| Injustice: Gods Among Us | |
|---|---|
 North American cover art, featuringCyborg,Wonder Woman,The Joker,The Flash, andGreen Lantern in the background, andSuperman,Green Arrow, andBatman in the foreground | |
| Developer | NetherRealm Studios[a] |
| Publishers | Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Raw Thrills(arcade) |
| Director | Ed Boon |
| Producers |
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| Designers |
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| Artist | Steve Beran |
| Writers |
|
| Composers |
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| Series | Injustice |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 3 |
| Platforms | |
| Release | April 16, 2013 |
| Genre | Fighting |
| Modes | |
Injustice: Gods Among Us is a 2013fighting game developed byNetherRealm Studios and published byWarner Bros. Interactive Entertainment for thePlayStation 3,Wii U, andXbox 360. It is the first installment in theInjustice franchise based upon thefictional universe ofDC Comics. The storyline is set in aparallel universe within the DC Comics'Multiverse, whereSuperman has become atyrant and established anew world order after theJoker tricked him into killingLois Lane and destroyingMetropolis. In an effort to stop this,Batman summons counterparts of the League's members from the main universe to join hisinsurgency and end the totalitarian regime.
It was released in April 2013 in North America, Europe, and Australia, and June 2013 in Japan. An expanded version of the game, titledInjustice: Gods Among Us – Ultimate Edition, was released in November 2013 for thePlayStation 3,PlayStation 4,PlayStation Vita,Windows, andXbox 360. Afree-to-playmobile app based onInjustice was also released foriOS andAndroid devices, which was then ported to arcade machines byRaw Thrills in the fall of 2017, months after the sequel's release. Aprequel comic book series of the same name, written byTom Taylor, was released beginning in January 2013.
Players select one of several characters from theDC Universe (consisting of both villains and heroes), to engage in combat, aiming to knock out their opponent. The game is set in a2.5D environment: while character models and backgrounds are rendered inthree-dimensional graphics, the characters are restricted to fight within a two-dimensional space.Injustice builds upon several aspects from NetherRealm Studios' previous title,Mortal Kombat (2011), including its controls, game mechanics, narrative-driven campaign, and online functionality.
The game received positive reviews from critics, who praised its story, gameplay mechanics, and use of the DC Comics license.Injustice became the highest selling game in the United States and United Kingdom during the month of its release. The game also won several awards for "Best Fighting Game" in 2013.
A sequel,Injustice 2, was released in 2017.Injustice, an animated film based on the game, was released in 2021.[1]
Injustice: Gods Among Us is afighting game in which players control characters with different fighting styles and special attacks, engaging in one-on-one combat to deplete their opponent'slife gauge. The game is in2.5D:[2] movement is restricted to atwo-dimensional plane, while the characters and backgrounds are rendered inthree-dimensions. Unlike the traditional fighting game design involving multiple rounds with regenerative life bars,Injustice uses a scheme similar to theKiller Instinct series.[3] Each match consists of a single round with each player bearing two life bars.[3] The game utilizes a four-button control layout of light, medium, and heavy attacks, alongside a "character trait" button, which activates a unique ability or attack designed to showcase each character. For instance,Superman's character trait provides a temporary boost in strength, whileBatman's character trait summons a swarm of robotic bats.[4]
The stages, based on various locations from theDC Universe, such as theBatcave,Metropolis, and theFortress of Solitude, feature interactive environments and multiple areas.[5] If an opponent is hit with a heavy attack near a corner of the arena, it launches them, triggering a transition animation and taking the fight to a new section of the stage.[6] Each section also contains objects that characters can interact with differently depending on their class. Characters fall into two classes: "power characters", who rely on brute strength and innate abilities, and "gadget characters", who use weapons, items, and other external mechanisms to win.[5][7] For example, a gadget character like Batman can attach a bomb to a car to cause an explosion, while a power character like Superman will pick up the same car and smash his opponents with it.[8] Players have the option to turn off interactive elements and stage transitions.[9]
As characters perform special moves, block oncoming attacks, or get hit by the opponent, their "super meters" will gradually fill. Portions of the super meter can be used to execute enhanced special moves or counter enemy moves.[10][11] With a full meter, players can unleash their strongest special attack.[10] Players may also expend their meter to interrupt a combo and enter a wager battle, dubbed the "clash system", which combines individualized cutscene cinematics with the process of betting meter.[12] A clash may be triggered by a player only after they have lost their first life bar.[11] During the sequence, both players commit portions of their meter in secret, with the highest bidder winning the clash.[12]
The story mode is split into several chapters. As the narrative plays out, the player swaps between different characters.[13]Minigames are also incorporated into the story. The outcome of minigames can impact an upcoming battle, such as giving the player a health advantage over the CPU opponent.[13] Additional game features include Battle Mode, Versus Mode, Training Mode, andS.T.A.R. Labs, which includes 240 character-specific challenges of varying difficulty.[14][15] Online multiplayer modes include King of the Hill, a setup that allows up to eight players to spectate a match while waiting for their turn to fight, and Survivor, which carries over the current winner's health bar and character selection over each match.[9][16] Playing through any of the game modes, including online matches with optional goal objectives, will net the player experience points that may be used to unlock alternate costumes, music, concept art, and other rewards.[15][17]
The campaign ofInjustice: Gods Among Us was written by NetherRealm Studios in collaboration with DC Comics' writers.[18] Described by NetherRealm as "Story Mode 3.0", theInjustice campaign was approached similarly toMortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and the 2011Mortal Kombat reboot through the use of a cinematic narrative versus the traditional ladder-based single-player experience.[19] According to lead designer John Edwards, the plot is meant to rationalize the game's fighting mechanics between characters that would not normally fight one another and explain how Batman can "stand toe-to-toe" with Superman.[18] WritersJustin Gray andJimmy Palmiotti served as story consultants to ensure that the comic characters kept their proper voices inInjustice.[19]
In a parallel universe (known as Earth-49), theJoker tricksSuperman into killing his pregnant wifeLois Lane and detonating anuclear weapon that destroysMetropolis, killing millions. Mad with grief and rage, Superman murders the Joker, quickly losing his moral compass.
Elsewhere, inthe prime DC universe, the Joker also attempts to destroy Metropolis with a nuke supplied byLex Luthor, but the villains are foiled by the Justice League. WhenBatman confronts the Joker, the two are suddenly teleported into the parallel universe, where they find themselves pursued by One Earth Regime forces.Wonder Woman,Aquaman,Green Arrow, andGreen Lantern are also teleported there. The latter leaves to recharge hispower ring and rescues a captiveDeathstroke, while having altercations withCyborg,Raven,Sinestro, and his ownYellow Lantern counterpart, all members of the Regime. Meanwhile, Aquaman finds that in the five years after Superman killed the Joker, Superman has formed the One Earth Regime to enforce global peace through fear, and rules the Earth with an iron fist as a ruthless dictator, alongside many other heroes and villains, and killing any who oppose him. The parallel Batman established theInsurgency to oppose Superman's Regime, and the ensuing war between the two factions left theJustice League disbanded. Aquaman fights his counterpart inAtlantis, who is negotiating an alliance between Atlantis and the Regime, and encountersAres, who is weak from the virtual lack of conflict and has allied with the Insurgency out of spite for the Regime.
Regrouping, the prime heroes meet Insurgency Batman and Lex Luthor (who in this universe is Superman's closest friend and an Insurgencymole) and receive nanotech pills derived from Kryptonian DNA, which increase their strength to Superman's level. Insurgency Batman and Luthor explain to the heroes that they teleported them into their universe to help access akryptonite weapon, which requires a DNA sample of all core Justice League members; however, the prime Batman and prime Joker were teleported by accident. Elsewhere, Batman is mistaken for his Insurgency counterpart and captured by the Regime, while the Joker meets this universe'sHarley Quinn, who is allied with the Insurgency and founded the "Joker Clan" in his memory. After helping the Joker Clan fight off a Regime attack atArkham Asylum, the Insurgents infiltrate theBatcave and retrieve the kryptonite weapon. Meanwhile, in the prime universe, Superman andFlash's efforts to recover their comrades result in Cyborg being inadvertently teleported into the Regime's universe, where he joins the Insurgency and helps Deathstroke take over theRegime Watchtower.
After Regime Superman publicly announces his intentions to execute prime Batman, Insurgency Batman and Green Arrow break intoStryker's Island to rescue him, while Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and Aquaman stage an attack on the Regime to distract them. After the Batmen and Green Arrow escape via the Watchtower's teleporter, Regime Superman realizes the Watchtower has been compromised and attempts to destroy it, but Deathstroke causes a chain explosion that sends him plummeting back to Earth. Luthor attempts to incapacitate the weakened Superman with the kryptonite weapon but is stopped byShazam, allowing Regime Superman to kill him and destroy the weapon. Now aware of humanity's determination to depose him, Regime Superman decides to destroyGotham City and Metropolis to keep Earth’s population in line, as well as invade the prime heroes' universe for their interference. When Shazam protests and invokes Lois' memory, Regime Superman murders him, causing Regime Flash to defect to the Insurgency.
During a Regime attack on the Insurgency's hideout, Wonder Woman is teleported by Ares toThemyscira, where she defeats her Regime counterpart and convinces theAmazons to defect to the Insurgency. Meanwhile, prime Batman convinces his counterpart to bring prime Superman over to help. During the ensuing battle, prime Superman overpowers the Regime's top lieutenants and persuades Yellow Lantern to surrender, before confronting his counterpart at theFortress of Solitude, pitying his loss yet declaring the planet needs freedom. When Regime Superman vows to bring prime Lois over, his prime counterpart reminds him Lois would be horrified at the tyrant he has become. During the ensuing fight, prime Superman subdues Regime Superman, and the other prime heroes arrive at the Fortress of Solitude to imprison him. Regime Superman insists that the heroes kill him, but he is rejected by Insurgency Batman.
Following Regime Superman's defeat, the Regime is dissolved, and its members imprisoned; Regime Flash isparoled, while Yellow Lantern is taken toOa to be rehabilitated. The prime heroes and Joker return to their universe but not before Insurgency Batman and prime Superman oversee the imprisonment of the latter's counterpart within a cell emitting red sun radiation that renders him powerless. When Superman admits that he could also go down a dark path if a similar tragedy happened to him, Insurgency Batman assures that he will stand up to him if so. Superman merely chuckles and tells him to get in line. As they walk away, Regime Superman's eyes glow red, indicating he still has some degree of his powers left.
The roster was selected internally by NetherRealm Studios with input from DC Comics.[20] The main goal during the selection process, which took around three to four months, was to create a cast featuring a wide variety of characters.[21] Characters were chosen based on criteria such as size, ability, gender, popularity, and how well they fit within theInjustice storyline.[21][22] The addition of each playable hero and villain required about six weeks of development.[23] The characters were designed with the intent to make each fighter unique, and fighting styles and movesets were tailored to the lore and personality of each character.[24] Ed Boon stated that DC Comics had given NetherRealm a large amount of freedom with their properties, allowing them to put their own spin on characters.[25] Several other characters from the DC Universe, such asDarkseid,Scarecrow,Metallo andGorilla Grodd, also appear asnon-player characters, makingcameo appearances in story cutscenes, stages and other game modes.[15] Outside of the DC universe,Scorpion from NetherRealm'sMortal Kombat series appears as a downloadable guest character.[26]
The playable characters are:
Additionally, several characters are playable as alternate skins for existing characters. They include:
The iOS and Android version of the game features several exclusive characters:
^a : Available asdownloadable content; included in theUltimate Edition.
^b : Previously appeared inMortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.
^c : Unlockable in the console version through the mobile version.
Injustice: Gods Among Us was first announced on May 31, 2012.[35] According to Ed Boon, the main goal heading intoInjustice was to create a game outside of theMortal Kombat series that was dramatically different within the fighting game genre.[36] Producer Hector Sanchez stated that NetherRealm Studios did not feel constrained by the parameters ofMortal Kombat, allowing the developers to take more design risks withInjustice, such as removingMortal Kombat's traditional dedicated block button.[19] Similar to Boon's previous DC-related title,Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (2008), the use of the DC Comics license implied restrictions to the amount of violence in the game; however, Boon intended to push the"Teen" rating by replacing violence with "crazy, over-the-top action."[37] When questioned if the studio's past experience withMortal Kombat and its characteristic violence would influenceInjustice, Boon replied that he wanted to keep the two titles as separate entities.[3]
The online mode inInjustice was built upon the foundation laid fromMortal Kombat (2011).[16] Due to complaints about severelag in the online multiplayer portion ofMortal Kombat, Boon reported that the development team had looked back upon their past mistakes and created a "new, more elaborate system" for an improved online experience.[38] Senior Producer Adam Urbano stated NetherRealm Studios spent two years of development focusing on netplay.[39] During development, NetherRealm shared their idea for an automated system to pushInjustice downloadable content to all users' consoles.[38] The game would connect to the Internet during use and automatically download the information required for players who have boughtDLC characters to play against others who have not.[38] The system also allows NetherRealm to quickly sendhotfixes topatch noticeable glitches.[40]
LikeMortal Kombat vs. DC Universe andMortal Kombat,Injustice runs on theUnreal Engine 3, which was modified to suit fighting games.[41] In the firstInjustice development diary, NetherRealm Studios proclaimed that several technical advancements had been made since the release ofMortal Kombat in 2011.[41] Sanchez stated that their "KoreTech team" had pushed the boundaries on their graphics engine.[42] Urbano added that the game features a revamped lighting solution, enabling more dynamic lighting in terms of characters and environments.[42] A new "character material" system was created to portray characters with increased graphical detail.[42]Injustice also utilizes a multi-threaded rendering engine, allowing the game to display approximately three times the amount of objects on screen at a single time thanMortal Kombat.[42]
Prior to the game's release, Warner Bros. Interactive and DC Entertainment launched a 10-week-long online marketing campaign called theInjustice Battle Arena. The web series, hosted byTaryn Southern, featured weekly match-ups between the playable cast in a tournament-style format. Each week, the arena was updated with different versus scenarios. Fans could vote for their favorite characters, and a video, depicting the winner of each round, would be released following each voting period. Videos detailing the skills and strengths of the combatants, includingvox pop and celebrity interviews, were released alongside each new pair of challengers. Voters could redeem free rewards, ranging fromXbox Live avatar accessories to a downloadable character skin based on Green Arrow'sappearance in the television seriesArrow. Participating fans based in the United States were also eligible to win weekly prizes.[43]
Ademo version of the game was released as a download for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on April 2, 2013, in North America, and April 3, 2013, in Europe. The demo showcased Batman, Wonder Woman, and Lex Luthor, in theGotham City stage, with Doomsday as an unplayable boss.[44]
Injustice: Gods Among Us was released on April 16, 2013, in North America, April 17 in Australia, and April 19 in Europe for the PlayStation 3, Wii U, and Xbox 360.[45][46][47] Certain Australian retailers, includingJB Hi-Fi andEB Games, broke thestreet date, selling copies on April 15, 2013.[48] The release of the Wii U version ofInjustice was delayed in the United Kingdom until April 26, 2013.[49] The game was released later in Japan on June 9, 2013, for the PlayStation 3 and Wii U.[50] It was also added to theXbox One's library ofbackward compatible Xbox 360 games in December 2016.[51]
An album featuring music from several artists includingRise Against,Depeche Mode,MSTRKRFT,Awolnation,Minus the Bear, andZeus, was released byWaterTower Music.[52] TitledInjustice: Gods Among Us - The Album, the album was made available at digital retailers on April 16, 2013, to coincide with the release of the game. The collection was later released on CD on April 23, 2013.[52]
Warner Bros. Interactive partnered with several retail outlets on a pre-order incentive. Pre-orders fromEB Games,GameStop, andGame gave players access to theRed Son Pack, aDLC pack inspired by theSuperman: Red Son comic book limited series, containing alternateRed Son skins for Superman, Wonder Woman, and Solomon Grundy, and 20 additional missions set within theRed Son storyline.[53] Pre-orders fromWalmart carried theArkham City Skin Pack, containing downloadable costumes for Batman, Catwoman, and the Joker, and a bonus copy ofMortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.[54] Pre-orders fromBest Buy andAmazon Germany included theBlackest Night DLC Pack, which featured an alternate Batman skin, based on hisBlack Lantern design from theBlackest Night storyline, and an exclusive "zombie mode", which transforms all characters into the undead.[55]
In addition to the standard edition, theCollector's Edition was made available for purchase for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, which included a steelbook case, a collectible figurine, a digital download code for the animated filmJustice League: Doom, the first issue of theInjustice comic book series, and three exclusive costumes for Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman based on their appearances inThe New 52.[56][57] The North American and European versions of the bundle offered different figurines. The North American release offers a 13-inch (33 cm) statue featuring Wonder Woman fighting Batman, while the European release offers a smaller 9-inch (23 cm) statue of the two.[47] TheBattle Edition, exclusive to GameStop and EB Games, included a light weightfight stick controller and the three DLC skins.[45] In the United Kingdom and Australia, theSpecial Edition was available, exclusively through Game and EB Games respectively, containing the steelbook case and theRed Son Pack.[46]
ASeason Pass available to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 users granted access to theFlashpoint Skin Pack, featuring alternate skins for Aquaman, Deathstroke, and Wonder Woman, along with the first four downloadable characters at an overall discounted price.[58] To prevent conflicts between online players who purchased DLC and those who did not, free compatibility packs containing additional character skins were released alongside them.[59] On April 17, 2013,Lobo was officially revealed as the first DLC character during theInjustice Battle Arena finale.[60] Lobo was released on May 7, 2013.[61] On May 3, 2013,Batgirl was revealed as the second DLC character, becoming available for download on May 21, 2013.[62][63]Scorpion, a recurring character from theMortal Kombat series, was revealed as the third DLC character on June 3, 2013, and became available for download on June 11, 2013.[64] Scorpion's appearance inInjustice featured a new costume design by comic book artistJim Lee.[26] The final character in the Season Pass,General Zod, was revealed on June 12, 2013, on an episode of the late-night talk showConan.[65] Zod was released on July 2, 2013.[66] S.T.A.R. Labs missions for the first four DLC characters were also released as part of the Season Pass.[67] The four DLC characters became available for Wii U owners on July 3, 2013.[68]
On June 6, 2013, Ed Boon announced that at least one additional DLC character would be created for the game due to fan demand.[69] Boon had previously held a poll on hisTwitter to determine which DC Comics charactersInjustice fans would like to see added to the game.[70]Martian Manhunter, who had been left off the polls due to having the strongest fan demand, was revealed as the fifth DLC character during a specialInjustice presentation at the 2013Evolution Championship Series despite what happened to him in the prequel comics.[71][70] Martian Manhunter was released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on July 30, 2013, bundled together withJohn Stewart as an alternate skin for Green Lantern.[71][72] Shortly before the release, Boon revealed on Twitter that there were further plans to develop downloadable content, with the sixth DLC character being a "big fan favorite request".[73] On August 5, 2013, the character was revealed to beZatanna, who placed first in the Twitter poll according to Boon.[74] She was bundled with a new skin for Superman based onCyborg Superman, released on August 13, 2013.[75]
Prior to the game's release, NetherRealm Studios developed afree-to-playmobile app ofInjustice: Gods Among Us, which was released foriOS devices on April 3, 2013.[76] It was ported toAndroid systems on November 21, 2013.[77] The app utilizes a collectible card-based battle system, and can be used to unlock bonuses in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game.[78] The app also puts players into a group of 3 combatants to challenge famous D.C. characters.[79]
The Wii U version does not support this feature.[80] Multiplayer functionality was added to the iOS version in an update on April 24, 2014.[81][82]
TheInjustice: Gods Among Us comic book series was announced by Ed Boon on October 5, 2012, during theEB Games Expo.[83] The series serves as a prequel detailing the events leading up to the game, as well as those that happen in the interval between Superman's murder of the Joker and the discovery of the primary universe.[83] The series was first written by Tom Taylor and illustrated by a number of artists, including Jheremy Raapack,Mike S. Miller, Bruno Redondo, Tom Derenick, and others.[84] The comic was released digitally beginning on January 15, 2013.[85] The series was later issued in regular comic book form, and eventually a collected edition.[86] In December 2014, Tom Taylor announced that he would be leaving the series and left after writingInjustice: Year Three #14, with Brian Buccellato replacing him by continuing the story intoYear Four andFive.[87] The final chapter of the series was released in September 2016, leaving the story incomplete;[88] another comic book series, titledInjustice: Ground Zero, followed afterwards, which picked up the story and concluded the retelling of the game's events from Harley Quinn's perspective.[89]
An arcade port of the mobile version of the game was released to arcades on October 16, 2017.[90]
On October 7, 2013, Warner Bros. Interactive announced theUltimate Edition, which includes all previously released downloadable content forInjustice: Gods Among Us.[91] TheUltimate Edition was released on November 12, 2013, in the United States, November 27, 2013, in Australia, and November 29, 2013, in Europe for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Windows, and Xbox 360.[91][92][93] The American release was also bundled with the game's official soundtrack.[91]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | VITA: 73%[94] |
| Metacritic | iOS: 69/100[95] PS3: 78/100[96] WIIU: 82/100[97] X360: 81/100[98] PC: 79/100[99] PS4: 80/100[100] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 9.5/10[101] |
| Eurogamer | 8/10[102] |
| Game Informer | 9/10[103] |
| GameSpot | 7/10[104] |
| IGN | 8.2/10[105] |
| Official Xbox Magazine (US) | 9/10[106] |
| Publication | Award |
|---|---|
| Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2012 | Best Fighting Game[107] |
| IGN: Best of 2013 | Best Overall Fighting Game[108] |
| GameTrailers: Game of the Year Awards 2013 | Best Fighting Game[109] |
| Game Informer: Best of 2013 Awards | Best Fighting[110] |
| Spike VGX | Best Fighting Game[111] |
| 17th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards | Fighting Game of the Year[112] |
| National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers | Game, Franchise Fighting[113] |
Injustice: Gods Among Us received positive reviews from critics. Aggregating review websiteMetacritic gave the Wii U version 82/100,[97] the Xbox 360 version 81/100,[98] and the PlayStation 3 version 78/100.[96] TheUltimate Edition was given 80/100 for the PlayStation 4,[100] and 79/100 for Windows.[99] The iOS mobile app received mixed reviews, with 69/100.[95]
IGN's Vince Ingenito labeled the game as "both a very good brawler and a big old sloppy love letter to fans". Ingenito praised the story mode, unique fighting game mechanics, and the overall use of the DC license, but criticized rough cutscene graphics, stating that bland textures and poorly modeled buildings eroded their visual impact.[105]Game Informer's Andrew Reiner considered the game as "a finely tuned fighter" that "nails the spectacle of a superhero brawl". Reiner praised NetherRealm Studios for delivering a "great fighting game experience", claiming that the NetherRealm Studios' appreciation for the DC universe blended nicely with theirMortal Kombat formula.[103]
Eurogamer's Matt Edwards praised the rich amount of single-player content, highlighting the S.T.A.R. Labs mode, but was concerned about the game's online stability, writing that improvements made overMortal Kombat to reduce latency issues "[appeared] to be marginal rather than game changing".[102]GameSpot's Maxwell McGee felt that whileInjustice provided "a complex fighter with some unique twists", the game fell short when compared to its contemporaries. McGee was critical of the story, describing the premise as "so ridiculous it borders on parody", and lamented the lack of instructional features for new players and replay support.[104]
Mikel Reparaz ofOfficial Xbox Magazine praisedInjustice for its "fast, destructive, and extremely accessible" gameplay, calling the game "one of the most enjoyable 2D fighters in years".[106]Electronic Gaming Monthly's Ray Carsillo awarded the game a near-perfect score, praising the story, gameplay mechanics, and collectibles, while faulting its long and frequent load times.[101] Brett Molina ofUSA Today gave the game 3.5 stars out of 4, stating that "NetherRealm [had] created an impressive video game package withInjustice, combining superheroes and villains comic book fans can appreciate with a fighting style that should appeal to players at any level."[114]
Injustice: Gods Among Us won the award for "Best Fighting Game" ofE3 2012 by theGame Critics Awards.[107] The game also received "Fighting Game of the Year" awards in 2013 fromIGN,[108]GameTrailers,[109]Game Informer,[110] theVGX,[111] and theAcademy of Interactive Arts & Sciences'D.I.C.E. Awards.[112] At the 2013 National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers (NAVGTR) awardsInjustice: Gods Among Us wonGame, Franchise Fighting.[113] At the 2014SXSW Gaming Awards,Injustice: Gods Among Us won the Excellence in Convergence Award.[115]
Injustice: Gods Among Us was the highest selling game in the United States during its release month of April, 2013.[116] It sold 424,000 copies as reported by industry analystsCowen and Company, the only game released during that month to sell more than 250,000 copies.[117] According to the NPD group, the game would later continue to stay as the top selling game in the US charts into May and stayed within the top 10 in June.[118][119]Injustice would also top the all-format game charts in the UK following its week of release.[120]
The game was temporarily banned in theUnited Arab Emirates andKuwait.[121][122] Originally, the title of the game was rebranded asInjustice: The Mighty Among Us for promotional uses in those areas.[121] It is speculated thatInjustice was banned because of the inclusion of the word "Gods" in the title (as referring to God in the plural is against theshahada), the cleavage exposed in the outfits of some female characters, and overall bloodiness.[121] There is also a chance that the global tagline of the game itself may have been thought as a violation or inconsideration for Islamic morals in the United Arab Emirates.[123] Eventually, the ban in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait was lifted.[121]
On June 8, 2016,Injustice 2 was announced by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and NetherRealm Studios, released on May 16, 2017, for thePlayStation 4 andXbox One.[124][125] The sequel continues the story established inInjustice: Gods Among Us, with the alternate universe Batman and his Insurgents working to prevent a new threat while stopping the remnants of Superman's Regime who seek to restore his rule.[126] Various gameplay mechanics from the first installment return, including super moves, character traits, stage transitions, and clashes.[127]Injustice 2 introduces a loot-dropping system, known as the "Gear System", which provides character-specific costume pieces and equipment; players are able to customize the look of their characters and upgrade their abilities, such as increasing their speed, strength, or health.[128]
On May 19, 2020, it was announced that an animatedInjustice film was in the works as part of theDC Universe Animated Original Movies line.[129] The film stars a different voice cast separate from the games itself, with the story of the film being based on theYear One Comic.[130] The film was released on digital on October 12, 2021, and on DVD and Blu-ray on October 19, 2021.
