Injustice 2released exactly five years ago, with the title proving popular with DC fans and fighting game lovers alike. Not only was it one of the best-selling games of 2017, but it boasts an 87 on Metacritic, showing that the game was a critical success as well. However, despite all the accolades, fans have received no confirmation that a follow-up toInjustice 2is in the works.
WhileMortal Kombat 11’s extensive support is a major reason for this,Ed Boon’sInjustice 3commentswere hard not to be excited about. While little info has come out about the IP since theInjusticeanimated movie released a while back, fans can only hope that a new game is in the works as well. IfInjustice 3finally becomes a reality, there are many things that it should take from its predecessor and a couple of things that it should avoid replicating.
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What Injustice 3 Should Take From Injustice 2
One obvious thing thatInjustice 3should take inspiration from is its predecessor’s gameplay. Super moves showed plenty of love for the heroes they were tied to, withSupermanand Batman both having some standout finishers. Stage transitions were a lot of fun, as they added depth to each arena, while environmental interactions are a keeper as well. When it came to combat, it was hard to topInjustice 2back in 2017, and it sets a good example for future entries.
Injustice 2’s approach to storytelling was also worthy of praise. Just like the first game intheInjusticeseriesand the tie-in comic, the sequel featured memorable moments and standout character interactions. With great facial animation, every conversation hit harder. The story mode also allowed players to choose which fighter they wanted to play in certain chapters, a fun mechanic that added a bit of replayability to the campaign. This should return inInjustice 3, with players able to choose someone from Superman’s side or the Resistance to access fully unique chapters throughout the story.
While it would be a safe move to take the route of the good ending where Superman is once again defeated and locked away, there is a case to be made forInjustice 3building off the evil ending. In this conclusion, the Caped Crusader is brainwashed by the Man of Steel using Brainiac’s technology, instantly removing the smartest man from the Resistance. Seeing the heroes struggle to find a way to beat bothBatmanand Superman could be interesting, as those seem like insurmountable odds for any faction of characters.
What Injustice 3 Should Avoid From Injustice 2
Injustice 2’s gear systemis a bit of a mixed bag. While it added some replayability to the game to discover certain builds, and it was fun to mix and match pieces of armor to create fully unique costumes, the loot box approach held it back. Fittingly dubbed Mother Boxes to play into DC lore, players received these via in-game currency and the Multiverse mode, which was a Mother Box-focused take on Living Towers fromMortal Kombat.
While there is a case to be made for the gear system and Multiverse mode to be brought back, loot boxes need to be left behind.Injustice 2’sPlatinum trophyis one of the most frustrating ever because of loot boxes. While all but one trophy is easily achievable, one achievement asks players to use a specific move for Catwoman that is tied to Mother Boxes. With this drop being random, a player could put 500 hours into the game but never get the move they need for the trophy. With stat-altering gear as well as major abilities locked behind RNG, Mother Boxes should stay in the past.
WhileInjustice 2’s DLCbrought some fun crossover characters to the game, there is a case to be made that some of the characters added were a step in the wrong direction. While crossovers like Hellboy and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made sense, the same could not be said for having twoMortal Kombatcharacters in Raiden and Sub-Zero. While these fighters may be beloved byMortal Kombatfans, they have no place in the DC Universe, and having two of them was overkill. Instead of wasting DLC fighter slots onMortal Kombatfighters,Injustice 3should ensure every character it adds is from the DC universe.
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New Features Injustice 3 Should Add
With five years having passed sinceInjustice 2made its debut, players will surely expect some innovation when the sequel arrives. One great way to set the game apart would be anM-rating, something that would be fitting given just how dark theInjusticeuniverse is. Instead of being an excuse to add blood and gore, a mature tag could allowInjustice 3to have its own version ofMortal Kombat’s fatalities. Given all the powers that DC heroes have, some gruesome and memorable fatalities could be introduced. This would eliminate the awkward endings thatInjustice 2’s fights have, as unless players deliberately save a super move, their opponent will usually be going down with a basic punch or kick.
Speaking of super moves, there is a case to be made for adding a few super moves for each member of the roster. While the super moves fromInjustice 2were truly special, asNetherRealmclearly put a lot of work put into creating each one, they did get old after hundreds of hours. Having just one extra super move for each hero would be enough to make fights a bit more varied from a visual standpoint. If NetherRealm wanted to, it could let these different super moves do more damage to certain characters or apply different damage over time effects to make them even more unique.
If loot boxes are retired, adding in a battle pass forInjustice 2would be a great way to keep players hooked. If NetherRealm wanted to refine the gear system, this would be a good way to make it more consistent, andHalo Infinite’s battle pass approachcould be copied to ensure that players can work on old battle passes even when a new one dropped. If NetherRealm instead wanted to go the route of unlockable suits, letting players collect alternate costumes pulled from the long history of DC comics, a battle pass would still work.
With a dated approach to microtransactions and gear being one of the few downsides ofInjustice 2, a battle pass system would be a great move. If this was added and DLC characters forInjustice 3maintained aDC comicsfocus, a perfectInjusticegame would be a possibility. Hopefully, a new entry is announced beforeInjustice 2’s next anniversary arrives.
Injustice 2is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
