When Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was first unveiled, fans were buzzing with excitement—finally, a game that promised chaos, camaraderie, and carnage, all wrapped up in the unhinged charm of DC’s most infamous antiheroes.
The chance to step into the shoes of notorious antiheroes and villains was tempting, stoking fans’ excitement.
After a series of delays, with developers insisting the extra time was needed to polish the game to perfection, anticipation only grew.
But when Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League finally dropped, players were left scratching their heads, wondering what the hold up had been. After all that, the final product just seems….underwhelming.
Bloomberg dubbed it “the biggest video game flop of the year.” That seems a little dramatic, but last month, gaming publisher Eurogamer reported that Rocksteady, the game’s developer laid off more than half of its staff do to Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League‘s poor commercial landing.
Let’s dive into Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League and ask the real question: was it truly that bad? Or did it fall victim to hype it could never live up to?
The Suicide Squad
Surely, you’ve heard of the Suicide Squad by now.
From the chaotic allure of the 2016 blockbuster to James Gunn’s critically acclaimed sequel, the group of misfit antiheroes has firmly cemented its place in pop culture.
With staples like King Shark, Floyd Lawton (Deadshot), Captain Boomerang, and an ever-changing lineup of morally ambiguous recruits, the Squad is the antithesis to the Justice League’s squeaky-clean heroism.
The most notable character in Suicide Squad is Harley Quinn. The eccentric character was originally introduced as The Joker’s girlfriend but has slowly become much more within the DC universe.
The Suicide Squad operates as Amanda Waller’s specialized task force for executing the U.S. government’s most perilous and covert missions. In exchange for tackling these high-risk tasks, members earn reduced prison sentences—or even the possibility of freedom.
The Suicide Squad has been featured in numerous comic series, animated shows, two live-action films, and now, the much-discussed video game.
Meet the Misfits
In the game, you begin by being introduced to each member of the Squad. You’re playing as four members: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang, and King Shark.
Each character has different kinds of controls with alternate strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately, they have the same capabilities: They can all travel long distances via different modes of transport and use short-range and long-range weapons.
The game is action RPG style, so there are cut scenes, and the characters often speak to one another. The fighting style can be chaotic, but it’s not unusual and the learning curve isn’t too steep.
How the Chaos Unfolds
The game opens with the Squad navigating some unknown disaster, only to later rewind and reveal the full story, providing context to their mission and the chaos surrounding them.
The squad has tasked with taking down the iconic Justice League, including Superman and Wonder Woman, who have fallen under Brainiac’s mind control—a classic Superman villain with a sinister agenda.
The Promise of Mayhem: Expectations Set High
For all intents and purposes, this game should have been a smash hit. Instead, it has awful customer reviews and a 5/10 on IGN.
But was it really that bad?
Well, it depends on what you were expecting from the game. As I said before, the game featured a chaotic fighting style that allows you to switch between characters, but that design is clunky at best.
At the beginning of the game, you’re given the rundown on the controls for each character. But they’re so wildly different that it makes it difficult to remember. Not to mention, the numerous glitches and bugs will have you questioning whether the game was worth the price tag.
But most of all, the game feels unfinished. That makes the $70 price point feel kind of outrageous, which is why many fans waited until it went on sale. That price also only added gamers’ already-high expectations.
To be honest, developer Rocksteady should take note: $70 is more than gamers want to pay for a game just overall, in general. Regardless of how buggy the game was or how predictable the plot line is, when a game debuts to 300 players on Stream, might want to reconsider if you can really charge top dollar.
The story is engaging once you get into it, though it can feel a bit predictable if you’re a die-hard DC fan. That said, it’s not a major drawback for everyone, and it certainly wasn’t for me.
Final Thoughts
The game has intense moments, from within the story, voice acting, and characters.
However, it comes across disjointed and unpolished—which is shocking, in a bad way—from the studio that gave us the Batman Arkham trilogy.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s a total bust like some gamers do. The game’s hype may have set expectations a little too high. But I will say, personally, I wouldn’t shell out $70 for it knowing what I know now.
If you can snag Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League at a discounted price, I’d say go for it. Enjoy the ride.
Otherwise, maybe sit this one out and wait for another Suicide Squad game to hit the stores.
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This article is for informational purposes only. Trendy Matters has no affiliation with any of the brands or individuals mentioned, and the views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
