Injustice Gods Among Us

While many superhero games such as the Batman: Arkham titles or Activision's Spider-Man outings focus on free-roaming adventure, there's another fairly natural direction that games about men in capes can go in - the beat-'em-up. NetherRealm Studios has picked up this notion and run with it in Injustice: Gods Among Us. As the studio behind Mortal Kombat the developer is pretty well-placed to do it, too. While the team might not have followed in the footsteps of the Arkham games too closely, however, they have learned something from the Dark Knight's gaming adventures - games allow you to take the characters in places the comics and movies can't go. In Injustice, the Joker has done the unthinkable and dropped a nuclear bomb on Metropolis. In his grief, Superman crosses a line no-one ever thought he'd cross and pretty much the entire DC Universe is pulled into the events that follow. Characters in this mile include the likes of Batman, Harley Quinn, Solomon Grundy, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, Bane, Green Lantern and lots more. The single-player campaign unfolds over a whopping 50 fights in which players must constantly swap between characters. For fans of more old-school arcade-style beat-'me-ups, Battles Mode has plenty to offer. There's a classic mode where you work through 10 enemies, but with loads of conditions you can add. For example, you could face off against everyone on the roster, or perhaps limit yourself to one life bar for the whole lot. It's effectively dozens of modes within a mode. That's before you even get started on the S.T.A.R. Labs mode, modelled after Mortal Kombat's Challenge Tower, or the hefty multiplayer on offer. NetherRealm hasn't just slapped a DC skin on Mortal Kombat, however. Gameplay has been tinkered with to make the most of its super-powered lineage, with touches like the removal of the traditional rounds system or interactive environments that make the most of characters' powers. With this Ultimate Edition not only do you get the critically acclaimed core Injustice game, you also get all the additional content previously only released as DLC. That includes Lobo, Batgirl, General Zod, Martian Manhunter, Zatanna, and Mortal Kombat's Scorpion as playable characters, as well as 40 additional character skins and 60 new S.T.A.R. Labs missions. Whether you're a comics fan or a beat-'em-up fan, Injustice: Gods Among Us has lots for you to wrap your thumbs around.