The much-anticipated Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League by Rocksteady Studios has entered the gaming arena with its unique blend of a live service-like structure and familiar gameplay in an expansive open world – complete with its controversial online-only requirements. The game, set a few years after the events of Rocksteady’s celebrated Arkham Knight, plunges players into a chaotic Metropolis that’s been overrun by Brainiac-controlled Justice League members. In this review, we’ll explore the game’s premise, gameplay, and overall presentation to see if the wait was worth it.
The narrative of Suicide Squad revolves around Task Force X, consisting of Harley Quinn, King Shark, Deadshot, and Captain Boomerang, who are on a mission to eliminate the Justice League that is under Brainiac’s influence. Unlike Square’s take on Marvel’s Avengers, which always struggled with this notion, Suicide Squad embraces its live-service nature from the start, offering co-op play for every mission after the opening sequence for those who want it. The city of Metropolis, which is huge and was beautifully designed for this game, provides a thrilling narrative and visual backdrop to the intense action.
The storytelling is marked by its bold and mature approach, featuring an R-rated tone with impactful writing and dialogue. The occasional profanity and strong language will not be to everyone’s taste, but it adds depth to the narrative and fits the bad guy theme, while being complemented by stellar voice acting. The game’s structure, which isn’t too unlike how Bungie does it with Destiny 2, seamlessly integrates co-op play without compromising the solo experience – which is no doubt how many Arkham fans will want to play this. However, the limited mission variety poses a potential drawback, requiring attention from the developers to keep the experience fresh over time. This may fit well with the live service nature of the game, but can hamper the enjoyment for those who want to play this as a one-time narrative experience.
The gameplay in Suicide Squad is a standout feature, with each character offering a unique traversal style in addition to having their own combat moves. From Deadshot’s jetpack to Harley Quinn’s grappling gun and King Shark’s super leaps, the variety keeps the experience engaging. The game’s verticality is emphasized, with missions regularly taking place in the open Metropolis air amidst Brainiac’s minions. The combat, characterized by smooth movement and precise aiming, stands out as excellent – which is good news for those who enjoyed Rocksteady’s previous work.
The inclusion of a deep and yet easy to grasp loot system adds another layer to the game. Crafting, tweaking, and grinding for loot are integral aspects of the experience, catering to fans of the genre without going too heavy on these systems for those just want to get on with the story. The combination of diverse weapons and powers, coupled with the ability to switch between characters at will, creates a dynamic and enjoyable combat experience – though the aforementioned potential repetitiveness of mission types is a common challenge in games of this type, especially at launch, and this one’s no different.
Visually, Suicide Squad is a stunning game, running at a mostly smooth 60fps. The frequent destruction you’ll see around the city, as well as the unique portrayal of several iconic DC heroes, contributes to its visual appeal and a vibrant Metropolis as well. We should also see more (free) episodic content in the form of seasons over time – though we consider this to be a risky move. Marvel’s Avengers did a similar thing, but had lost a lot of its player base by the time some of its later stories came out.
Despite some worries that surround it at launch, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League emerges as a strong contender in the live-service gaming space, offering a visually impressive, narratively engaging, and dynamically playable experience. The game’s strengths, including fantastic gameplay by Rocksteady and a well-executed loot system, outweigh its limited mission variety and online server-related challenges. As a live-service title, its true potential lies in post-launch updates, and time will tell if Rocksteady can sustain and enhance the game over the long term. For enthusiasts of looter-focused titles, this entry is a commendable addition to the genre and DC fans will have a blast with it either way, as it’s a solid return to Rocksteady’s Arkham universe.
Score: 7.5/10
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