You remember that first time you saw Superman punch a guy into orbit? It wasn't just a cutscene. It was the gameplay. When NetherRealms dropped Injustice: Gods Among Us PS4 back in 2013 (and later the Ultimate Edition for the then-shiny new console), they didn't just make a fighting game. They basically wrote a "What If?" comic that was actually good. Better than most movies, honestly.
It's weird.
Even now, years after the sequel and three different Mortal Kombat entries, this game feels heavy. It feels significant. If you pick up a controller today, the weight of the characters still hits different than the floaty mechanics you find in modern anime fighters or even some Capcom titles. It’s gritty. It’s dark. It’s unapologetically DC.
The Brutal Reality of Injustice: Gods Among Us PS4
People forget how risky this was. At the time, DC was trying to find its footing in games outside of the Arkham series. NetherRealm Studios, fresh off their 2011 Mortal Kombat reboot, took the engine that made Scorpion famous and tuned it for capes and cowls. But they removed the fatalities.
Purists were worried. How do you have a NetherRealm game without the gore?
The answer was environmental interaction and those "Super Moves" that destroyed the stage. On the PS4, these transitions were seamless. You could knock Batman through a wall in the Batcave and end up in a completely different part of the map. It wasn't just a gimmick; it was a tactical necessity. You had to know which stages had the "power" interactions (like throwing a car) versus the "gadget" interactions (like using a car to leap away).
Why the Ultimate Edition actually mattered
The PS4 version specifically arrived as the "Ultimate Edition." This wasn't just a marketing tag. It bundled all the DLC—Lobo, Batgirl, General Zod, Martian Manhunter, Zatanna, and the crossover king himself, Scorpion. It also bumped the resolution. While the PS3 version was struggling to keep everything sharp, Injustice: Gods Among Us PS4 ran at a crisp 1080p, maintaining that 60 frames-per-second target that is the lifeblood of any serious fighter.
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The textures on the suits? You could finally see the mesh.
The Story That Changed the DC Multiverse
Let’s be real: most fighting game stories are garbage. You usually get a series of "I must fight you because we are standing in the same room" moments. Injustice: Gods Among Us PS4 changed that. It gave us a High Councilor Superman who had finally snapped.
The inciting incident is still harrowing. The Joker tricks Superman into killing a pregnant Lois Lane and nuking Metropolis. It’s grim. It’s the kind of stuff that would make a modern executive sweat, but in 2013, it set the stage for a legitimate totalitarian dystopia. This wasn't just a game; it was a narrative that eventually spawned a massive, years-long comic book run by Tom Taylor that expanded the lore even further.
- The "Prime" universe heroes get pulled into the "Injustice" universe.
- We see a Batman who has lost everyone leading a ragtag insurgency.
- Every fight feels like it has stakes because, in this world, characters actually die.
It’s about power. It’s about the thin line between a hero and a tyrant. It’s basically Civil War but with more planet-cracking punches.
Breaking Down the Mechanics (For People Who Hate Fighting Games)
Usually, fighting games feel like you’re trying to learn a new language. You have to memorize "quarter-circle forward" or "Z-motions." Injustice is different. It uses a back-to-block system rather than a dedicated block button. This makes the game feel more like Street Fighter in its movement but with the dial-a-combo DNA of Mortal Kombat.
The Trait System
This is where the game wins. Every character has a "Trait" button (Circle on the PS4 controller).
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- Wonder Woman switches between her lasso and sword/shield.
- The Flash slows down time for everyone but himself.
- Batman calls in mechanical bats to swarm the opponent.
It’s simple. It’s intuitive. It allows a casual player to feel like a superhero without needing to spend 500 hours in the lab practicing frame data. That said, if you want to be a pro, the frame data is there. The competitive scene for this game was massive for a reason. The "Clash" system—where you wager your super meter to regain health or deal damage—added a layer of psychological warfare that most fighters lack.
The Problem with the "Zoning" Meta
Okay, we have to be honest. This game had a problem. Deathstroke.
If you played Injustice: Gods Among Us PS4 online back in the day, you know the pain of a "zoning" character. Deathstroke could sit in the corner and spam guns. It was infuriating. It was arguably broken. While NetherRealm tried to patch it, the game’s legacy is somewhat stained by how powerful projectile characters were compared to "rushdown" characters like Bane or Solomon Grundy.
If you’re playing it today against friends, you’ll likely find yourself screaming at the screen when someone picks Raven or Sinestro and just keeps you at the edge of the screen. It's part of the charm. Or part of the frustration. Probably both.
Does it hold up in 2026?
You’d be surprised. Visually, some of the faces look a little "early PS4 era"—meaning they look a bit like melting wax figures under certain lighting—but the art direction is solid. The armor designs, while very "over-designed" in that early 2010s way, still look cool in motion.
More importantly, the servers are still up. You can still find matches, though you’ll likely run into people who have been playing nothing but this game for twelve years. They will destroy you.
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But as a single-player experience? It’s still one of the best. The S.T.A.R. Labs missions provide hundreds of "mini-games" and challenges that actually teach you how to use the mechanics. It’s a content-rich package that puts modern "live service" games to shame. There are no battle passes here. No daily login bonuses. Just a game you buy and own.
The Verdict on Injustice: Gods Among Us PS4
If you own a PS4 or a PS5 (via backward compatibility), this is a must-play. It’s cheap. It’s frequently on sale for under five bucks. For the price of a coffee, you get a 10-hour cinematic campaign and a roster of 30 characters that are all distinct.
The game doesn't respect your time in a "please play me every day" way; it respects your time by being fun from the second you press start. It’s a relic of a time when superhero media felt like it was taking big, bold risks.
How to Get Started Today
If you’re dusting off the disc or downloading it from the PlayStation Store, here is how you should actually approach it to get the most out of it.
- Start with the Story Mode: Don't jump into online play. You will get cooked. The story mode forces you to play as different characters (Batman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, etc.), which helps you find a "main" naturally.
- Ignore the Tier Lists: In 2026, you aren't going to EVO. Play who you like. If you want to play as Lobo because he rides a space motorcycle, do it. The game is balanced enough for couch co-op fun regardless of who is "top tier."
- Check the S.T.A.R. Labs: These missions are weirdly addictive. Some are platforming levels, some are rhythm games, and some are just brutal combat trials. They are great for short sessions.
- Adjust the Controls: If you’re used to Mortal Kombat 1, go into the settings and turn off "Release Check." It will make your combos feel much more responsive and less "mushy."
The legacy of Injustice: Gods Among Us PS4 isn't just that it was a good game. It's that it proved DC could be dark, mature, and mechanically deep all at once. It paved the way for the sequel, but there's a certain "first-album" energy to the original that the second game never quite captured. It's raw. It's loud. It’s still worth your time.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your library; if you had a PS+ sub years ago, you likely already own the Ultimate Edition.
- Go to the "Options" menu and turn off "Negative Edge" (Release Check) to improve your input accuracy immediately.
- Play through the "Metropolis" stage and trigger the transition by the car—it remains one of the most satisfying animations in fighting game history.