Injustice 2

Injustice 2, a fighting game from NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, came out in 2017. It follows up 2013's *Injustice: Gods Among Us* and is the second game in the DC Universe-based Injustice series. The story picks up after Superman's Regime has been toppled, though remnants of the Regime still exist and the Insurgency is actively opposing them. Batman's Insurgency is trying to rebuild society, but the arrival of a new supervillain group called "The Society" and the alien Brainiac forces Batman to consider freeing the imprisoned Superman to help fight these threats. The game first launched in May 2017 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, with a Windows version arriving in November 2017. An expanded *Injustice 2: Legendary Edition* hit PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in March 2018. A companion mobile app was released for Android and iOS, and a prequel comic series by Tom Taylor started in April 2017.

The core gameplay stays close to its predecessor, with some tweaks to returning mechanics. A new feature is the Gear System, a loot-dropping system that gives players costume pieces and equipment to customize characters' looks and modify their abilities and stats. Director Ed Boon wanted to bring mechanics from multiplayer shooters—like personalization, character creation, loot, and leveling up—into the fighting genre, which led to the Gear System. The game won several awards and got positive reviews, with praise for its story, presentation, improved gameplay, content volume, and character customization, though critics pointed out issues with random loot and microtransactions.

In *Injustice 2*, players fight one-on-one using characters from DC and other franchises. They use directional inputs and button presses to perform basic attacks, special moves, and combos to damage and knock out opponents. The game keeps mechanics from the first *Injustice*, like environment interaction, stage transitions, clashes, and character traits. Traits give temporary buffs or abilities that fit each character's style. The super meter returns, letting players do enhanced special moves and powerful "super moves" when full. Players can also use meter for new techniques: an evasive forward roll to counter keep-away tactics, and air recovery to escape combos early.