Injustice 2 is NetherRealm Studio’s newest fighting game and with it comes a plethora of update and changes to the genre. While there is an actual skill ceiling for Injustice 2, the developers have done a fantastic job of making it accessible to newcomers and veterans alike. It’s quite easy to get overwhelmed by all of the fighters, modes, gear, and combos offered, however, there are a few things that new players should know. This list is for those who are either new to the fighting game genre or are just looking for some good starter tips when you load up Injustice 2.
For more advanced guides we recommend going to the wonderful Injustice 2 Reddit or checking out some of our other guides. Here are 5 beginner tips you will want to know:
1. Pick a Main and a Secondary Character
In the fighting game community having a “main” means that is the character you most often use and subsequently are very familiar with their moves. When you load up Injustice 2 one of the first things you will want to do is decide which character is going to be your main for modes like Multiverse and Online. Typically this is a character that suits your playstyle, understanding of the game, and has consistency in terms of your performance. What we recommend is to play a few single matches on each character you have an interest in to get a better feeling for how they function.
Remember, you aren’t bound to this idea, but it helps to know a single character intimately for when you need to perform at higher levels of play. If you find that after a few hours of using a character that it’s not clicking consider trying a different hero. Even when you do find a main it will be important to pick a few secondary fighters just in case you are up against another character that counters yours. This will help you not only become a more flexible player, but begin to understand how to read character movements.
2. Don’t Save Your Mother Boxes
Since each character individually levels one might think it’s smart to save their mother boxes for when that hero hits rank 20. Sadly, developer NetherRealms has made this an impossibility as Mother Boxes are level locked once you receive them. This is confirmed by an in-game prompt that will come up randomly and states:
The Level of Gear awarded by Mother Boxes is set when the Mother Box is earned. The Level will not increase if the Mother Mox is left unopened.
Remember this is not referencing your player level, but the level of your specific fighters. So if you are looking to level up Poison Ivy and you earn a Mother Box when she is at Level 10, then those rewards will always be around Level 10. It doesn’t matter what the rarity of the box or gear is, simply open up your loot crates when you obtain them. This will help you make your character stronger and take on more powerful challenges in the Multiverse.
3. Regenerate Your Gear
One of the mechanics that Injustice 2 doesn’t go into too much detail about is the regenerate system revolving around gear. During your time with this fighting game, you will undoubtedly earn Regeneration Tokens (The green hexagons) after completing Multiverse or story missions. These items are used to regenerate old gear you are still holding to your character’s current level. This means if you have an Epic Scarecrow head at level 3 and want to use it once your Scarecrow is at level 20, just use a Regen Token to upgrade that piece of gear to your character’s current level.
Doing this allows players to make use of the exceedingly rare Epic level gear that players will unlock. Make sure to hold onto all of your yellow colored armor pieces, as these produce the best stat bonuses and passive effects in the game. To use a Regen token, simply go to the Brother Eye Vault and then hit RB (Xbox One) or R1 (PS4) to tab over to the Regenerate Gear page. From here, simply select which character and piece of gear you want to regenerate and then confirm. These tokens come at a rather slow pace, so we recommend saving them until your fighter is level 20 to maximize their effectiveness.
4. Learn to Special Move Cancel
There are a lot of mechanics in Injustice 2, but one of the most critical you should learn early on is how to Special Move Cancel. Performing this allows players to perform their powerful special moves quicker and with less time worrying about follow-up. Given a lot of special moves can lead into other combos, these are perfect for juggling or forcing opponents away. However, performing a Special Move Cancel can be a bit tricky, especially if you are just starting out or are new to fighters.
In order to perform this move, you will need to input the special move command during the animation of the move beforehand. This will prematurely cancel the animation for that move and let you follow up with a powerful attack without having any lag time between moves. Doing this wll require an intimate knowledge of the button inputs for that character’s special moves, so try to master this trick with your main fighter first before using it on others. Special Move Canceling is critical for successful online and offline play, especially on the higher difficulty events.
5. It’s Okay to Not Use Your Super
One habit that players will want to break early is saving up their meters solely for the sake of using their Super. Don’t get us wrong, the Supers in Injustice 2 look awesome and are often a nail in the coffin for most matches given their high damage output. However, this can also be a detriment because it sacrifices all the potential Meter Burn combos you could perform. It’s important to understand the balance of using your meter based special moves and super.
While special moves aren’t nearly as flashy, some classes are reliant of them to be completely successful when a fight. Scarecrow, for example, builds his Character Power up by fear toxin based attacks, of which some of his best ones are via Meter Burn. This means that instead of using his Super, a Scarecrow player can consistently use their Character Power and thus have a more impactful game. In most games it’s also possible to get your Super even after you have meter burned a few moves in the first round, so don’t be afraid to use them.
Improving in Injustice 2 is all about patience, practice, and timing, so understanding fundamental basics is imperative for winning. However, there are very few things in gaming as satisfying as pulling off an epic looking combo that devastates your foe’s health bar. Then you can pose and taunt like Bane after you show your friends who is the best at Injustice 2.
