Injustice: Gods Among Us

Injustice: Gods Among Us brought the fighting system of the Mortal Kombat series into the world of DC comics and turned it into one of the best-received fighting games of its generation. The premise revolves around a dark version of Superman who, after a personal tragedy, establishes his own dictatorship, and the heroes from a parallel world who try to overthrow him. The campaign is told cinematically, alternating fights with short action sequences, and the player gradually takes control of most of the cast, trying out Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Joker, and lesser-known heroes alike.

Fights take place in two dimensions, but the environments play an unusually large role. Objects in the arena can be picked up and thrown, opponents can be bounced off walls, and a strong attack can launch them into an adjacent part of the stage, where the fight continues after a spectacular destruction sequence. Each character has a special ability tied to a single button, from a temporary shield to slowing down the opponent, and super moves are designed as short animated scenes in which Superman carries an opponent into orbit or Aquaman summons a shark. The system is readable even for newcomers while still being deep enough for tournament play.

The Wii U version was technically comparable to the competition and used the GamePad screen for an overview of moves and stats and for playing entirely off the TV. It also included an extensive S.T.A.R. Labs mode with dozens of short challenges that expand the content beyond the classic matches. Contemporary reception was very good, with the game praised for a story mode that long ranked among the genre's best, as well as its handling of the license. Today it remains a fun fighting game whose sequel brought better balance and more modern technical polish, though the first game retains its rawer, darker tone. For Wii U owners it was also one of the few cases of getting a big multiplatform game at the same time as other consoles and in a complete form, something that became increasingly rare on this platform.