NetherRealm Studios is known for the highly stylized violence that punctuates its fighting games. TheMortal Kombatfranchise has amplified its grisly bone fractures and decapitations since its early 90s arcade days, which are now realized with life-like fidelity in each animation. However,other NetherRealm IPs such asInjusticedo not share a propensity for violence in the same capacity.
Of course, fighting games will incur violence to some extent. But theInjusticefranchise, for example, manages to subdue NetherRealm’s graphic tendencies in order to fit the atmosphere of DC’s superheroes and supervillains; rather, it would feel out of place to see Wonder Woman kill Green Arrow, it is canon that Batman does not kill, and so forth. Interestingly though, it appears that there were in fact plans to add more deadly finishers at some point inInjustice 2’s development that would mimic a feature fromMortal Kombat.
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In what may be a surprise to many fans, YouTuber ermaccer has shared a video of “Unused Brutalities” discovered withinInjustice 2. In the video, ermaccer showcases that there were leftover animations produced for Aquaman, Supergirl, and Superman that show remnants of such Brutalities. These animation scripts are unfinished and were likely datamined fromInjustice 2’s internal source, but they offer a peek at othercreative finishers that could have been part ofInjustice 2.
Aquaman’s Brutality inInjustice 2has no animation for the character himself, but there is a reaction animation for his opponent, Supergirl, who writhes on the ground. Supergirl and Superman, however, have more fully fleshed out animations for their planned Brutalities. Supergirl’s throw sends Harley Quinn into the air before she plummets back down and is embedded halfway into the ground while upside-down with her legs flailing. Meanwhile, Superman fires three beams of heat-vision at Deadshot before Deadshot is seemingly incinerated and collapses.
Brutalities are unique finisher animations inMortal Kombatthat perform differently to Fatalities. Instead of performing a simple input combination in the short window of time after the opponent’s health is depleted, players must have completed a series of rigorous gameplay demands beforehand in the match, and must then land a specific hit as the final blow. As such, it looks like Superman’s heat-vision and Supergirl’s throw would have been the final hits needed to perform their respective Brutalities.
BecauseInjusticeexists within DC’s property and does not have the same graphic leniency thatMortal Kombatis allowed,Injustice 2’s Brutalities would probably not have been as gruesome or gory as they are in recentMortal Kombatentries. But even without geysers of blood and dismemberment, there would still be a potential for creative death animations witheachInjusticecharacter’s unique superpowers and abilities.
Injustice 2is currently playable on Mobile, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
