Injustice 2: My Thoughts on the DLC Fighters

It’s time to rank the DLC fighters of Injustice 2.

The very first text I wrote for Playlab! was a review of the DC Comics fighting game Injustice 2. A lot has happened after that review, and plenty of new characters have been added to the game’s roster in the form of DLCs. With that in mind, I decided to return to Injustice 2 and share my thoughts on these additional fighters. One could say that this text is a continuation of my original review. I will go over all of the DLC fighters, and briefly write what I thought about them. At the end of the article I will also place the fighters on a list based on how much I enjoyed playing them. Keep in mind that these are my own opinions, and you are free to disagree with me. The characters will be listed in the order of their release.

Darkseid

No, I did not spell that wrong. This pre-order bonus character may have an odd name, but he can sure pack a punch. His omega beams are a devastating ranged attack, allowing Darkseid to keep his opponent at bay while at the same time dishing out some serious punishment. I found him very satisfying to play, even though he won’t win any awards for his speed.

Fighter Pack 1

From left to right: Red Hood, Starfire, Sub-Zero

Red Hood: I had very high hopes for Red Hood. The gun-wielding vigilante was one of the characters I had hoped to see in Injustice 2, and I was thrilled to hear that he was going to be a DLC fighter. What I got was something of a let-down. Don’t get me wrong, he is not a bad character and he can be nigh-unstoppable in the right hands. I just hoped more from his moveset: stylish gun slinging combos, similar to Erron Black in Mortal Kombat X. Is Red Hood a good fighter? Absolutely. Is he just what I hoped for? Not so much.

Sub-Zero: The Mortal Kombat -veteran was a very welcome addition to the Injustice 2 roster for me. Superb combos and cool (pun intended) special moves made this character very enjoyable. I was also impressed how well the feel and the spirit of the character transferred from the infamously violent Mortal Kombat to the less brutal world of Injustice. He might not be as brutal this time around, but Sub-Zero can still kick ass.

Starfire: For me, Starfire didn’t leave that much of an impact. I don’t honestly know why: her fighting style is very graceful and she is a beast when is comes to ranged combat. Still, I find myself struggling to remember her. She was in the game, but at times it felt like she wasn’t. Not a poor character, but for some reason I just didn’t get into her.

Fighter Pack 2

Black Manta, Hellboy, Raiden

Black Manta: Fighter Pack 2 kicked things off with one of Aquaman’s enemies, Black Manta. This harpoon-wielding baddie was nice addition to the list of fighters: he had a nice mix of effective, cool combos and useful special moves. This made Black Manta a versatile fighter and a force to be reckoned with. I had a good time with Black Manta, and he truly earned his place among the DLC fighters.

Raiden: The second Mortal Kombat character to join the roster of Injustice 2, the thunder god Raiden utilized his whole arsenal of tricks to devastate his foes. As was the case with Sub-Zero, I was surprised how well Raiden fit into Injustice. The essence of the character was there, and his moveset was true to his Mortal Kombat roots. While I enjoyed playing as Sub-Zero more, Raiden was still a thoroughly entertaining character.

Hellboy: A creation of Mike Mignola, Hellboy was the second quest character of Injustice 2. Armed with the famous “Right Hand of Doom”, Hellboy was a heavily melee oriented fighter. While I enjoyed playing him, I felt that I would have gotten more out of him if I was more familiar with the character and the comics. Ultimately, Hellboy was a middle of the road DLC character for me: not my favorite, but not the worst either.

Fighter Pack 3

Atom, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT), Enchantress

Atom: Atom is a bit difficult for me to pin down. On the one hand, his moveset left much to be desired and I found his abilities to be a bit too gimmicky. On the other hand, I liked the idea of him changing sizes to execute his moves and he had some cool tricks. I supposed one could say that there were good ideas and concepts here, but the execution could have been better.

Enchantress: Out of all the DLC characters, I had the least background information about Enchantress. She was a total mystery to me before her appearance in Injustice 2. I’m glad that I was introduced to a new character, and the way she was handled was quite friendly for a newcomer. When it comes to fighting, Enchantress was not among my top picks: her abilities were confusing at times, and I felt like that she was a bit out of her league among some of the other fighters.

TMNT: This really got my nostalgia senses tingling! Seeing my childhood favorites in action was simply awesome, and the attention to details combined with the amount of references put a big smile on my face. The decision to have all four turtles playable through the loadout system of the game was a smart move, allowing everyone to choose their favorite one. All of the turtles have a unique feel to them, encouraging the player to try them all. The heroes in a half shell are back in a big way. Cowabunga!

The DLC Fighters Ranked (From Best to Worst)