Injustice: Gods Among Us is a fighting game in which players control characters with different fighting styles and special attacks, engaging in one-on-one combat to deplete their opponent's life gauge. The game is in 2.5D: movement is restricted to a two-dimensional plane, while the characters and backgrounds are rendered in three-dimensions. Unlike the traditional fighting game design involving multiple rounds with regenerative life bars, Injustice uses a scheme similar to the Killer Instinct series. Each match consists of a single round with each player bearing two life bars. The game utilizes a four-button control layout of light, medium, and heavy attacks, alongside a "character trait" button, which activates a unique ability or attack designed to showcase each character. For instance, Superman's character trait provides a temporary boost in strength, while Batman's character trait summons a swarm of robotic bats.
The stages, based on various locations from the DC Universe, such as the Batcave, Metropolis, and the Fortress of Solitude, feature interactive environments and multiple areas. If an opponent is hit with a heavy attack near a corner of the arena, it launches them, triggering a transition animation and taking the fight to a new section of the stage. Each section also contains objects that characters can interact with differently depending on their class. Characters fall into two classes: "power characters", who rely on brute strength and innate abilities, and "gadget characters", who use weapons, items, and other external mechanisms to win. For example, a gadget character like Batman can attach a bomb to a car to cause an explosion, while a power character like Superman will pick up the same car and smash his opponents with it. Players have the option to turn off interactive elements and stage transitions.
As characters perform special moves, block oncoming attacks, or get hit by the opponent, their "super meters" will gradually fill. Portions of the super meter can be used to execute enhanced special moves or counter enemy moves. With a full meter, players can unleash their strongest special attack. Players may also expend their meter to interrupt a combo and enter a wager battle, dubbed the "clash system", which combines individualized cutscene cinematics with the process of betting meter. A clash may be triggered by a player only after they have lost their first life bar. During the sequence, both players commit portions of their meter in secret, with the highest bidder winning the clash.
The story mode is split into several chapters. As the narrative plays out, the player swaps between different characters. Minigames are also incorporated into the story. The outcome of minigames can impact an upcoming battle, such as giving the player a health advantage over the CPU opponent. Additional game features include Battle Mode, Versus Mode, Training Mode, and S.T.A.R. Labs, which includes 240 character-specific challenges of varying difficulty. Online multiplayer modes include King of the Hill, a setup that allows up to eight players to spectate a match while waiting for their turn to fight, and Survivor, which carries over the current winner's health bar and character selection over each match. Playing through any of the game modes, including online matches with optional goal objectives, will net the player experience points that may be used to unlock alternate costumes, music, concept art, and other rewards.
Synopsis
The campaign of Injustice: Gods Among Us was written by NetherRealm Studios in collaboration with DC Comics' writers. Described by NetherRealm as "Story Mode 3.0", the Injustice campaign was approached similarly to Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and the 2011 Mortal Kombat reboot through the use of a cinematic narrative versus the traditional ladder-based single-player experience. According to lead designer John Edwards, the plot is meant to rationalize the game's fighting mechanics between characters that would not normally fight one another and explain how Batman can "stand toe-to-toe" with Superman. Writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti served as story consultants to ensure that the comic characters kept their proper voices in Injustice.
Plot
In an alternate universe, Joker tricks Superman into killing his pregnant wife Lois Lane, which detonates a nuclear weapon that destroys Metropolis and kills millions. Driven over the edge by this, Superman kills the Joker in retaliation. Now corrupted, Superman takes drastic measures to "save" the world, forcing people to follow his will and killing those who resist. He becomes a ruthless dictator who would kill criminals as he deemed fit and establishes a totalitarian world government named the One Earth Regime that eliminates crime and erases civil liberties. Superman leads the regime as its High Councillor alongside several Justice League members and villains who serve as his lieutenants. Now viewing Superman as Earth’s greatest threat, Batman establishes an Insurgency of heroes against his tyrannical regime. A war breaks out between the two factions, ultimately leaving the Justice League disbanded.
Five years into Superman's regime, the Insurgency discovers a parallel universe where Joker's plan failed, and they teleport that world's Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and Green Lantern into their universe. Batman and Joker are accidentally transported as well, but are separated after an encounter with the Regime's military forces. While searching for somewhere to recharge his power ring, Green Lantern encounters Sinestro and his own Yellow Lantern counterpart. The alternate Aquaman fights his counterpart as well upon discovering that his counterpart has agreed to provide Atlantis' army to Superman.
The alternate-universe heroes eventually meet the Insurgency Batman in Gotham City. Batman and Lex Luthor, an Insurgent mole inside the Regime, explain that a nanotech pill derived from Kryptonian DNA can make regular humans thousands of times stronger and more resilient, as well as their plan to use a kryptonite-based weapon stored in the Batcave against Superman. DNA samples from the Justice League are needed to unlock it, but, in their universe, most core Leaguers were either recruited or killed by the Regime. Meanwhile, the alternate Batman pursues Joker through Gotham, but Yellow Lantern and Hawkgirl mistake him for their own Batman and arrest him. The Joker then reunites with the Harley Quinn of this world, who founded an underground organization called "Joker Clan" in his memory, but is otherwise allied with Batman's Insurgency. After helping the Joker Clan fight off a Regime attack at Arkham Asylum, the Insurgents sneak into Wayne Manor, where they fight off Regime enforcers. The heroes are able to enter the Batcave and retrieve the kryptonite weapon, but they are attacked by Black Adam. The Insurgents repel Black Adam, but not before he damages the weapon.
In the alternate universe, the remaining heroes, including Superman, Cyborg, and The Flash, attempt to recover their comrades. Their teleporter sends Cyborg into the Insurgency's universe, where he joins their efforts and works with Deathstroke to commandeer the Regime Watchtower's teleporter. At the same time, Batman and Green Arrow stage a break-in on Stryker's Island to rescue the prime Batman. The alternate Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman (commandeering an army of sea creatures) launch an attack on Stryker's Island to distract the Regime. Superman attempts to destroy the Watchtower, but fails when Deathstroke overcharges its core, setting off a massive explosion. Luthor tries to use the kryptonite weapon to kill Superman, but Shazam stops him, allowing Superman to execute him. Now aware of humanity's determination to depose him, Superman decides to destroy Gotham and Metropolis to demonstrate the chaos that would arise in his absence and invade the alternate heroes' universe as punishment for interfering. When Shazam protests, Superman murders him, causing Flash to defect and fight his way to the Insurgency and inform them of the Regime's plan.
