They might not have struck gold critically, but Gotham Knights and Marvel’s Avengers are my idea of cozy, laid-back games to relax with. Reducing robots to fiery computer chips as Thor is always electrifying while pummeling criminals as Red Hood never fails to make me smile. Sadly, both of these PS5 and Xbox games didn’t get the post-launch support they fully deserved. Yet, Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League is already set to hit the ground running.
I’ll gush about Marvel’s Avengers like a broken record, and I’ve done so before last year, advocating for the game’s resurrection before it ultimately met an untimely demise. Gotham Knights is in that same category, a thrilling Bat Family adventure that I believe doesn’t need The Dark Knight himself – or the Arkham franchise – to deliver a solid story. I’ve put in over 120 and 70 hours respectively into each game, and I’m going to do it all again when the Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League release date arrives.
The game has an unfair burden on its shoulders, as many players were expecting it to be in the same ilk as the Arkhamverse games. But Kill the Justice League is brand-new ground for Rocksteady Studios, though all the hallmarks of its beloved Batman series seem to remain intact. The Kill the Justice League alpha revealed to me a strong grasp of the Squad’s humor, interactions, and dynamics within the larger DC Comics continuity.
There’s a great element of freedom with these characters, which comic book writers have utilized greatly over the years. Anyone is expendable when the Suicide Squad is deployed, and that applies to the people they’re trying to save too. The closed-alpha makes it clear just how screwed this team is, and it is done exceptionally well.
A brief encounter with Batman is already one of my favorite moments in the Arkhamverse, making it evident just how terrifying Batman is when you’re on the receiving end of his wrath. While Marvel’s Avengers had a decent narrative, the disconnect between traditional campaign missions and live-service elements didn’t service it well. Rocksteady seems to have solved this issue, weaving its story beats into impactful objectives to work toward, while exploring every nook and cranny of Metropolis. It feels more in line with the Patrol system used in Gotham Knights, except this time I can do it with three of my pals, rather than just one on the streets of Gotham City.
Kill the Justice League’s social elements are a massive draw for me. The abandonment of Gear Score and focus on bringing your friends into the battle, whether they’re online or not, is a huge win. The recent Q&A session on the game’s discord details the ethos of the game approachable, striving to reduce the imposing task of adding another live-service game to your library.
I know that other live-service titles, such as Destiny 2, are often cited as the best multiplayer games on PS5 and Xbox. I see the appeal of them lore-wise, but engaging with them is supremely daunting. The game has been around for years, but far too many live-service games of this caliber don’t feel welcoming to newcomers.
By pivoting the action on constant encouragement to rally your friends, earn each other Gear, and stripping down its Gear system, just about anyone should be able to bear arms in a Brianiac-controlled Metropolis. On top of this, Rocksteady Studios confirms that the game’s buffet of post-launch content begins with The Joker as the first new playable character. Not only this but he’ll be accompanied by a fully-fledged Season 1 roadmap, which is rumored to be the first of four seasons in 2024 – all of them with new villains to play as.
Marvel’s Avengers didn’t have this kind of sustainability out of the gate, despite a once-promising plan of content including an open-world Patrol mode and characters like She-Hulk destined to join the roster. As for Gotham Knights, apart from lackluster updates to its Heroic Assault mode, nothing has been developed regarding new story missions. The road ahead for Rocksteady Studios could be a bright one, improving on virtually every element where Kill the Justice League’s closest comparisons have failed.
All the pieces are there for Kill the Justice League to be one of the best PS5 games and best Xbox games of the year, and hopefully beyond that.