Injustice 2 - Beginner's Guide

Injustice 2 is an excellent fighter (check out our review for more on why), and also a fantastic superhero game, but it can be intimidating for beginners. There's a lot to get to grips with, from the gear-dropping Motherboxes to the many worlds of the Multiverse, and that's without mentioning all of the combat mechanics. If you feel a bit overwhelmed, then, and would like a little help while starting your adventure with Injustice 2, then check our own tips below.

Finish the Story Mode
Since Injustice 2 has several game modes, you may feel like ignoring the narrative campaign, but that would be a mistake. In addition to the incentive of following a fairly good story based on DC Comics, the campaign is also an excellent opportunity to get to know most of the fighters and their fighting styles. You will also get some gear and Motherboxes as you go through the chapters in the campaign as well, which will provide you with some insight into gear too. Clocking in at around five hours of play time, there's no reason not to check out Injustice 2's story mode.

Determine your commitment to the game
Do you only want to play Injustice 2 for a few weeks, or have you only got a limited period of time to play? If the latter, do yourself a favour and choose one or two characters to master. Try them out in story mode, and go through all of the character tutorials, as that should be enough to help you decide on the ones that best suit your style of play. If you're not planning on spending several hours a day playing Injustice 2, it's best not to scatter your attention on several characters.

Master the characters you choose
If you decide to take our above advice, then it's time to commit to your chosen characters. Visit Practice mode and try to memorise the special moves, and after that explore the combo page and try to memorise them as well. There are several possible combinations that go beyond what's described by the game, so as time goes by you'll be able to perform these combos with ease and make your life a whole lot easier.

Sell the gear you don't need
If you visit the inventory in the character section, you can see all the gear you have won, and whether you're playing with only a few characters or a lot, there's a high chance there'll be a lot of gear you won't be using. Sell these pieces for gold coins, because with these gold coins you can buy more Motherboxes and increase the chances of getting gear for the characters you have chosen.

Upgrade your gear
As you accumulate gear, eventually you'll get rare gear for your characters, which can range from level 1 to 20. The goal is to bring the characters to level 20, and then get them level 20 gear, but that doesn't mean low-level gear is a waste of time, especially if it's rare or epic. You can evolve your gear to the character's current level, which will increase their abilities according to the new level, but bear in mind that the effects are chosen randomly, and the result may not be satisfactory. You can evolve the gear as often as you want, but remember that you spend a renewal item every time you do it, even if you choose not to keep the item.

Gear is irrelevant when playing ranked matches
If your interest is in playing ranked matches online, then you don't need to waste time with the gear for any reason other than aesthetic value. Although visually-speaking the armour remains present, in terms of attributes, the effects are lost for both players, which is by far the best choice in terms of balance.

Choose wisely in the Multiverse
Netherrealm renews the challenges in the Multiverse frequently, and it's usually a great way to earn gear and evolve the character, however, pay attention to the challenges you take on. There are extremely difficult challenges that might be directed at top-level characters, or experienced players, for instance, so take heed of the challenge's requirements before you choose it and save yourself some time and grief.

Join a Guild
There are several guilds you can join in Injustice 2, and you don't even need to interact with the other players. Just meet some guild challenges in the Multiverse whenever you can to enjoy the rewards, which are usually well worth it, and who knows, you might even make new friends along the way.

Master the Meter Burn
Each character has access to a Meter Burn bar, which will fill as you apply or suffer damage, and this bar is divided into four compartments, and each compartment allows you to activate a Meter Burn. These Meter Burns are essential for any advanced Injustice 2 player, and below we'll explain why.

Super Move: The Super Moves are powerful and spectacular attacks that spend the four compartments of Meter Burn. If it hits the enemy, a sequence will follow that is indefensible, and will inflict great amounts of damage to the opponent. It's risky, though, because if you miss you'll be throwing away all four compartments, putting you at a massive disadvantage.

Burn Attack: Each character's special moves have a "Burn" variant, which is activated by spending a Meter Burn compartment when executing a special move. To do this you must press R2 (PS4) or RT (Xbox One) when performing the move, and some attacks become much more powerful and effective when used with Meter Burn. Discover their effects in Practice mode, and find out how best to use them.

Roll Escape: If you know fighting games at all, you know that staying in a corner can be very dangerous. One way to escape this is by using the Roll Escape, a movement in which the character rolls behind the opponent, becoming invulnerable while doing so. You can activate this movement by pressing "Front, Front, R2 / RT", but be careful as the Roll Escape spends a lot of the Meter Burn, so it should only be used in emergencies.

Air Escape: Almost all fighting games allow for "Juggling", which boils down to repeatedly attacking the opponent when they're in the air and defenceless. This can be used by fighters to create long combinations of blows, however, there is a way to escape. When in the air, press "Back and R2 / RT" to escape. It's a very useful move that can save you, but will consume two Meter Burn compartments.

Clash: Each character can use one Clash per fight, a blow that becomes available when your health bar is in the red. To trigger the Clash, press "Front and R2 / RT" when being attacked. When the Clash starts, each character must "bet" Meter Burn compartments, and the winner will be defined by who bets the most. If the player that started the Clash wins, they will receive extra health, but if it's the other way around, they will suffer more damage. If you really want to take advantage of the Clash, make sure you only start it if you have more Meter Burn compartments than your opponent. It's not, however, always a must to win these clashes, as sometimes saving compartments of Meter Burn can turn out to be more advantageous.

Strong Attack: With X / A and directional buttons you can activate strong attacks that throw the opponent into the air, or against the other side of the arena. These attacks are slow, and leave the player exposed, however, if you spend a Meter Burn compartment when you are preparing the attack (pressing R2 / RT), you will be invulnerable to almost all attacks. You will suffer the respective damage, but the animation will not break and you will perform the attack. This is also a good way to break the opponent's combo.

So there's our advice for you beginners out there. Learning the basics of the combat system is only part of the process, and you'll have to learn the rest with practice and experience. Most importantly, though, if you are defeated, don't give up! Everyone - even the best - went through the same.