Gameplay
This is one of the best times I have had playing a fighting game in the last couple of years! Players familiar with NetherRealm studios and their fighters will feel right at home. This game is very similar to its sister game Mortal Kombat X and Injustice: Gods Among Us. The controls and action are responsive and the combo system is awesome. Stringing together juggles and extending your combos are required skills, and feel smooth and slick when you pull off complex combo strings. The cast of characters are varied with the usual archetypes represented. You have hard hitting but slow moving bruisers ( Atrocitus, Bane, Superman), Your Speedy combo-driven rush-down combatants ( The Flash, Black Canary, Cheetah), and your Ranged-Zoning fighters ( Deadshot, Doctor Fate, Green Arrow) and most characters are adequate in each role to an extent. The community is already calling for nerfs to Deadshot due to his extraordinary zoning and keep away tactics. However learning to dodge roll, teleport, and anticipate your opponent can poke holes in a Deadshot player’s game. Is he OP at this time?...Yes! Will players figure him out in a couple of weeks?…Yes also! The new dodge roll feature and air escapes are an awesome addition that even the playing field for getting around the majority of the zoning spammers and adds and extra wrinkle to the strategy element. The player abilities can be hit or miss, with some being amazing and others just being generic at best. The ability to unlock modifiers that augment or change the characters special ability is amazing and adds to the sense of customization. The Customization potential in this title is MASSIVE! Shaders, Gear unlocks, Premier Skins, and skills let the player augment the fighters in a way that makes the fighters unique to that specific player! Seeing what others in the community have done with with their fighters is refreshing and adds to the fun of playing a mirror match knowing that the two characters are not exactly alike.
The single player offerings in this title far exceed what most fighting games bring to the table. The Story mode is handled with the flair of a blockbuster film although there may be some plot holes present. I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing through the campaign and seeing the fighters interact with their universe and each other. This story picks up right where Injustice: Gods Among us left off. The campaign also forces you to familiarize yourself with the playstyles of the different characters as well…which is a good thing. I discovered that I actually enjoyed using characters that I may have not wanted to or thought of using before I gave them a spin in this mode. Completing this mode sets you up perfectly for the Multiverse Mode!
Multiverse Mode at its core is the same “Living Tower/Challenge Tower” system NetherRealm implemented in MKX and “Star Labs” in Injustice: Gods Among Us. This time each “tower” is a planet from somewhere in the vast multiverse that is available for a set amount of time. These planets then have multiple “challenge towers” with modifiers and rewards. I spend 80 percent of my time with the game in this mode. Earning loot is addictive and rewarding. The constant changing of planets means that there is always something new to see or do, and the implementation of this mode adds tons of replay value to an already stellar game! This will be where most people who enjoy single player action will spend their time.
The Multiplayer components are impressive as well! I didn’t experience lag at all while playing online via Xbox Live. These matches are either super competitive or you are getting your ass handed to you faster than The Flash on CRACK!!! This is a good thing though, it makes you want to learn more complex combo strings and tactics to improve your skills! The Guild system also lends a type of coop play mechanic where your guild point earnings help your guild unlock trophies and loot. This gives everyone in the guild a chance to contribute.
Graphics
Experiencing this game on a 4k television with HDR is AMAZING! This game is one of the best looking fighters I have ever seen. The character models are great although I wish we had more buxom female models to balance out the muscular ones. The different shaders/gear/skins and animations all work well together to add variety. The lighting and particle effects are top notch and I find myself looking at small details on armor and in the background. There is always something new to see and discover thanks to the richly detailed graphics.
Audio
The voice acting is superb. Many of the voice cast from the animated movies and shows are here to reprise their roles. The soundtrack is subtle and not overbearing. The sound effects are also very meaty and add a sense of depth and realism to the thudding power punches and kicks, or the zip of laser like blasts and explosions!
Replay Factor
I can’t put it DOWN!!!!!!!
Final Ne3rdom Score: 9.5/10