Suicide Squad Kill the Justice league

Welcome back, Rocksteady!

I was practically unaware of who the Suicide Squad were before that 2016 movie. I mean, I had heard the name but never really got involved in one of their storylines in the comic world, as that was the world they primarily inhabited. And I remember hearing more about them in the months to come and finding the concept a little novel, if vapid. It told the tale of a task force of C-list villains, with some B-list thrown in, tied to a secret black-ops task force run by the government wherein they would be forced to undergo countless suicide missions under the promise of a reduced prison sentence. "That sounds like a cool idea!" I thought initially. "But probably more for a single spin-off tale, I can't imagine a concept like this having much legs." (Boy was I wrong.) 4 Years later and people still go on about the latent potential of the Suicide Squad brand, even after that meh movie sucked a lot of wind out of folks sails. It's like DC's own version of the Guardian's of the Galaxy. A relatively unknown superteam, outside from the comic diehards, who shoots their way into the forefront of the mainstream seemingly overnight. I suppose, then, that it shouldn't surprise me that they ended up getting a game.

Rocksteady, arbiters of the Arkham franchise, have deigned to show their face after nearly half a decade in solitude to feed the bat-starved masses once more. This time, however, it is not to tease our latest adventure with the caped crusader and co (that's being handled by Warner Bros. Interactive) No, this game jumps the moral line to put us in the long-awaited shoes of the bad guys; the Suicide Squad. Although, if rumors are to be believed, this wasn't the first idea that Rocksteady had for their Arkham follow up. Yes, despite the tease for the Suicide Squad at the end of Arkham Origins, apparently Rocksteady were deadset on making that Superman game we were all excited for before getting their idea killed by the notoriously fickle arbiters of the DC licence. (You know, the guys who had Deathstroke pulled from the Arrowverse because they might make a movie with him in it someday and they didn't want audiences getting confused?) So now we're stuck with second fiddle (third, if it's true that Gotham Knight's Court of Owls story was knicked from another Rocksteady proposal.) And that's... fine... whatever...

Hey, 'split milk' and all that. Let's count the blessings we have now that Rocksteady are still alive and kicking like I was 90% certain that they weren't. (God, news of their bankruptcy would have been the hardest pill to swallow. I don't think I could have handled that one.) Now we have a new impending action adventure game from a studio proven to be excellent at making them, and this one is noteworthy for boasting an ensemble cast. That's right, just like 'Gotham Knights', Suicide Squad is set to feature several playable characters that can be experienced in co-op play or alone for the entire story. (So is Warner Bros. copying Rocksteady's homework or is it the otherway around?) I must say that I find this new age of co-op rather curious, though completely useless to me, and wonder just how it'll blossom in the gaming age to come.

But let's talk about the game. 'Suicide Squad kill the Justice League' is a game that pretty spells the whole thing out from it's title, but I still want to take the time to acknowledge how good of a title it is. I don't mean the game, I haven't a clue how that's going to turn out thanks to us receiving a grand total of no gameplay whatsoever, I mean the actual title of this game. It's so goofy and silly, bringing to mind the wacky 'Put X character in Y Scenario' formula from the late eighties, ('Earnest goes to camp' and that ilk) whilst conceptual invoking a really messed up scenario where Earth's Mightiest Heroes have been sentenced to death by a ragtag group of antiheros. That title alone highlights so much from the duplicitous, often antagonistic, role of Suicide Squad Project leader Amanda Waller, the irreverent happy-go-lucky vibe of this particular franchise and the sheer absurdity of a bunch of C-tier villains taking on the unbeatable Justice League. It's simply a superb title. 

As for the trailer with which Rocksteady choose to announce this trailer, it was alright: Although conspicuously devoid of actual gameplay. From it we've learnt that we're moving to Metropolis for this game (Finally, out of the shadows of Gotham) and appear to be in the midst of a Brainiac invasion. You see, these were the sorts of high-level threats that I wanted to go up against in a Superman game, glad to see that hasn't entirely gone by the wayside. The Suicide Squad, consisting of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Captain Boomerang and King Shark, all hang around whilst displaying more chemistry then we saw out of our extended time with the Batfamily in the Gotham Knights reveal. (Something feels wrong about that fact.) After showcasing the many ways in which these villains can kill whilst being distinct from each other, our protagonists happen upon their target, whom they're none-too-pleased to learn is Superman. That's right, not Bizzaro, but Superman sporting a purplelish glow implying some sort of Brainiac brain washing. (To which Amanda Waller decided the best cure would be a death sentence. Why did the Justice League put up with her again?)

So here we have a pretty intriguing tale of a David vs Goliath showdown wherein we're going to discover how the Justice League is going to be felled by a clown with a baseball bat, a sentient Shark, A sharpshooter with a superiority complex and a guy who throws boomerangs really good. It's not quite the line-up of the upcoming movie 'The Suicide Squad' (In which everyone is cast), but it's a curious band of mismatched misfits who I'm sure is going to become endearing during our extended time together. And I'm quite sold on finding out how they go about bringing down the Last Son of Krypton, the Princess of Themyscira and the Fastest Man Alive. (And I'm just as excited to see these classic characters rendered in Rocksteady's trademark, accurate yet distinct, style) It's certainly a narrative strong enough to hang a game on and I'm prepared for the ride.

In terms of what the actual gameplay might entail, there we've been left a little in the dark thanks to this largely cinematic trailer, but there have been some additional tidbits. Firstly, yes this is a title in which you can switch between members of the Suicide Squad in order to touch those different playstyles. (It's unsure yet if this switching is as 'on the go' as it could be in Arkham Knight, but I have hope.) Secondly, this is a apparently going to be a shooter as much as a beat-em-up, with each character having as many ranged weapons as melee ones. (Not sure how I feel about that yet) And thirdly, although this could just be marketing speak, apparently each character has as much, or more, nuance and complexity to their movesets as Batman did. Now sure, Rocksteady have thrown us other Arkham characters with their own movesets but they never quite felt as fleshed out as the main man's did. Could Suicide Squad be the game to change that? With the addition of shooting and all the unique skills that could be tied to that, maybe. (I'm just waiting for the inevitable challenge maps that task us with using literally every skill-move on approximately 3 guys.)

Honestly, it's quite surreal to think that after so long without any Superhero games whatsoever we're getting three in three years straight. Avengers for this year, Gotham Knights for next year and 'Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League' for the year after that; what a time to be a Superhero Stan! As a fan of the Arkham games it's great to know that their universe is getting continued by this game (and, crucially, not Gotham Knights) and I'm ecstatic to see the world of DC make it to the digital space practically whole hog. (Yes, I know Injustice exists, but I like seeing these heroes in their proper habitats.) I find it curious how co-op is appearing in literally all these games right now, but I'm not bemoaning it so long as it doesn't get in the way of a solid narrative. Although, judging by Rocksteady's past, I doubt that'll be a problem. The long and short of the DC fandome event? Not a thing has disappointed me yet, except that this game is slated for 2022, that is pretty far out. (Who knows, maybe the wait will be worth it.)