Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League Review (PS5)
Summary: Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League fails to the hit the Bullseye like previous Batman Games from Rocksteady Studios
3
Missed the target!
Developers Rocksteady Studios from the Batman Arkham series return to the DC Universe in their latest title – Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League that is still set in the same universe and takes place five years after the events of Batman Arkham Knight. Needless to say, things have hit the fan for both the heroes and villains of Earth courtesy of an invasion by the super villain known as Braniac that has left the world torn asunder.
So in a universe where the Justice League would save the day, they have been corrupted by this villain, however not all is lost for humanity as Amanda Waller of Task Force X fame has called upon her Suicide Squad to “save the day” that includes Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark and Captain Boomerang. So it’s up to the player or 4 players via co-op to defeat Braniac and his army in order to take back planet Earth – however the Justice League must also be defeated!
Set in Metropolis, this co-op shooter is a very different experience to the Batman games from Rocksteady Studios as the narrative and gameplay is quite distinct which makes this Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League a totally different game. Graphically, the post-apocalyptic world of Metropolis is a mixed bag that at times looks amazing and on the flip side, a little bland but hey… Brainiac and his minions have caused mass destruction.
Nonetheless, the characters which are modelled and animated well mirror their comic counterparts. The enemies do feel very generic but the Justice League successfully pay homage to their comic versions well – they just don’t stick around. Further supporting the narrative is the professional voice acting that cannot be faulted but unfortunately it’s let down by the story of this DC world gone bad.
However if you’re a fan of the comics, you will feel a very large disconnect between this story because this is not the DC Universe of your parents which makes it more akin to an Elseworlds (e.g. Multiverse) story. So while the themes are dark in Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, there is some of that classic Suicide Squad humour injected into game that helps, especially the natural banter between them. Further, this is Kevin Conroy’s final time in voicing Batman as the actor unfortunately passed away in November 2022 and if you make it to the final credits, there is a wonderful tribute to him – so kudos to Rocksteady for that moment.
As to the gameplay, the game starts with a tutorial as you are taught the pros and cons of each member of the Suicide Squad member (including controls) before getting to choose your primary character. While the graphics seem very Spartan at the start, thankfully this starts to change as you make progress but then something that should have been great starts to wear thin. If you’re a fan of the Justice League and without spoiling the game as the Internet has already done a fantastic job at that, the characterisation of the supporting cast starts to feel lacklustre and the way some of the league are defeated was quite disappointing to say the least.
The other aspect is that the game starts to become a grind very early on and it all feels very repetitive, particularly as the combat is quite limited as it feels like you are just fighting in the streets and roof tops of Metropolis. Your primary character can also “level” up as you progress and if you are not playing with friends or family, the game controls the other Suicide Squad members and playing this game solo or with friends, I must admit that the latter is much more enjoyable one, although still doesn’t save itself from the grinding aspect. Apart from the main missions, there are side quests to help give you a break, including various power-ups and items that can be found throughout your adventure. All in all, it is sorely lacking when compared to the other amazing Rocksteady Batman games.
Final Thoughts?
As a huge DC Comics fan, I had high hopes in this game but unfortunately it missed a shot that Deadshot would not – in that, Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League feels underwhelmed, even though the world’s greatest heroes and anti-heroes are present. Mediocre best sums up this game and thankfully the main campaign can be completed in around 10-hours.
Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League is currently available on PC , PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X
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