Square-Enix vs. DC Universe

Square-Enix vs. DC Universe is a crossover Action Role-Playing Fighting game developed and published by Square-Enix in collaboration with NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game features characters from both Square-Enix's video game franchises and DC comic book characters as part of their figure arts deal, including alternate character skins featured in the DCEU and game director/designer, Tetsura Numora's Variant Play Arts Kai action figure collection. Newcomers Ursula and Mechabre from Square-Enix's Capcom-partnered game of the same name also appear as playable characters.

Additionally, the game utilizes a hybrid Action-Fighting system, using both NetherRealm's 2.5D fighting engine (Mortal Kombat, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Mortal Kombat X) and Square-Enix's Action-Battle RPG system featured in latter Final Fantasy titles as part of a continuous round feature with two life bars, similar to Killer Instinct. It's also the first NetherRealm Studios fighting game to make use of Unreal Engine 4.

The game was released on January 9, 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows.

Plot
After exiling Exdeath and thwarting the Void's consumption of Apokolips, Darkseid and Brainiac once again wage war on earth along with their army of parademons. When the Justice League arrive in Metropolis to fight the invading Apokoliptian forces, Exdeath emerges from the Void, reborn as Neo Exdeath, along with recruited allies in an attempt to overthrow Darkseid and seek revenge. As the two mad titans get ready to wage war with one another, the Void incidentally merges Apokolips with earth after coming into contact with Darkseid's Mother Box.

With Apokolips and the human world set on a one-way collision course, it's up to the heroes from both realms to stop the two Gods and their armies.

Gameplay
Square-Enix vs. DC Universe is a Fighting Action Role-Playing game that features many mechanics, both from traditional NetherRealm fighters, such as Mortal Kombat and Injustice: Gods Among Us, as well as a host of new features. First, the game's fighting mechanics feature 2.5D graphics with each fighter having their own unique moves and skillsets similar to NetherRealm fighting games. Each character also has a Hyper Meter which can be used to perform special moves and disrupt combos by performing a counter at the cost of meter, another feature returning from NetherRealm fighting games.

New to the series, however, is the new Dual Fight system. Each battle starts out in a standard 2.5D fighting game format with 2 life meters, similar to Killer Instinct and Injustice: Gods Among Us. After a fighter's health bar is drained, the game reverts to an Action-Battle RPG system featured in newer Final Fantasy games (Dissidia, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy XV) with both players given free reign to move around the level. While in the Action Role-Playing format, combatants from each side are given unique controls from their respective trademark franchise, Square-Enix's characters using Final Fantasy XV/VII Remake 's control scheme and DC's characters using the control scheme from the Arkham games. Each style has their advantages and disadvantages against each other. For example, DC's characters can counter moves easier, using the exact same "Counter" mechanic from the Arkham series (albeit without the annotations) and do so without draining meter and perform more sophisticated melee combos. Conversely, Square-Enix's characters can dodge/parry moves more effectively, albeit at the cost of MP (of which DC fighters are exempt), generally use superior Limit Breaks (Square-Enix roster's equivalent to special moves, per DC's side) and have more fluid character movements.

Square-Enix vs. DC Universe also makes use of character-assisted moves and slams. Each character can perform up to three unique assists or double/triple team attacks (X-Strike attacks and Tag Team Takedowns as they're referred to by the Square-Enix and DC rosters, respectively), each with a different character that's specific to each fighter. Counters can also be countered in and of themselves if executed at the right time, even in a continuous cycle until a fighter successfully hits an attack.