I would like to preface this review by stating that I have played all the Batman Arkham Games (I don’t include Origins due to the fact that it is an abomination of the franchise and abysmally dull). I remember the first time I booted up Arkham Asylum, the first time I entered into Arkham City, defeating the Arkham Knight.
I can honestly say Rocksteady has brought of the greatest DC characters to life in a trilogy (Yes – TRILOGY) of games that redefined the super-hero genre of gaming. It’s an absolute shame that Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League lacks any of magic that made the Arhamverse games so good. However, it’s not quite the disaster people make it out to be.
Set five years after Bruce Wayne faked his death, Metropolis has been taken over by Braniac – a 12th level intellect (voiced magnificently with all the grandeur and hubris of a super intelligent alien by Jason Isaacs) with plans to set his sights on turning Earth into a new version of his home planet.
Out to stop him are the Suicide Squad, made up of Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot and King Shark. This deadly foursome of sociopathic, sub-emotionally intelligent, supervillains have to take down the invader with one massive issue. Braniac has complete control of The Justice League and now the squad of villains must emerge victorious where all other attempts have fallen in vein – beat Earths Greatest Heroes once and for all…and Kill The justice League.
It's the premise that brings the game into question, the follow through that you actually DO have to kill these members of the league that has so many people raging online. Mainly given that, prior to his death, this was Kevn Conroy’s last appearance as the Arkhamverse Batman prior to his death.
I’ll be honest – Suicide Squad is not a good Batman Arkham game. It is however quite a decent lotter shooter. The games sets you up with four dynamically different characters who play very much to their personality; Harleys Quinn leans into her acrobatic skills and flings herself about a grapple gun and a Bat drone, Boomerang uses a speed force gauntlet to whizz around the map in what is DEFINITELY the coolest animation, Deadshot flies about with a jetpack which can be used to gain a vertical advantage on your opponents and King Shark charges around the map using his sheer colossal strength.
As you progress into the story you’ll unlock stronger weapons and better gear as well as the opportunity to gain access to new cosmetics so you can stylise your characters to how you imagine them.
What is perhaps the most exciting part of the game is also the most controversial – taking on League members. Batman, Superman, The Flash and Green Lantern (Wonder Woman, whilst not an ally, is not under Brainiacs influence). What is absolutely frustrating is that this team of C-Grade villains manages to take down some of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe without so much as a scratch.
It's one of the larger flaws of this game –ONE of the Justice League members would and should be enough to vanquish this team of would be Suicide Squad survivors. It’s this very simple thing that ruins the game for most, and it is a very enjoyable game. It’s got plenty of action, lots of good humour, some great dynamics and versality. But this Suicide Squad? They’d be dead the moment they hit the ground in Metropolis!
It’s annoyingly frustrating as, after racking up a few hours, I do want to defend this game for all its positives. It’s actually a good looter-shooter, and if Rocksteady had instead set it outside of the Arkhamverse continuity, it likely would have gone down with far less criticism.
Whilst future seasons of content are still in play, it’s difficult to see right now if Suicide Squad could just pull the impossible and earn itself a redemption. After all, the first movie about Taskforce X did not do so well. But the second, it won back audiences and allowed for the re birth of DC movies.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is available now across all platforms.
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