Injustice: Gods Among Us

[Xechs]

Where are you guys seeing this lol, i see nothing.

Like Starlight said, there are two unconfirmed characters there.

[YoYoCheese]

Who would you rather have, Martian Manhunter or Professor Zoom?

[iw2ma]

Like Starlight said, there are two unconfirmed characters there.

See i did see this. But that girl doesn't really look like she has a hood on to me. In fact it looks like Harley Quinns hair style in this game. Albeit not colorful and no eye mask. LETS GO RAVEN.

And the guy in the corner looks like it could be an old school Mirror Master, or KYD WYKKYD.

But more so than anything, i didn't see a Black Canary looking character at all.

[Starlight777]

Either way it's 2 unconfirmed characters so it's news.

A vote between MM and Professor Zoom? Zoom's abilities may differ from The Flash but that doesn't really stop people from making the idiotic clone complaint. Martian all the way.

[iw2ma]

It could also be Circe, we need a WW villain still.

I want MM ALL THE WAY. He's a cooler character than the entire Flash series combined. Zoom would still be too much of a clone, AND I WILL TRASH HIM.

[Starlight777]

I'm cool with Circe as an addition, since this roster is a bit lacking in the magic user department. Still hoping for Raven.

I find it funny how Wonder Woman is the only female character so far with the "NRS Butterface" syndrome lol.

[Aureliano]

I never got one thing about the newer netherrealm games

Are those stiff and soulless 3D animated models supposed to be an affectionate parody of the terrible animation their old games had

Or is this genuinely the best they've got

[YoYoCheese]

Doomsday's official now.

Also, new trailer.

Black Adam

is in it.

EDIT: Black Adam probably confirmed

EDIT 2: Ares very likely now.

EDIT 3: Doomsday trailer.

[Xechs]

Raven!

http://www.eventhubs.com/news/2013/mar/14/raven-revealed-injustice-gods-among-us-battles-catwoman-new-clip/

Thank you based NRS

[Starlight777]

With Raven being announced I am now completely interested in this game. Harley Quinn and Raven being in the same roster is just too good.

[SolxBaiken]

Not gonna lie, Raven's gameplay looks pretty fun...

But man, you know who I would've wanted in this game before Nightwing and Catwoman... Cassandra Cain v.v too bad she's dead to the world, damn you New 52! ; -;

[iw2ma]

Raven looked cool, like an Ermac but interesting.... and better. It's Evil Raven too, which is cool.

[Starlight777]

Raven's appearance definitely proves that it was her in the right corner of that achievement pic. I wonder who the other woman is.

On an unrelated note I can't take Doomsday seriously with that braid in his hair.

[YoYoCheese]

Black Adam (unofficially) confirmed!

Some costumes will have alternate voice sets to go with them.

[SolxBaiken]

Some costumes will have alternate voice sets to go with them.

LOL

I was literally thinking about this after Raven's reveal, like maybe we could get a Teen Titans (DCAU) themed set of missions like the Red Son and Blackest Night packs, with alt voices, but thought it would be silly, good to see that silly is just how NetherRealms likes to think = w=b

And I'm rather enjoying Arrow, so I welcome the switch up.

Can we get Owlman in here with this!?

[YoYoCheese]

Batman vs. Wonder Woman

The Flash vs. The Joker

Aquaman vs. Green Lantern

Superman vs. Green Arrow

[Starlight777]

Part of me is a little bit happy with Joker having lost this popularity contest, but the rest of me is incredibly disgusted with Flash's gameplay. (Horrible MK vs DC flashbacks)

Lol at the "Kneel before Zod" reference.

[iw2ma]

The Flash looks SO GOOD, like wtf that hurts good.

[Starlight777]

Like I said before. Horrible, horrible MK vs DC flashbacks.

I hope someone else ends up god tier. I really, REALLY do.

[SolxBaiken]

I'm kinda disappointed in the voice swap for "The Hood", I was expecting them to make unique lines v.v

if he doesn't say "You have failed this city!" for his super, then what's the point!? ; -;

[iw2ma]

i'm saddened by the voice over as well, but not because he's saying the same lines. Because he sounds AWFUL

[Powerstar7]

I'm honestly expecting Batman to be better, or atleast as good, as the flash based on what I've seen from him.

[YoYoCheese]

Black Adam

Black Adam is, in a word, strange. He’s not exactly a rushdown character and yet not exactly a zoner either. He has traps that he can place on the ground, but they are very small and don’t do much for area denial. Instead, I found that it’s best to use these abilities after a combo that ends in a knockdown to set up oki mix-ups.

Adam has a number of electricity based moves as well, which cause a shock hit-state. Shock is one of the many types of special hit-states in Injustice that can increase your opponent’s hit-stun beyond normal amounts. Adam’s bolts are slow, though, and at first glance only seem to be effective as combo extenders. But that’s not saying they don’t have potential, as there’s likely a bit of tech hidden here that will come out with extended experimentation.

One thing I noticed was that Adam’s aerial normals came out at weird angles. He has a downward kick with both legs that hits almost completely vertically, which I found to be hard to connect with on jump-ins. It does have a hit-box on the back that made for some interesting cross-ups, but the arc was so weird that I simply had more luck approaching from the ground.

Adam’s trait button (described at the demo as the “superhero power” button) summons three orbs of electricity that rotate around him, similar to Vergil’s spiral swords in UMvC3 but with a couple key differences. First of all, while they do damage to the opponent on contact, they do not put the opponent into hit-stun. More importantly, they nullify opponent’s attacks and projectiles, making it an amazing tool for getting in on other zoners, especially when used with his aforementioned traps.

I feel as if Black Adam is a character who will take a longer amount of time to accurately nail down. He isn’t a simple character to use, that’s for sure. I was impressed with the unique toolset that he had, but I just couldn’t get it to work with the time I had with him. I’m looking forward to trying him out further when the game releases, if only because his gameplay archetype is so non-standard.

Raven

Raven is easily one of my favorite characters in the Injustice roster so far. A heavily rushdown-oriented character with a grappler edge, Raven uses her magic to catch the opponent off guard in numerous ways. She has ranged ground and anti-air command grabs that are easily some of the best tools in her arsenal. Adding them onto the end of any string will be effective in catching an opponent trying to punish you or jump away. You can also slightly delay them in the middle of your normal block strings to create sick grab-based frame traps. Not only that, but some of her grabs cause special hit-states like ground bounces that let you continue your combos. If I’m allowed to gush for a moment, she’s absolutely sick!

She also has tons of juggle potential. Her launchers are super fast and cover a lot of ground, allowing you to set the opponent up for any number of easy connecting strings. She has an air-to-air kick that pops the opponent up high enough to land another ground string, and her command grabs can lead to even more combo opportunities thanks to their ability to hit a couple of character distances away and manipulate the opponent, pulling them or pushing them away depending on your needs.

Raven’s superhero power allows her to go into demon mode, which is essentially a free install that costs no meter. In this state, she moves faster, hits stronger, and her special moves change. Her projectile turns into an incredibly useful ground spire that can be summoned at a variety of distances and can combo into itself. She can also grab an opponent from almost a full screen away, allowing any random spire hit to transition into a full bread and butter. She also gains a full set of teleports, which would make even Dante and Vergil jealous. Her teleports are incredibly quick, fast enough to be used even in mid-combo, and they set Raven up for nearly free mix-up opportunities.

It’s also worth mentioning that her super (which drags her opponent into an alternate dimension and has Trigon eyebeam them to death) is outstanding DC Comics fanservice. Raven plays incredibly dirty and on first glance seems as if she will be one of the stronger characters in the game early on. The only thing that could have possibly made me like Raven more would be if she had an alternate costume and voice-pack based around the Cartoon Network Teen Titans series, though that may still be in the cards seeing as similar things have been done with other cast members.

System Mechanics and Impressions

The game has changed quite a bit since we last saw it at E3 2012. For one thing, the game moves at a much faster pace. Dashes happen almost instantly and even slow characters are incredibly mobile. Grundy, for example, can move nearly half of the screen in one dash! Attacks also come out much quicker than they did in previous builds. Strings not only execute faster, but are harder to punish than they were early on in the game’s development cycle. Back then, I called this “Mortal Kombat’s version of Marvel vs. Capcom” and that description applies even more so now.

A few core changes have also been made to established system mechanics that we have seen before. Clashing, which was called the “wager system” back at E3, is now only available once per round. The clash wager interface has been prettied up and the clash animation itself now plays out quicker so as to not interrupt the flow of a match.

Other than that, the wager mechanics remain similar to their previous incarnation. When you activate a clash, you and your opponent each wager an amount of meter in secret using the face buttons. Whoever wagers more meter knocks the enemy away, dealing a decent chunk of damage in the process. No damage is done on a tie. Clashing can still be activated while in hit-stun and the combo still breaks in the process, even if you are on the losing end of the clash.

As for other meter mechanics, EX moves have made a comeback, and they are executed Soul Calibur V style with an extra press of the “power” button while a move activates. Honestly, I found the timing to be very finicky. It seems to differ for every move and in the middle of combos I would find EX moves dropping more often than not.

A new alpha counter type mechanic has been integrated into the system as well. By spending a stock of meter while in block stun, you can execute an invisible animation which, if it connects, will knock the opponent across the screen, though it won’t do any damage. The animation itself has a huge range, making it operate more like a burst than a traditional alpha counter, especially since it cannot be used to start combos.

Supers have also been changed since the E3 build. At this point, most supers in the game are unblockable, so throwing out random supers in the middle of pressure is extremely powerful. They are very punishable if avoided, however, and some have a long start-up time, making them better suited for combos.

One peculiar design aspect that has been carried over from MK9 is the fact that all meter expenditure is done with triggers and shoulder buttons that otherwise have no function in the game. I asked whether there would be shortcuts implemented using the basic attack buttons for people who use a stick, but I couldn’t get a concrete answer. However, I did find that pressing forward plus weak and medium seemed to trigger the alpha counter ability, so there appear to be shortcuts lurking in the system somewhere.

I was also shown a variety of different stage hazards this time around as well. Back in the E3 build there were only two different types of “classes” when it came to stage hazards: gadget and power characters. Gadget characters used stage hazards in tricky ways while power characters relied on brute force. It was the difference between springing off a car and picking it up and chucking it at your enemy. This idea of class-based stage interactions has expanded as the team has built in several new classes that interact with the stage in many different ways. I also found that all stage interactions in the demo fell into four basic categories. They either:

-Hit the opponent away from you, giving you space to breathe

-Trigger a special prolonged hit-stun state that allows you to extend your combos

-Give you some sort of special mobility option, usually a wall jump or teleport

-Allow you to throw projectiles and traps in order to set up a zoning game you wouldn’t normally have.

However, the neatest thing I saw in the demo was, believe it or not, the game’s stage-select screen. I asked how stage selection would be handled in tournaments since stage hazards will vary so much, and the answer was simple. Both characters get to choose the stage at the same time! If they both agree to a stage then that is the one that will be played on, but if they disagree, the game will choose between the two stages selected at random. Simple, ingenious, and guaranteed to make tournaments run smoothly.

Getting a chance to try out an almost complete build of Injustice: Gods Among Us was fun, but of course an hour isn’t nearly enough to dive into all the intricacies this game has to offer. The game is entertaining, fast, and innovative, but the real gold comes from a very technical gameplay system that still requires time to pick apart. We will get another chance to spend time with the game at PAX East this weekend. The team also assured me that they would be able to answer my many remaining questions there, regarding such things as the game’s “traditional” control scheme option, combo properties, meter-building mechanics, stage transition damage, and more. Look forward to a more detailed update in the near future!

http://shoryuken.com/2013/03/19/injustice-gods-among-us-behind-closed-doors-preview-part-1-black-adam-raven-and-system-mechanics/

Story Mode & STARS Lab Missions

Story mode kicks off with one hell of a cutscene, something that will leave your jaw wide open. You may have been spoiled elsewhere, but I’m not going to do that here. After the cinematic, you get to play as Batman to start things off. With your first opponent being Lex Luthor, you initiate a small mini-game before the actual match. However, this is not a pew-pew, Galaga type mini-game. This determines how your match is going to start. Let me explain. Lex is your opponent, but before the match starts, you get these simple commands (press B or Y, etc…) that flash pretty quickly at the bottom-right corner of the screen. If done correctly, you throw a batarang to keep Lex from approaching you. I failed this exercise because of how excited I was, but the point is, if you win the game, Lex starts the real match with a chunk of his life missing. If you lose, Lex will keep his life heading into the match. The matches from here on out vary, and you get a chance to play as most of the characters throughout story mode.

If you’re familiar with the trial/challenge/mission modes in most fighting games, then you will absolutely love S.T.A.R. Labs. There are tons of missions to do in this mode, and sometimes even missions within missions. The copy I got to play had over 200 and it still wasn’t the complete build of the game. Every character has a few objectives to complete. As far as the mission within the mission idea, they’ll ask you to do something simple like defeat Black Adam. However, within the same challenge, they’ll ask you to do something like throw Black Adam 10 times, land 8 special moves and perform 2 supers, all before defeating him. All of this, as well as story mode, help you gain XP and level up, which we will discuss later. Remember the Lex Luthor mini-game I mentioned earlier? Well, S.T.A.R. Labs has some surprises of its own. One of the missions I did had a simple task: defeat Harley Quinn. What made this match random was that Two-Face is part of the mission, standing in the background tossing his coin and yelling out heads or tails, correspond to the first and second players respectively. As the sides are called out, he takes pot shots at the fighter whose side is called out. Here I am pulling off one of my sexy combos on Harley and it stops, only to see that Two-Face isn’t there to look cute in the background. I found this to be an extremely cool addition to the mission, and it’s things like these that help set S.T.A.R. Labs apart and keep it interesting.

After spending any amount of time in either the story or S.T.A.R. Labs modes, you’ll have a bit of racked up XP. This currency can be used to unlock things like icons, achievements, skins, and badges. It also helps you level up within the game, which unlocks further tiers with bigger and better rewards, similar to the Krypt in Mortal Kombat.

My time with the game made me very impressed with the way its turning out. While the combat mechanics are on point, the game also offers a story mode unlike anything seen in fighting games before, as well as a few fun diversions in the S.T.A.R. Labs when you want to check out what else the game has to offer.

http://shoryuken.com/2013/03/19/injustice-gods-among-us-behind-closed-doors-preview-part-2-story-mode-s-t-a-r-labs-missions-and-the-xp-system/

EDIT: Black Adam's officially been revealed.

EDIT 2: Ed Boon just posted this teaser pic on Twitter with the following message: "What the hell has happened to the DC Heroes?? Who did this? What an INJUSTICE?"

Also, it's been confirmed that Tara Strong is voicing Raven in this game. It's just hard to tell because of the filter.

EDIT 3: Season Pass announcement confirms that there will be at least 4 DLC characters. It will go on sale on the day the game comes out on PSN and XBL for $14.99 or 1,200 MSP respectively.

EDIT 4:

EDIT 5: Martian Manhunter, Hugo Strange, and Kilowog are confirmed to be making background cameos.

[Powerstar7]

Does anyone know if the injustice fightstick will be good?

[Starlight777]

So according to this pic the mystery woman might actually be Killer Frost. That snowflake is supposedly her emblem.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BF-1r-dCIAAMowZ.png:large