Rocksteady Studios finally announced its highly anticipated followup to the critically acclaimedBatman: Arkhamtrilogy to beSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Not only will this title beset in the universe established in theBatman: Arkhamgames, but will feature an entirely new cast of playable characters with the morally-grey Suicide Squad. Complete with a roster of four classic DC villains as playable characters (Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and King Shark) and a campaign that supports co-op play throughout, the game seems to have made quite an impression despite debuting with only a cinematic trailer.
While the announcement seemed to be met with positivity from DC fans and gamers alike, it also drew many comparisons to another superhero game that has since arrived on the market: Crystal Dynamics andSquare Enix’sMarvel’s Avengers.Released on September 4, Earth’s mightiest heroes appear in a game that, on paper, is relatively similar to whatSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguehopes to sell players on in 2022. And while the reluctant heroes from death row featured in Rocksteady’s new title are quite different than the likes of Thor and The Hulk, there is one feature thatMarvel’s Avengershas that could elevateSuicide Squadto a whole new level.
RELATED:What Will Metropolis Look Like in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League?
Free Character DLC
During E3 of 2019, Crystal Dynamics revealed that both hero and new area DLC would be coming toMarvel’s Avengersfor free. While the developer has made some questionable decisions around the nature of this free DLC, such asSpider-Man being a PS4 exclusive, the sentiment of having to spend less money on a game that already costs $60 seems like a concept that most players can get behind. And sinceSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueappears to be designed in a somewhat similar fashion toMarvel’s Avengers, it might be wise to add this as part of its offering.
While no information is known about what post-release content will look like forSuicide Squad, offering new characters for the game seems like an inevitability. With only four confirmed playable characters, Rocksteady Studios will likely want to add other Suicide Squad mainstays,such as Captain Coldor Bronze Tiger, to increase the game’s longevity. Stealing this idea seems like an excellent move forSuicide Squad; however, there is one aspect of this character DLC that it could improve.
Character Battle Pass/Progression
Only a week beforeMarvel’s Avengersreleased, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics announced that while all of the additional characters would be added at no extra cost, players wouldneed to pay $10 for each new character’s Hero Challenge Card. These Hero Challenge Cards essentially act as the equivalent of battle passes, where players earn new items for individual characters as they progress. Despite Crystal Dynamics stating that players can earn enough credits, the in-game currency, by merely playing the game to afford the Hero Challenge Cards without spending real money, the fact that the option is even there in the first place was met with a negative response.
DC could earn a serious win over Marvel ifSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguenot only makes all of its post-release content free but ensures that all aspects of the DLC are included with no possible fees. This way, players will be able to hunt downmembers of the Justice League like Green Lanternwithout fear of missing out on the game’s entire experience. And while character progression hasn’t been detailed for Rocksteady’s upcoming game yet, most gamers would probably agree that locking any aspect of a game behind a paywall is an industry practice that should probably go away with the next generation of consoles, at least in a triple-A game.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguewill release in 2022 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X.
