Injustice 2 ’s fighting system is similar to recent installments of Mortal Kombat and the first Injustice game. However, the sequel does add some new techniques and options to fighting that even veteran players may not know about. From combos to interacting with the environment, to unleashing a super finishing move, there’s a lot to learn about fighting in Injustice 2 .
We compiled this handy beginner’s battle guide for everything you need to know to get started in Injustice 2 .
BASICS
As with a lot of fighting games, Injustice 2 ’s control scheme consists of a light, medium and heavy attack.
Light attacks are quicker strikes that deal the least amount of damage and can be used by pressing SQUARE on PS4 and X for Xbox. For medium attacks press TRIANGLE on PS4 and Y on Xbox, with Heavy attacks being X on PS4 and A on Xbox. Players can string together combos by inputting a combination of these three commands with the directional buttons.
Blocking in Injustice 2 is done by pressing back as your opponent attacks. Players can block while standing or perform a crouch block. Standing blocks deflect standing and aerial strikes while crouching blocks stop standing and low attacks. Being able to predict your opponent’s attacks and time blocks accordingly is crucial to fighting in Injustice 2.
If you’re looking to get around a crouching block, press Up and the Heavy strike button to do a sort of roundhouse kick that will bypass the block. Keep this in mind when you’re performing a crouching block as your opponent can do the same to you.
Throws will also bypass blocks and can deal a lot of damage. Press L1 on PS4 and the Left trigger on Xbox to perform a throw. You can also direct where the opponent lands by pressing the directional pass while you throw. You can counter a throw by quickly pressing the throw button when your opponent does. This will cause your fighter to push them away.
There are interactables hidden throughout every stage and when you are near one, either the R1 button for PS4 or the right trigger for Xbox will appear underneath your health bar. Press this button and you will interact with the environment.
Stronger, heavier heroes/villains like Grodd or Bane will toss every interactable at the opponent, while smaller heroes/villains will simply jump off them to avoid attacks or get out of reach.
SUPER HERO POWER
Each character in Injustice 2 has a special attack and their own Super Hero powers. These attacks can range from projectiles to special combos. To see what each character’s powers are, players can simply press the Pause button and the special attacks will appear on-screen without having to go to the move list.
You may have noticed that there is a symbol on the bottom of the screen toward the center. This symbol is each character’s Super Hero Power or trait. Simply by pressing the CIRCLE button on PS4 or the B button on Xbox, the character’s trait will activate. Each fighter’s trait has a different effect. Some give power boosts, while others get an assist from another character like the cat, Dex-Starr or Poison Ivy’s plant friends. The best way to get comfortable using a trait is to take the fighter to a Practice round with the AI.
METER AND CLASHES
There is a meter on the bottom of the screen that builds up, allowing for enhanced versions of your super attacks and advanced avoidance techniques. This is also where you can store up the meter to unleash your Super Move, the most powerful attack in your arsenal. The meter is filled in two ways, the first is by striking your opponent, which fills it up a little. If you’re on the receiving end of a beatdown, the meter rises much faster.
Players can use the meter to enhance a character’s super attacks. These are called Meter Burns and to do it, press R2 button along with the input for that particular attack. For example, if your super hero attack input is Down, Forward SQUARE, then the Meter Burn is Down, Forward, Square, R2. Meter Burns take up one bar of meter.
Meter can also be burned to Air Avoid and perform a Meter Roll. If you’re being juggled in the air by your opponent’s combos, you can press R2 while you’re in the air to burn a bar of meter and jump out of harm’s way.
A new feature in Injustice 2 is the inclusion of a Meter Roll, which allows players to either close or widen the gap much faster. By dashing (pressing forward, forward or back, back) and pressing R2 at the same time, your character will do a roll that will make them invulnerable to attacks.
Once your meter is completely full, you can unleash your finishing move. By pressing L2 and R2 at the same time, you will burn your entire meter to perform your super finishing move. This can be blocked, however, so be sure to time it right or you will have wasted it.
Another aspect of battle you need to be aware of are Clashes. Each character gets one Clash per round after their first health bar is depleted. You’ll be told when you can perform a Clash in the top left corner.
You can perform a Clash when your opponent has you in a combo by pressing Forward and the Meter Burn button (R2); this will stop the combo and have the two characters square off, prompting an opportunity to wager a certain amount of your Meter.
There are four bars of Meter and you have to choose how much you’re willing to risk. Here are the different scenarios and what they do:
Tie = no change to health but meter is depleted from both.
One who initiated clash wins = health recovery dependent on the difference between bars wagered.
One who initiated clash loses - health loss dependent on the difference between bars wagered.
Injustice 2 is available now for PS4, Xbox One and PC.
