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When pioneering fighting games like Street Fighter and Tekken first showed up in western arcades all those years ago, each cabinet earned more than its weight in 20 pence pieces thanks to the solidity of their fighting mechanics. There were no combo trials or challenge towers to distract yourself with - only the gradual discovery of your character's hidden depths through a steady flow of opponents, be they human or otherwise. Even today, this hook keeps diehard enthusiasts coming back for more, but as the genre evolved alongside the console market one thing has become increasingly clear: single-player content can no longer be seen as an optional extra.The problem is that fighting games tend to come in two different forms. Either they have excellent mechanics with a basic survival mode and a flimsy storyline or they push the boat out in terms of game modes while neglecting the underlying systems. There are notable exceptions like BlazBlue, of course, but why is the union of mechanical depth and solo mileage such a hard combination to crack? NetherRealm Studios almost solved the conundrum with Mortal Kombat, a reboot that backed up its cinematic story mode with competent combat. But now that the team has ditched Nightwolf in favour of Nightwing, has it finally hit the sweet spot?
Just like Mortal Kombat before it, Injustice: Gods Among Us features a Story Mode that puts most other fighting games to shame. With the aid of Lex Luthor, The Joker gets hold of a nuclear bomb, rigs the detonator to Lois Lane's heart (she's also pregnant) and tricks Superman into killing her by making him think she's Doomsday. Understandably miffed, Superman kills The Joker before setting up a new world order where his word is law. Batman then summons superheroes from another dimension - one where The Joker didn't succeed - so he can put a stop to The Man of Steel's tyranny.
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