Rocksteady release excels in concept but fails in gameplay ‘squad’ goals

The newest outing for Rocksteady has proven quite divisive amongst D.C. fans, to say the least. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has finally released, and with it, has come a plethora of opinions. The game has received a wide range of reviews from IGN, from a 5/10 to it scoring a 9/10 on Steam. Does it live up to expectations? Is it another mediocre D.C. game, similar to the likes of Gotham Knights?

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was initially announced in August of 2020, with a trailer following that announcement shortly afterwards. Many who saw the trailer believed the premise seemed fascinating, with the Suicide Squad being a well known group at this point and the idea of them taking on and killing the Justice League. It seemed like a bold and creative new concept that perfectly fit the zany world the Suicide Squad often inhabits. 

However, as the game drew nearer to being released, certain flaws were spotted in gameplay footage that had people worried. One of the most significant causes of concern was the inclusion of a battle pass. In a battle pass system, as the player progresses, they go through a road map of reward. If players pay for the premium version of the battle pass, they receive more rewards, such as cosmetics or emotes. This way of progression, popularized by games like Fortnite, has come under scrutiny by many for its overuse within modern games. Nonetheless, the game finally released for those who bought the deluxe edition on January 30, 2024 and February 2 for people who purchased the standard edition. 

One of the most notable points about the game emanates from the plot and characters. Vibrant personalities jar to display as the story progresses. Each character has their own unique qualities that tend to clash with each other, creating an energetic atmosphere. One character in particular, Captain Boomerang (voiced by Daniel Lapaine), brings a comedic edge to each scene with his chaotic energy. That being said, each member of Task Force X is assembled for their expertise as well as their perceived expendability. Initially, each member is brought out of prison and confronted by Amanda Waller, who tricks them into placing bombs in their necks. The group of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark, and the aforementioned Captain Boomerang are debriefed by Amanda Waller about the insurmountable situation they have found themselves in. 

As the title suggests, the Justice League play an integral part in a game about killing them; however, Brainiac has invaded Metropolis, and with that, he has mind controlled several members of the League. Task Force X is given a nearly unconquerable objective, kill the Justice League. Without any options, TFX is ordered to find the Flash, one of the few heroes who was able to avoid Brainiac’s control. Yet, once they find the Flash, he has been badly beaten by a mind controlled Green Lantern. TFX attempts to evacuate Flash from the area, but they are soon confronted by a mind controlled Batman who promptly disarms them and kidnaps Flash. This moment properly sets the rest of the game in motion.

One of the more notable points of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is the fact it was developed by Rocksteady, the developer that worked on the Batman: Arkham series of games. Despite that fact, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League feels vastly different than those titles. The gameplay is built around the variety of guns each character can acquire and use. The combat feels very chaotic, which isn’t necessarily surprising, but in some instances it can make it hard to focus on what's going on. Yet, the chaos also brings an entertaining edge to the game as well as it makes cooperating as a team (if the player chooses to play with other people) a very unique experience. 

Each character also has quite the unique way of traversing. Deadshot has a jetpack that he can use to not only fly through the air to get from building to building, but also to hover in the air to keep above opponents. Harley Quinn has a Bat drone and a grappling hook she stole from the Hall of Justice, and she uses the drone to swing around from and uses the grappling hook similarly to how Batman used it in the Arkham games, grappling from building top to building top. King Shark leaps from building to building, using his height to crush his enemies from above. Finally, Captain Boomerang acquired a speed force gauntlet, which allows him to move through the world at super speed, mainly by throwing his boomerang and chasing it down. 

All in all, each character benefits from their own unique style and abilities, and this makes playing each character something well worth doing. Yet, despite the praise towards the gameplay, when it comes to mission variety, the game severely lacks. Most missions within the game follow one of four formulas: escort a payload, protect an objective, destroy an objective, and defeat waves of enemies. This repetition in missions is something that can definitely make the game drag and feel dull, which is quite a shame considering how fun the gameplay can be at times. 

Another gripe with the game is the length of the story mode. Spoilers ahead for those who don’t want to see them. Considering the game has “Kill the Justice League” in the title, it could be assumed the game would focus heavily on conflict with the Justice League. Yet, as the game goes along and each member of the Justice League is defeated, it lacks the climactic feeling it should have. Each member, from the Flash to Superman, is dealt with in the same way, a small boss fight that ends with a cutscene where the super hero is shot by a respective member of Task Force X. Even in the case of Superman, this ultimate being who is shown to kill Wonder Woman, he is dealt with in a boss fight with two phases. The game, in that way, lacks a lot of the emotion and feeling most people would expect from something as crazy as killing the Justice League. 

Overall, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a game that has unique elements to it. The game has already announced that it will add members to the Squad as time goes on, the first of which being the Joker. So it's clear the game will continue to improve and offer a plethora of reasons to continue to invest time into it. So players will have to decide if the promise of more content will keep them invested.

The game shines in many areas, though it is ultimately bogged down by monotony. Not worth the asking price, but a solid game nonetheless.

Grade: B+

by Jacob Stinski

Published febuary 26 2024

Oshkosh West Index volume 120 issue V