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If I had to bet Bruce Wayne’s fortune on whether or not Kill the Justice League would be a great game, I’d wager every penny in the Bat’s coffers on a big fat “No.” It pains me to say that not only as a massive fan of DC but also of Rocksteady. The Arkham trilogy delivers some of the best combat in gaming, and it does so in a gorgeous, atmospheric world with a story and characters that consistently deliver. Unfortunately, the state of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League looks more grim. Well, if I’m so confident that KtJL is going to fail, why am I determined to play it?
From Romero’s Mustache to Justice League’s Awful HUD
Every time I think about Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, I think about Cesar Romero’s mustache. When cast to play the Joker in the 1966 Batman TV series, Romero refused to shave. He simply slathered white face paint over his mustache and got to work. It looked both ridiculous and deranged, which in hindsight is the perfect call for the Clown Prince of Crime. Romero’s mustachioed Joker didn’t shake me, and neither did the rubber nipples on Clooney’s Batsuit in Batman Forever. DC has a long history of telling stories that are fun despite questionable creative decisions. I’d obviously prefer projects as good as The Dark Knight or the Arkham games, but I’ve accepted less.
I’m not saying that if Kill the Justice League is bad we should sing its praises or that it somehow gets a pass because of the DC license. No matter how much I want to hear Harley Quinn make dumb quips while King Shark punches a hole through a robot’s face, Rocksteady needs to deliver quality content just like every other dev. Suicide Squad‘s HUD looks like an amateur paintball team used it for target practice, but that’s not a dealbreaker for me. Neither is the eternal grind that comes with being a live-service game like Marvel’s Avengers. That said, I keep telling myself to expect Cesar Romero, because if I play the game expecting Ledger, it’s going to be rough.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Needs to Deliver
Suicide Squad won’t be a disaster the likes of Superman 64. It will probably be a cool but ultimately frustrating action game constrained by an invisible cage of corporate decision-making. Seeing “Justice League” and “Battle Pass” in the same sentence just kills a bit of the joy, the same way seeing Batman in Fortnite does. I have a hard time playing games that I know care more about milking my wallet than anything else. Besides, Amanda Waller’s team of kooky criminals has brought us some of the best stories in DC’s history. They deserve a brilliant game. Whether Kill the Justice League outshines Arkham or flops like Captain Boomerang, I’m here for it. I just hope Rocksteady delivers the experience we all know it’s capable of.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will be available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S in early access on January 30.
