Injustice: Gods Among Us

[dc20willsave]

Warner Bros. announces Injustice: Gods Among Us, a new DC fighting game from NetherRealm [update!]

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and NetherRealm Studios have just unveiled Injustice: Gods Among Us, which is a superhero fighting game set in the DC Universe. Based on the debut trailer above, it appears as though something has turned the Earth's greatest heroes into the Earth's deadliest villains, who are now pitted against each other in mortal combat.

Spotted characters include Batman, Superman, the Flash, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn (!!), Lex Luthor and Solomon Grundy, all of whom seem capable of delivering incredible amounts of damage to one another. Injustice: Gods Among Us will launch for on the PS3, 360 and Wii U sometime in 2013.

Update: Injustice's character roster is split into two categories: "Power" characters like Superman and Wonder Woman, and "Gadget" characters like the Batman and (presumably) Harley Quinn. Depending on a character's class, they'll be able to interact with the environment in different ways. Batman may be able to slam Wonder Woman's head into a parked car, for instance, while Wonder Woman is able to slam a parked car into Batman's head.

Environmental hazards are set to play a major role in the game, adding a bonus level of strategy to each character match-up, according to this video interview with NetherRealm's Ed Boon: "You're really going to want to care where you are, in which background, with which character."

Additionally, the debut trailer clearly shows the Flash narrowly avoiding a massive icicle, which may be a strong indicator of the presence of either Captain Cold or Mr. Freeze. Injustice will have "at least as many" fighters as Mortal Kombat, according to Gamespot.

Source.

And Trailer:

[Molly]

Well, this is potentially very fun. But, then again, I'm not expecting much from this developer.

[MaxPower]

Could be interesting, I liked the interaction with the environment and external world.

[KnightWing]

It looks cool, but then the last Mortal Kombat DCU game wasn't so hot, so I ain't holding out much hope for this one.

[James D.]

That game failed because it was a game geared towards the MK fan demographic. And MK fans, myself included, don't want any part of an MK game rated "T". Purely as a fighting game, it really wasn't bad. But they attempted to mesh two universes together that would never work because DC wouldn't allow their major intellectual properties to be brutally killed.

[KnightWing]

Purely as a fighting game, though, I found it not that fun. Just kind of stiff. I'd rather play Soul Calibur, Street Fighter, DOA, or any of the Naruto fighters. So hopefully this game is a little more energetic and fun.

[bobobob_100]

The models in that look like those out of the DCUO opening cutscene not including Harley's model which is out of Arkham City.

[dc20willsave]

Actually, all the models are New 52. Wonder Woman is the exception and she has pants but they probably completed her model before they switched back to the shorts.

[KnightWing]

They're like half New 52 and half something else. A little Justice Lordsy, a little like the DCUO trailer.

[Shining knight]

As I watch this...I can't help but thinking I wish ron perlman was voicing him

[James D.]

Yeah. Perlman is and will always be the only Deathstroke for me.

[Molly]

I think this guy could work, he's got a decent vocal quality for Slade. Wilson should sound a little older and rougher, because he is. The problem is they're muffling him behind that mask.

[Missy]

Am I the only person who sees this and thinks that it looks like every other fighting game that isn't Street Fighter?

[Molly]

It's running on that same Mortal Kombat engine, so no, you're not. It's a bit grim and extreme! for my taste, but just like every game that lets me pretend to be Batman and punch people I'll likely give it a try.

[KnightWing]

I like that they're going balls-out with the extremeness of it all, giving every character extra body armor and whatnot. Like it's an alternate-Earth DCU or something. It's certainly better than MK vs DCU, where it just seemed silly.

Regarding the voice, I actually think Perlman doesn't quite fit the comics' Deathstroke that they're using here. "Slade" in Teen Titans was more of a Lex Luthor-type mastermind who also had kung fu skills; the comics' version would be less calculated/smooth and more gruff/tough/gritty.

[James D.]

I haven't read much Deathstroke in the comics themselves, but what I have seen was definitely of a calculating assassin. He systematically takes down an entire squad of JLA'ers not by killing them, but by destroying their weapons (slicing all of fletchings off of Green Arrow's quiver of arrows), hitting pressure points that control/are necessary for their powers (Zatanna's throat), and so on. Was that Identity Crisis I'm thinking of? Someone help me out here.

[SuaveStar]

I haven't read much Deathstroke in the comics themselves, but what I have seen was definitely of a calculating assassin. He systematically takes down an entire squad of JLA'ers not by killing them, but by destroying their weapons (slicing all of fletchings off of Green Arrow's quiver of arrows), hitting pressure points that control/are necessary for their powers (Zatanna's throat), and so on. Was that Identity Crisis I'm thinking of? Someone help me out here.

Yeah, that sounds like Identity Crisis.

[Molly]

I believe so, James

Slade is one of the best strategists in the DCU, only slightly behind Batman. He planned Tara Markov's infiltration of The Teen Titans, which, given Tara's royal status, took international cooperation. He's beaten the Titans and the JLA. Hell, he even handed Dick Grayson his ass, while possessing an eight year old boy.

Deathstroke is basically a sociopathic Batman.

[KnightWing]

Comics-Slade is still more physical and brutal than Titans-Slade, though. You'd want more of a rough edge.

[Molly]

Comics Batman is more physical and brutal than DCAU Batman, too. I think it's just lost in transition.

[KnightWing]

I think Conroy's Batman is pretty versatile, though. His early BTAS stuff could be really, really gruff at times. Maybe if Perlman played it edgier, it would still work.

[James D.]

Okay, so Damien and I played it for several hours and honestly, it's pretty good. The super moves by and large are spectacular and the transition moves are, as well. Best transition? Captain Marvel (or Shazam) knocked Catwoman into a boom tube right into Darkseid's throne room where he kicked the shit out of her and omega beamed her back to Earth.

[Guest]

WAY too fucking many Batman characters though.

[James D.]

Nightwing is a combo machine.

[JackFetch]

I saw this commercial last night on tv. It totally caught me off guard.