Injustice: Gods Among Us

Injustice: Gods Among Us is a fighting game from 2013, created by NetherRealm Studios and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 3, Wii U, and Xbox 360. It kicks off the Injustice series, which takes place in a twisted corner of the DC Comics Multiverse. Here, Superman has gone full dictator after the Joker tricked him into killing Lois Lane and destroying Metropolis. To fight back, Batman pulls in alternate versions of the Justice League from the main universe, rallying them against Superman’s iron-fisted rule.

The game hit shelves in North America, Europe, and Australia in April 2013, with a Japanese release following in June. An expanded version called Injustice: Gods Among Us – Ultimate Edition came out in November 2013 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Windows, and Xbox 360. A free-to-play mobile app also launched for iOS and Android, later ported to arcade machines by Raw Thrills in fall 2017, just months after the sequel dropped. A prequel comic series, written by Tom Taylor, started in January 2013.

Players pick from a roster of DC heroes and villains, duking it out in one-on-one fights to drain the opponent’s health. The action plays out in a 2.5D space—characters and stages are 3D, but movement sticks to a flat plane. Unlike typical fighting games with multiple rounds, Injustice uses a best-of-three match format with standard single health bars per round. Controls use four buttons for light, medium, and heavy attacks, plus a “character trait” button for unique abilities—like Superman’s temporary strength boost or Batman’s swarm of robot bats.

Stages, drawn from DC locales like the Batcave, Metropolis, and the Fortress of Solitude, are interactive and multi-layered. A heavy hit near a stage edge can launch an opponent into a new area, with transition animations. Objects in each section react differently based on character class: “power characters” like Superman rely on raw strength, while “gadget characters” like Batman use tools—Batman might plant a bomb on a car, while Superman just hurls the car. Players can toggle these interactive elements and transitions off.

A super meter builds as characters land special moves, block, or take hits. Meter can fuel enhanced specials or counters, and a full meter unlocks a devastating ultimate attack.