(Editor’s Note: A�2 Generations Gaming is back with a celebration of all things DC Comics over the next couple of weeks due to our enjoyment of the new Wonder Woman movie. A�Next month is Spidey and Marvel!)
I believe I’ve mentioned the mobile version of MKX in one of my reviews recently. A�Even if I haven’t, just know that I’m not overly impressed with the game. A�Look, I know that it can’t be an exact port from the console versions to mobile, but I just felt that it could be so much more. A�Against my better judgement, I fell for the advertisement in MKX and downloaded Injustice 2 for the phone. A�I’ve heard good things about the console version. A� However, as a cheap old gamer, I don’t have either of the current gen consoles required to play it. A�Also, Kevin crushed my dreams by telling me that it would not be released on Steam. A�Therefore, I have to wait until another price drop or two (and Chris told me that one is imminent!) until I’m able to play that version.
As a result, even though I’m deeply disappointed in MKX and Injustice 2 is done by the same studio, I took the chance. A�Part of the reason is that Wonder Woman released this month and I had plans of doing a DC spectacular on the podcast and I needed some DC games to fill in the gaps on the web page. A�Just like the movies (more on that Friday), there haven’t been many decent DC related games other than the Arkham series. A�I remembered the Injustice name from the first game and, as always, hold out hope that things will get better.

Let’s start with my primary complaint about MKX. A�Combat, frankly, is boring. A�As I mentioned earlier, it is mobile, so it is unrealistic to think that an exact port is possible. A�However, I feel they could have adjusted the game to take advantage of the unique nature of mobile gaming and make it more strategy based than just tap, tap, tap. A�On a related note, I’ve found some additional strategy with the block mechanic, but even that is very limited. A�Injustice improves upon that.
Adding to the basic/combo attacks and block maneuver, each character has a jumping attack, a crouching attack, a rush attack, and even a ranged attack. A�Each of them is activated using a unique motion. A�The variety of moves makes it feel so much more like an actual fighting game than MKX. A�I will be investing much more time into Injustice 2. A�I’ve already weaved it into my regular rotation as I wait for cooldowns to expire in MTG:PQ and Sim City.

So, the move set is more complete. A�Big deal. A�Hey, as far as I’m concerned, it is a big deal. A�That alone makes it work the price of admission. A�By the way, that price is free for both games. A�It’s a metaphor, okay?! A�However, that’s not all. A�There are several other reasons that Injustice 2 is a vastly superior game to MKX. A�Let’s explore them.
There are more and a wider variety of game modes. A�Alongside the campaign mode, arena (which is similar to faction wars), and resource missions (sort of a ladder style mode that is somewhat analogous to Shao Khan’s tower), there is also a robust story mode, operations, and something called challenges. A�As of this writing, I’ve played all of the modes at least once.
I’ve only played through part of the story, but the cut scene that I watched was entertaining enough to keep me interested and I will probably play through more eventually. A�Right now, I’d much rather play the other modes as they offer much better loot. A�Area pits you against random teams put together by other players with the computer as your actual opponent. A�Operations are a completely different way to play the game. A�You choose one (so far the only ones I have unlocked are one) of your characters to go on a “mission” which awards various prizes depending on the mission. A�It is not terribly interactive, but I appreciate the attempt at doing something different. A�Plus, they’re part of the daily objectives that award you hero shards to unlock a new Wonder Woman.

The last improvement that I will discuss is the concept of class advantage. A�This may exist in MKX. A�If it does, though, I’m not aware of it. A�Injustice 2 makes it abundantly clear that even a noob like me can not only know about it but also have a basic understanding of the Rochambeau nature of the mechanic.
I probably could go on, but I’m blanking on other specific parts of the game that have impressed me. A�It’s just overall a vastly improved game over MKX and very much what I expected a mobile fighting game would be without having any actual expectations the first time that I played MKX. A�Does that make sense? A�Probably not, so let me try to unpack it.

I hoped that MKX would at least be a decent emulation of the console version. A�In the graphics, animation, and sound departments, it was. A�For everything else, it was hopelessly not. A�I played the game because it kept me entertained for about 5 or 10 minutes (my usual attention span when it comes to mobile games), but I wished for more. A�Having my expectations somewhat diminished by the disappointment of MKX, I went into Injustice 2 figuring that it might just be the same and I’d end up deleting it from my phone in a month or two to make room.
Obviously, that hasn’t happened. A�I’m playing Injustice on a regular basis and it has now moved past Sim City as my second most played game after MTG:PQ. A�I don’t see it surpassing that game as, no matter how much it frustrates me, I really enjoy that one. A�I’m not sure what a game would need to do to become my favorite over MTG:PQ. A�It is just a solid mobile game with that MTG flavor that I enjoy so much.
In closing, I really, really like the Injustice 2 mobile app. A�There are a wide variety of characters with a complete move set. A�Several game modes keep the game feeling fresh even if mobile isn’t exactly the best way to experience a fighting game. A�It’s free and the virtual currencies are easy enough to obtain that I haven’t found myself considering a purchase at all. A�We all know that I will usually make my 10 or 20 dollar purchase to support the developers, but I haven’t figured out what that will look like for this one yet. A�So, download it and give it a try. A�I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.