Summary
NetherRealm is, arguably, at the top of its game right now. ThoughMortal Kombat 1has proven to be a tad divisive among franchise fans, it still sold very well, and received a fair amount of critical praise upon its release last year, being just the latest in a long run of great NetherRealm fighting games. Naturally, fans are already speculating on what could come next for the studio, and thoughMortal Kombat 1still has plenty of DLCset to come out, many fans are already longing for a return to theInjusticeseries.
Debuting all the way back in 2013,Injusticesaw NetherRealm take a second crack at the DC universe, though this time they weren’t trading blows with theMortal Kombatcast. Set in a universe where Superman establishes a tyrannical, dystopian government run by superheroes,Injusticefeatured a captivating core premise, and its fighting mechanics were some of the best NetherRealm had ever put out. The series' popularity climbed to new heights with the release ofInjustice 2in 2017, and pretty much ever since then, fans have been asking for a third installment. But while a potentialInjustice 3has an obvious direction ahead of it with the multiverse, it should steer clear.
Injustice 3 Shouldn’t Step Into the Multiverse
NetherRealm’s most recent release,Mortal Kombat 1,introduced the concept of a multiverse to the franchise for the first time. While alternate timelines had already been explored,Mortal Kombat 1was the first to really dive head-first into the notion of alternate realities, each filled with their multiversal versions of belovedMortal Kombatcharacters. Naturally, NetherRealm might want to carry this concept over to the nextInjusticegame, especially with there being a precedent for multiverses inDC comic history, but it should avoid doing that for a few big reasons.
The Multiverse Is Getting Too Saturated
The multiverse, by its very nature, lends itself to an endless stream of unlimited creativity, where absolutely anything and everything is possible. In a comic book setting, this means that classic tropes can be twisted, beloved characters can be transformed, and well-known storylines can be subverted. Unfortunately, many modern-age multiverse stories don’t really live up to that promising premise.
While the multiverse has been a concept in media for decades, it’s gained a newfound wave of popularity thanks in large part to excellent movies likeSpider-Man: Into the Spider-VerseandEverything Everywhere All At Once. However, while these movies do a great job of embracing the multiverse premise and using it to further the action, plot, aesthetic, and character arcs of the movie, they were unfortunately followed by a wave of movies that did not, withthe MCU’sDoctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madnessand DC’sThe Flashbeing severe critical disappointments that failed to explore their multiverse premise in any truly substantial, intriguing way.
It feels as though the multiverse craze in modern media is only just beginning, but due to the sheer volume and disappointing quality of many of these projects, it already feels like many audiences are sick of the multiverse concept altogether. And to make matters worse,Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguehas just failedto use the concept properly in the realm of video games.
Injustice 3 Should Avoid the Multiverse At All Costs
TheInjusticefranchise has already dabbled a little bit in multiverses, with the first game’s plot revolving around the prime DC heroes being suddenly teleported toInjustice’s dystopian Earth-49. ButInjustice’s plot remained compelling by remaining restrained, only bringing together these two universes.Injustice 2stripped things back even further, focusing solely on Earth-49, with the multiverse only being used as a backdrop for the game’s online challenge towers.
Though there’s potential for NetherRealm to fully explore thismultiverse concept forInjustice 3, it would be much better off continuing to pair things back from that original game, delivering another compelling story set solely on Earth-49. Many superhero fans are simply bored of the multiverse, andInjustice 3would run the risk of turning them away if it relied too heavily on it.
Injustice 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Power up and build the ultimate version of your favourite DC legends in INJUSTICE 2.EVERY BATTLE DEFINES YOU: With every match you’ll earn gear to equip, customise and evolve your roster.A NEW THREAT RISES: Picking up where Injustice left off, Batman struggles against Superman’s regime, as a new threat appears that will put Earth’s very existence at risk.THE BEST OF DC: Choose from the biggest DC Universe roster ever and battle across iconic locations in epic-scale battles.BUILT BY NETHERREALM: Developers of the best-selling and critically acclaimed MORTAL KOMBAT franchise.
