The Multiverse is at war, and it's our job to recruit, strengthen, and train the soldiers that will fight for its preservation—soldiers that consist of some of the greatest and most notorious heroes and villains from throughout DC Comics history!
This is the premise of Infinite Crisis, the new Multiple Online Battle Arena (MOBA) video game developed by Turbine and published Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment. The game went into open beta last Friday, and we couldn't wait to log on and check it out. Once we got that first taste, we were hooked. In fact, at first, it upset us that we had to break way from our playing time to write this week’s article, and we were seconds away from invoking an old Shadowpact spell to curse the Internet itself when we realize something: we could use this article to spread the word about the game!
Also, cursing the Internet would mean we wouldn't be able to play more, so there's that.
Anyway, terrifyingly close to complete anarchy from total global Internet outage aside, from fun gameplay and amazing characters to unlimited future potential and cool collectibles, here's 5.2 Reasons to Join the Fight in Infinite Crisis!
1. Free-to-Play
Coming right out the gate with this one: "Infinite Crisis" is free-to-play, as in it costs nothing for you to sign up and give the game a go. It's a growing trend among online PC games and it's one we as fans fully embrace. It costs nothing to play the game, and the only time you ever need to spend real money is if you want to purchase special items like alternate costumes, of which there are quite a few that are totally worth it. Pajama Party Harley Quinn, Clark Kent Superman, and Krampus Nightmare Batman, just to name a few!
2. Heroes and Villains of the DC Universe
The amount of characters already available is staggeringly awesome. Of course they have the heavy hitters: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Aquaman and Green Lantern. But there are also villains like the Joker, Harley and Doomsday, and heroes pulled from slightly deeper within the roster like Zatanna, Cyborg and Shazam! These are just the Prime characters. There are also their Multiverse counterparts...
3. Heroes and Villains of the Multiverse
As mentioned, the premise of the game focuses on a threat to the entire Multiverse, so not only do we get to play as the familiar version of DCU heroes and villains, but also alternate reality versions. Thus far, we have the Nightmare World, home to a vampire Batman; the Atomic Universe, a post-apocalyptic realm housing Atomic Wonder Woman and Atomic Poison Ivy; a reality of Mechas with Superman and Wonder Woman; and the steampunk world of Gaslight, where you can find Gaslight Batman, Catwoman and Joker.
4. Gameplay
The game plays very similar to most MOBAs, so there's a familiarity to it that makes it quickly enjoyable. Even if you've never played a MOBA before, once you get over the slight learning curve, it's a lot of fun. Of course, there's practice mode for newcomers and we're hosting a series of MOBA 101 features right here on DCComics.com to help newcomers learn the style of the game and how certain characters play.
That last bit though, about how characters play, that's the real fun. All those alternate reality versions of our favorite characters? They're not just simple skins. They're fully realized characters with completely different play styles that fit to their specific world and backstory. Nightmare Batman plays different from Prime Batman who is different from Gaslight Batman. The best benefit of this is that you can still play as your favorite hero or villain and play in a style that's suited to you, whether it be as a bruiser or a marksman or an assassin.
5. A Multiverse of Possibilities
Of course, this is all just the beginning. There's a lot more characters we'd love to see—and even more exciting, there's a lot more of the Multiverse still left to explore. There's costume possibilities like Red Son Superman, characters like Mary Marvel and Black Adam (guys... please make those two happen), and realities like Earth 3 or the DC Comics—The New 52 Earth 2!
5.1 Elseworld Tales are Awesome!
5.2 The DC Collectibles Statues Look GORGEOUS!
Have you tried Infinite Crisis yet? Let us know your thoughts on the game so far, and what some of your favorite Elseworld/DC Comics alternate reality tales are! To sign up for Infinite Crisis and to start playing today, visit http://www.infinitecrisis.com.
