of the 'Mortal Kombat' series, with battles that play out in a very similar fashion to the newer 'MK' titles. Of course, they aren't quite as violent. They are, however, hectic and high-powered. Not only can you perform regular special moves (mapped to a combination of directional inputs and face button presses), you can also perform devastating super attacks which cinematically remove a huge chunk of your opponent's health. You can also use the environment to batter your foes and even knock them off the edge of the map, sending them rocketing into each stage's second area. One of the more superfluous problems with the game is the inherent disconnect between street-level characters such as Green Arrow or, even, Batman and God-like characters such as Superman; the battles should be over in seconds, and the super moves vary from 'that looks like it hurts' to 'that would literally kill you'. Still, this is an inevitable consequence of allowing any member of such a diverse roster to fight another and, really, you wouldn't want it any other way. The roster is pretty great, with heroes and villains from across the entire DC line-up. These feature heavily in the game's rather good - if somewhat complex - story, which mixes cut-scenes with traditional fights in an effective way. Alongside this, there are various arcade ladders for each character, a challenge mode and, of course, the one-on-one fights - either online or in-person - that act as the bread and butter of any fighting game. Overall, this is a distinct and entertaining experience. It's easy to jump into - and abuse special moves - but it's difficult to master, with combo chains requiring precise timing. It's a really fun time, especially with a friend. Any fan of DC should give this a go. 8/10