Injustice: Gods Among Us Review

Finally, the time has come again for fans to get the opportunity to play a game as their favorite DC Universe characters. DC has been rather stingy with putting any non-batty characters in video games, so it’s a blast of fresh air to have Injustice: Gods Among Us on iOS. That age old question of, “Who would win in a fight - Superman or Batman?” can now be answered! Well, we all know Batman would win, but now players can participate in fights between some of the most badass superheroes/villains ever created, thanks to this game by NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros.

Players start with three characters and unlock the rest as they move through the game. There are lots of heroes and villains to choose from like Nightwing, Lex Luthor, Sinestro, Harley Quinn, and each comes with an alternate costume. So, if Wonder Woman isn’t cutting it for you, try Wonder Woman Regime, who has a Spartan-themed outfit and different abilities. The roster is impressive with its wide variety of well known characters, like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, and lesser known ones like Solomon Grundy. Players have the freedom to pick any three for their team (once they’ve been unlocked that is), mixing and matching skills to get the best combination.

While picking out characters might take a bit of strategy, the actual battles don’t. It’s the equivalent to a “button mashing” game. All you do is tap the screen to attack. It’s easy, but boring. Tap, tap, tap and the character responds with a couple of different moves. Block by holding two fingers on the screen, and swipe for heavy attacks (but only when prompted), and you’re set. Each character comes with their own super move which can be set into motion by pushing another “button” on screen. Once activated, the super move incorporates a mini-game, but it’s nothing complicated. “Swipe here,” “tap here,” and “tap repeatedly,” are as complex as it gets. It’s a nice change of pace from the repetitive tapping, but it still isn’t amazingly fun. Switching in-between the three characters is as easy as touching the card of whichever person you want to play as, but then it’s tap, tap, tap all over again -- the same story, just dressed differently.

Injustice: Gods Among Us doesn’t cost a cent to download, but as with most free games, the cost comes later, like a sneaky raccoon stealing your cat’s food. As mentioned above, a player is given three cards to start with and unlocking the rest of the cards either takes a lot of time or a lot of real life money. The currency earned in-game barely compares to the costs of the characters, as you can see above. And, of course, the most popular characters everyone wants to play as, like Batman or Superman, are the most outrageously priced.

Aside from having to dive into your retirement fund for extra characters/abilities, the game does come equipped with over 40 fighting stages free of charge. The Unreal Engine graphics are top notch, supporting the highly detailed characters and backgrounds nicely. One thing that could be a major turnoff to some, however, is the lack of multiplayer options. All these things add up to Injustice: Gods Among us for the iOS being a game that’s decently put together, but probably won’t hold your interest for all that long.

App Store Link: Injustice: Gods Among Us for iPhone & iPad | By Warner Bros. | Price: Free | Version: 1.0 | 496 MB | Rating 9+