Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

A Chaotic, Flawed, but Entertaining Adventure

Game Introduction

In Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Rocksteady Studios’ creators of the bestselling Batman: Arkham series take on a drastic new genre for an all-new task force of super-villains. You as the game player of this third-person perspective action-adventure shooter game, set in the city of Metropolis, home to one of the most famous superheroes, and you’re a villain with only one thing on your mind: chaos. On a suicide mission to defeat the brainwashed Justice League, the game promises high-octane action, dark comedy, and an unconventional take on the DC Universe. But does it practice what it preaches? Let’s dive into the details.

Gameplay: Chaos in Metropolis

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League offers a third-person shooter based around movement and agility, with an emphasis on parkour and traversal contributing to the game’s feel. On top of that, there is a healthy amount of team-based battles. The game will allow players to play as one of four central members of the Suicide Squad — Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark. Every one of them comes with a distinctive method of fighting and moving, so each switch between characters feels fresh and worthwhile as you master another fighting style. With their different playstyles and powers, the gameplay feels layered and fresh throughout.

• Harley Quinn is a nimble, acrobatic character who hangs from the grappling hook and swings over the city, continuously beating down her enemies with a baseball bat and explosives.
• Deadshot is the precision shooter of the band, rocking a jetpack to get around and a ton of guns to get the job done.
• Captain Boomerang uses a speed force gauntlet (originally belonging to The Flash) that allows him to teleport short distances and throw explosive boomerangs at his foes.
• King Shark serves as the team’s tank, smashing through enemies and objects with his brute strength and jumping powers.

Players travel around Metropolis, an expansive world, completing missions to save the city from Brainiac’s Legion of robot minions. Missions include saving civilians and wiping out enemy strongholds, large boss battles against the Justice League. The action is lightning fast and smooth, combining both gunplay, melee attacks, and special attacks to take on tons of enemies.

The shining star! The game’s brand-new traversal system that lets the game players zip, fly, and bound around the city in their free time. The play mechanics for each character are tight and responsive, adding a kinetic, visceral feel to the exploration and fighting in the game. Players can also scavenge weapons, gear, and mods to create, improve, and customize their loaded skills, and gear means an entirely new experience every time.

The gameplay, however, is not without its issues. Mission design can get a little repetitive – many are simply “defeat waves of enemies” or “destroy this object”. Also, the AI-controlled squad members can be a little dull occasionally, especially if you’re playing alone, given that a few of the encounters cease to be much fun when there isn’t a human alongside you calling out orders.

Story Narrative: A Dark and Twisted Tale

The narrative of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is one of its biggest strengths. Taking place many years after Batman: Arkham Knight, it is set in the same continuity as the Arkham series by the same publisher. Brainiac has taken control of Earth, brainwashed the Justice League, and turned them into his enforcers. They are ordered by Amanda Waller, the sex-crazed ruler of Task Force X, to break into Metropolis and kill the absolute forces of Superman.

There’s a lot of dark humor, some very emotional moments, and many twists you won’t see coming. The camaraderie between the Squad members is on point as each member of the team has unique personalities and quirks. Harley Quinn’s salty wildness, Deadshot’s cold professionalism, Captain Boomerang’s lowbrow humor, and King Shark’s Peter Pan pleasure principle make for a lively and engaging group.

Brainiac has taken control of the Justice League, which serves as the game’s major antagonist. Every time you encounter a member of the League, it is a boss-battle assignment: high-stakes battles with mechanics and trials. For example, players have to sidestep around The Flash’s super-speed to beat him, and similarly use a technique to get over Superman’s invulnerability.

There is also redemption, sacrifice, and what it means to be a hero. When the Squad begins the mission, they do so for the bombs in their heads, but along the way, you can see the group bond and grow to enjoy what they’re doing, which is why even if they are never mentioned again after this issue it hasn’t been a pointless journey for them.

Graphics and Sound: A Visual and Auditory Feast

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is the most stunning video game in the action and adventure genre, from a visual standpoint, a chance for Rocksteady to boast about how it has mastered the task of creating intricate, detailed worlds full of things to see and compelling vistas. Metropolis is a bustling big city with high-rise buildings, flashing neon lights, and foreign cars. The environments are rich and detailed with interactive weather, breakables, and scale that brings life to the city.

The character designs are incredible too, and everyone in every member of the Squad and Justice League looks as good as you can see! The nifty thing is, even the animations blend together without a hiccup, be it Harley Quinn’s acrobatic back flips or King Shark’s skull-crushing power slams. It also comes with various graphical upgrades, such as ray tracing for more realistic lighting and reflection, as well as a particle system for even more spectacular explosions and effects.

However, the sound is just as good and goes without mention. It has some top-flight voice-acting performances, particularly Tara Strong as Harley and Debra Wilson as Waller. Every gunshot from Deadshot’s sniper rifle to the thunderous impact of King Shark’s fists lands with an impactful thud, and the sound effects are immersive. The Original Soundtrack mixes together the orchestral score by Nick Arundel and David Buckley, and the game ambiance with a touch of electronic sounds.

Replayability and Content: A Mixed Bag

Despite the gameplay loop itself being a bit thin in terms of repeatability, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is decidedly not short on content. It also has a ton of content available, the story by itself being pretty large, usually taking 10-12 hours to beat, and with side missions and challenges galore throughout the city. These missions include things like hostage rescues, collectible pickups, and even elite enemy squad takedowns.

The game’s multiplayer mode lets up to 4 players join up for missions. Although this gives you something to come back to, the missions themselves aren’t varied enough to stop the game from feeling repetitive. The loot and the customization options for the characters give you something to work toward, but the battle for better loot may leave some feeling battered and bruised.

Verdict

Genre and Platforms

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is an action-adventure third-person shooter with open-world elements. It is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The game was released on February 2, 2024, and has since sparked mixed reactions from players and critics alike.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League System Requirements