After the success of Injustice: Gods Among Us and their Mortal Kombat titles, developer NetherRealm had a lot to live up to with the sequel to their DC fighting game. Thankfully, Injustice 2 lived up to the hype and gave players a thoroughly enjoyable and substantial experience that ranks among the best comic book titles in recent years.
A large part of that substance came from the wealth of customization on offer. Rather than settle on the same DC roster with one or two costumes for each character, the creators built a vast system of gear for gamers to explore. Every hero and villain can be outfitted with a unique blend of equipment and armor, all of which grant various perks to go with their radically distinct appearances. This ensures that no two players have the same version of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, or any other combatant in the DC pantheon. Before diving into this time sink, however, players should note a few things.
10 It's Gained Both Online And Offline
Gear is contained in Mother Boxes, and players earn Mother Boxes by fighting. It's simple. While they can tackle various challenges and milestones to gain greater riches, it always comes down to fighting.
The challenges and level-ups needed to attain Mother Boxes can be found either online or offline. Players can tackle gauntlets on different planets, overcoming increasingly tough opponents in their quest for the best gear. In addition, they can level themselves up by fighting in online matches. If they're part of a guild that fulfills a collective feat, then they'll receive even more rewards. Sadly, since the game is pushing four years old, finding people to play with might be difficult.
9 Some Comes In A Set
Most pieces of gear stand on their own, boosting certain stats and not having any purpose beyond that. Certain pieces, however, have additional effects. Players can put these into effect by combining gear from the same set.
Batman, for example, has several pieces of Kryptonite-infused armor. Gaining more components of this costume decreases the damage he receives from Kryptonians and increases the damage he deals to them. A knight doesn't simply wear a helmet or greaves; he wears the whole suit of armor when he rides into battle. The same principal applies to the Dark Knight. He may have more sets here than he did in the LEGO games.
8 Some Gear Grants Extra Attacks
Other elements that fans can play with in the gear menu are abilities. Occasionally, they can gift characters with extra attacks. These can either be additions to existing Supers or entirely new moves. While gamers can't redesign a fighter's abilities from the ground up, this does add a welcome bit of customization to one's arsenal.
More often than not, these are unlocked through gameplay as characters gain moves by reaching a certain level. If players want fresh attacks for their favorite fighters, all they have to do is continue playing with those fighters.
7 It's Why The Characters Are So Ugly
Despite being a graphical upgrade from its predecessor, Injustice 2's characters are still off-putting. The heroes and villains here are overdesigned to the point of parody. Their costumes have so many interconnected (and unnecessary) parts that it's hard to take them seriously, especially when seeing them up close and personal during the story mode. This is easily one of the uglier rosters in fighting game history.
This is because the developers are trying to show off the gear. Characters come with a handful of preset equipment as well as numerous unlockable armor pieces, and they sport several items from both camps throughout the story. All of it is to facilitate the gear system, encouraging players to swap out these items and personalize their DC roster. For those wondering why Superman sports the stupid neck brace thing, which looks dumber than his N64 face, now you know.
6 It's Used To Unlock Different Characters Through Skins
Several characters in the DC universe have similar moves and weapons. After decades of comic history, that's unavoidable, but it's actually an asset here. By scrolling to the color palette section of the customization menu, players will discover that some fighters come with Premier Skins that turn them into new characters.
Their moves are all the same, but their appearances and voices are entirely different. For instance, fans can forego Hal Jordan's Green Lantern for the John Stewart version. Alternatively, they can turn Raiden (one of NetherRealm's obligatory guest characters)Â into Black Lightning. It's a cheap workaround, but it's appropriate in some cases.
5 You Can't Customize Alternate Characters
Although players can unlock new characters through the gear system's Premier Skins, they can't customize these new heroes and villains. The fighters might come with an additional palette swap that changes their costumes, but that is the extent of players' influence on their appearances.
What's strange is that they're still affected by the gear that they have equipped. Said gear just isn't visible on them. This makes characters like Reverse Flash and Mr. Freeze frustrating to look at. Their costumes are somewhat bare and simplistic, and players can't do a thing about it.
4 Gear Replaces Alternate Costumes
The first Injustice came with a slew of different skins/costumes for each character, both through in-game unlockables and DLC. These game players their pick of the most iconic outfits in DC history.
Unfortunately, the nature of the gear system prohibits them. Changing characters' appearances requires various bits of armor strewn across their bodies. Rather than simply have a Red Son costume for Superman, players must piece together several pieces of equipment to get something that resembles the Red Son outfit. Customization comes at the cost of fan service.
3 You Can't Mix And Match
Fighting games that utilize equipment, buffs, or other customization options sometimes let players swap these items between various characters. Sadly, Injustice 2 is not one of those games. Each piece of gear is tailored toward a specific character.
Plyers can't put a Scarecrow chest piece on Green Lantern or stick a Blue Beatle head on Wonder Woman. When they acquire a new armor component, they must either use it for the intended character or toss it. That takes some of the fun out of the experience, but it at least prevents any unholy mutant hybrids.
2 It's Earned At Random
Since most gear pieces are housed in Mother Boxes, players can't freely pick and choose which ones they want. Their only option is to earn these Mother Boxes and hope that they get some gear that they want.
Granted, they can slightly influence their rewards in the Multiverse. Certain challenges will yield gear pieces for specific characters, and that specificity is advertised up front. For the most part, though, gamers must make do with the random turnout of the Mother Boxes. Fortunately, unlike the "surprise mechanics" of a certain hated company, these boxes don't cost real money. Players don't have to worry about overpriced DLC hampering customization.
1 Gear Scales With Characters' Levels
Although the gear obtained is random, one thing that seems constant is its tendency to tease. When players get a new piece of loot, it's often a few levels above or below the player's. The former ones are so powerful and enticing that gamers will want to fulfill their level requirement. They may even grind out the experience right then and there. After all, it's only a few levels, right?
It's incredible how one can be winding down his/her playtime, receive a snazzy new chest piece, and think, "Just a few more matches." It's an unexpectedly addictive aspect of the gameplay, one that players should watch out for. However, it also means that the gear system is one of the most worthwhile additions to Injustice 2.