Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Game Review – Underwhelms

The internet loves nothing more than to make Mount Kilimanjaro out of a molehill. Granted, Rocksteady Studios’ Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League shot itself in the foot over the years, but the narrative of this looter shooter being nothing short of an unmitigated disaster dominated the headlines before anyone had a chance to install the game. In the end, it’s a mixed bag, but terrible? Nah.

Set in the Arkhamverse, specifically five years after the events of Batman: Arkham Knight, Amanda Waller assembles the Suicide Squad – featuring Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark – and sends them to Metropolis to stop Brainiac who has brainwashed the members of the Justice League into his slaves. Realizing the threat to be more powerful than initially predicated, Waller instructs the Task Force X to kill the Justice League. It isn’t like they have much of a choice either since Waller can detonate the bombs in their brains if they refuse.

Outstanding designs in a beautiful but unremarkable world

Rocksteady nails the character designs in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The studio pushes the boundaries of current-gen technology to deliver some of the most realistic faces and costumes yet, finding a way to pay homage to the Arkhamverse but also establish its own aesthetic. In fact, the high level of detail extends to the blemishes on the characters’ skin and tiny accessories on their weapons.

Metropolis also makes for a striking setting for the action, as it possesses its own distinctive charm and mood compared to the Arkhamverse’s Gotham City. While it looks good, Metropolis feels more like a battle arena than an intricate world to get lost in like New York City in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 or even Gotham from Gotham Knights. After a few hours in the game, every rooftop or street starts to look the same as it’s dominated by Brainiac’s alien goons. It’s a bummer because the potential is there, but it’s clear this game isn’t about exploration.

All-action all the time

Not a lot of people were convinced about the third-person looter-shooter approach initially. However, Rocksteady makes it work in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Borrowing ideas from other games in the genre, the studio doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it uses what’s known to work and applies its own twist to it.

The action never drops below manic and fast-paced. In the beginning, the combat mechanics appear simplistic with traditional shooting and melee attacks but stick with it. As the game unfolds, more weapons and abilities unlock, as does the potential to further shape and upgrade playing styles. Also, each character has their own specific strengths and weaknesses, so it’s a good idea to switch between them for different sections and challenges. For example: Deadshot is an excellent marksman, while King Shark is a total powerhouse, so it’s best to use the former when blasting opponents from a distance, while the latter proves useful for clearing a crowded area of enemies.

Before the game’s release, much was made about the traversal ability of the characters. Admittedly, this is where players may find frustration in getting around Metropolis. While each character possesses their own unique traversal ability, there is a limit to how far it extends. Deadshot’s jetpack will overheat if used for too long, while Harley can’t simply swing around the city endlessly. At some point, they need to stop for a beat, and one wonders if catching a bus wouldn’t be faster. Fortunately, the distance between missions isn’t as long as in the Arkham games, so there’s that.

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Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League entertains but underwhelms

From a story point-of-view, any DC fan should know what to expect here. While there are people losing their minds on social media about certain revelations (as always), the twists and endings should surprise no viewer of recent comic book movies – in fact, it’s surprising that people are surprised, but alas, comic book fandom learned all the wrong lessons from Star Wars fanatics. The narrative is entertaining, if not sensational or memorable, but it’s the dialogue and voice acting that keep the player engaged in the missions. The characters constantly quip with each other and it’s hilarious to hear how they try to deal with the mounting problems.

When all is said and done, though, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League underwhelms, especially after such a long wait for its release. There are bursts of fun, but they aren’t sustainable in the long run. A few hours in, the gameplay starts to feel repetitive and the enemies blur into one. It’s a slog to get to the finale, and it isn’t like the payoff makes it worthwhile in the end. Rocksteady promised regular updates to the game, including the Joker as a new playable character, but there’s a genuine fear this could turn into another Marvel’s Avengers where everyone loses interest in this title after a few months. While not the disaster many predicted, this game isn’t fit to lace the boots of any of the Arkham titles.