So I was in a good mood yesterday and posted something about a topic that I love. Which I don't get to do so very often because the good in the world only really gets to be highlighted in one brilliant blaze in order to stand out and speak entirely for itself, whereas the spinning wheels of burning trash are unfortunately destined to draw attention to themselves. And even though I don't think that Suicide Squad is going to be as pathetic of a failure as it probably deserves to be- I know it's going to crash and burn just as well as anyone with their head on straight does. But as this is such a universal slam fail- it's constantly surprising to me the extents that Warner Bros are going to convince, at this point only themselves, that they have a chance in hell to steer a game that no one wants through the storm. After pretty much showing their hand and proving everyone so resounding right.
Firstly, I remember a comment made a scant few weeks ago about the direction of Rocksteady in the future and how they were committed to this new Suicide Squad direction- you remember that? 'Don't hold your breath for the next Arkham game!' they said 'we really do kill the Justice League!' A bold sentiment, and an attempt to try and get those that love the Arkham universe to subscribe to this new status quo, to see where the game goes narratively if nothing else. But I immediately saw through that and said the team would be walking back that stance and making this an Elseworld's story in no time flat. Seems my only mistake there was assuming they would have to release the game before turning tail, because as it turns out we didn't even have to wait that long. Suicide Squad has tipped its hat as an awkward Elseworld's mismatch of ideas where, just like in the worst multiversal comic stories you can imagine, nothing matters!
In showing off their endgame potential, Rocksteady has laid the groundworks for all the worst narrative tropes that hold back Live Service games. This coming from a formally narrative championing company who's strongest critical praise so far was that despite it's rudimentary and repetitive gameplay content, people were curious to see if the story went anywhere. Apparently it doesn't. Just like with Gotham Knights, in the post game the bad guy hasn't been fully stopped, but going even further than Gotham Knights, the post game throws you into the multiverse in order to stop various crisis on other earths. Which is a sound concept for a coherent Live Service style DC game to follow, mind you. Injustice 2 made the same premise for it's endgame. But for a sequel to a narrative championing franchise- you've just presented a story with no conclusion that drags itself on for eternity, which is exactly what people were afraid of.
Rocksteady Batman games used to be the kind of thing that you would play through, have a blast with and put down. What we're seeing of the brand right now has me deeply confused in that we're being presented with an infinite play scenario whilst being told that Rocksteady 'aren't creating a game that will take over your life'! That's right, according to the team they want people to play for just a little bit and not dedicate their every waking hour to levelling. Well in that case- why devote yourself to a medium that lives and dies off constant engagement? That- is- dumb! And probably a lie, were I to guess. How the hell can a game justify 3-5 years of constant development for a fanbase who dips in an out everytime there's a content drop every six months or so? Unless they charge the price of a full game for each expansion- which is a wonderful way to divide a fanbase right quick. Financially their statement has to be false, because overwise this is self destruction playing out in real time.
But the most bizarre thing is thus. The game will soon be hitting its strangely sizable Early Access period wherein a bevy of people who paid a stupid amount for the right edition of the game will be able to play the title as the servers go live. And reviewers won't be getting their review codes at this point. Now that doesn't mean for the full launch reviewers will be pushed out of the process, but it doesn't exactly set the best precedent for that eventuality, now does it? At the very least people will have made the irreversible purchasing decision of buying a crazy elite edition version of the game without being informed about the extent of what the game does via a review- and regardless of the actual impact that genuinely had, it's pretty poor form.
Because let's be honest- no one who has already spent 100$ on the game is going to listen to the raw opinions of a game's reviewer who doesn't like they game they are already fully sold on. I genuinely believe that the decision to lock out reviewer in this pre-release period benefits nothing to the game beyond throwing up yet another one of those endless red flags that the developers seem to spawn out of nowhere with every preview. (They seem to actually build some trust when they leave the gameplay at home. Then they show us footage and it just knocks out the room!) They aren't battling for the allegiance of their most loyal customers, they're fighting for the sceptics- and this- this is not how you win over the sceptics!
League Squad the killening is in a precarious position right now, wherein it kind of feels like they're treating this pre-release period as another opportunity to farm so positive early impression before their big February launch. And in that light it's actually rather genius. The best reviews they had up until now where from the sign-ups to the Alpha test from last year, and it's the grumpy old critics who found the game forgettable and threw it away like trash. This gamble, relying on the general public for a little more support, could either really work out to get the game looking presentable on launch day, or trash the game's reputation even worse. But to be absolutely fair to them, what do they have to lose? This game is a pariah right now anyway- what reputation are they risking?
I know what you're thinking, 'another blog about this game' but what can I say- the topic fascinates me! Not as a video game, but as a study of behaviour and desperation as one is pushed further up against the wall without any easy way out. Rocksteady bit off this piece of gum a long time ago and pretty much missed the boat on the genre's popularity during the production phase- every decision made from now on is being done in pure survival mode and it's making them entertaining to watch as an outsider with no skin the game. At this point I'm genuinely curious if they can squeak out a success, however slight, from a game no one wants. Just how powerful can social manipulation really be when your livelihood is on the line. So by all means- go off, Rocksteady. I'm fascinated.
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