Injustice 2

Can a fighting game survive the effects of a random loot system?

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The great and seemingly irreconcilable challenge for fighting-game makers is how to allow newcomers to feel briskly competent at a game while simultaneously affording the aficionados with sufficient depth and nuance. Nether Realm Studios’ output skews toward the former group. There are no complicated SNK-style joystick incantations in its previous title Mortal Kombat X. Likewise, in Injustice 2, the studio’s second DC-universe fighting game, even the most demanding special moves need only a few directional taps before they explode across the screen.

The game’s chances at earning a slot in a major fighting-game tournament may be stymied further by a new and labyrinthine gear system. At the end of each match you’re awarded with random loot, typically pieces of armour and weaponry that can be used to improve or customise the play style of your hero. Each of the characters has four slots for armour and one for an accessory. These pieces have their own buffs and stat upgrades that are spread across four attributes: strength, defence, health and abilities (for example, you may choose to equip Batman with a special batarang, or focus on parries and evasions).