Slamtastic
Member
Injustice 2 has been announced to feature a "Gear System" that allows you to customize your character.
At first glance, many gamers were reminded of the much maligned Gem System in Street Fighter X Tekken.
In the same manner, Capcom stated they intended to use the Gem System to allow you to make your Ryu different from your opponents.
It's a sound idea and innovative.
But of course, the final game's implementation of the system had several flaws.
- Preorder Gems that were better than the in game earned ones
- Purchased gems that were better than the in game earned ones
- Needing to exit to a separate menu to set your preset before you select it on the character select screen
- Gems that were too slight in effect, being only minor statistical modifiers, and too many of them
The previous game by Injustice 2's developer, Netherrealm Studios, Mortal Kombat X also featured a system that allowed the characters to be different from one another in mirror matches.
With the Variation System, although Scorpion was still Scorpion in his size, movement speed, normal attacks, and some iconic specials like the spear, one player could choose a Scorpion who was better suited for combos up close, while another could choose one that was better for long distance zoning, based on personal preference or situational optimalness.
Which brings me back to Smash Bros 4 WiiU.
The custom moves idea had me more excited once it was announced than anything else or since related tot he game. The potential I felt it had to shake up the series and even the genre conventions was great.
But of course, the implementation was flawed in so many key ways.
- Moves had to be unlocked with a randomized system that takes forever
- Moves had to be set into presets from a dedicated screen before being selected on the character select
- Some moves are much more varied than others (Palutena and the Miis having much more effort put into interesting move choices as a showcase of the system)
- Not usable in online matches with non-friends
- They gave up on the idea completely with the DLC characters
So the question is, why has no one done the idea of move loadouts in a fighting game perfectly yet*?
The criteria is simple:
- All available from the start for local/tournament play
- An interface for assigning moves on the character select screen itself
- Show what moves both players have chosen on the matchup screen prior to the fight starting for long enough that you know what you're up against
Oh wait, a fighting game did come along and was looking like it would do everything I wanted.
It has been canceled.
In an hour and a half we'll see the Injustice 2 gameplay reveal, and perhaps find out that this Gear System is actually a perfectly implemented version of custom moves/a sort of "Kreate-A-Variation" that was just described vaguely/misleadingly by the press release.
But for now I have to lament that the sound idea of player expression through special move customization* in 1v1 fighters has yet to be used in a game well.
*This also doesn't include the myriad of games where you choose a universal system mode like Isms or Grooves, the topic is about custom special moves specifically.
*Lets ignore the assumption that it would create an impossible to be balanced game, as balance has never been the end all be all of a fighter's reception.
