Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Review – A Step Down From Arkham (PS5)

Rocksteady Games’ brand-new project is finally here following a delayed and complicated release journey. The game follows the Suicide Squad, formed by Amanda Waller, and consists of Harley Quinn, King Shark, Captain Boomerang, and Deadshot. Ultimately, the goal is to defeat Brainiac and stop his deadly invasion of Earth that saw him brainwash members of the Justice League. This looter-shooter experience can be played solo or with up to 3 other players online. Unfortunately, the game does not support local play therefore multiplayer is limited to online only. Regardless, here are our thoughts as we review Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League on PS5. Beware of spoilers!

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is available to purchase on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation for $69.99. Below is the game’s official trailer.

Story – Chaotic Fun

Despite the immediate negative reaction in terms of the fate of Arkham’s Batman, the game does a pretty solid job of creating somewhat of a compelling story. Unfortunately, some of it doesn’t blend in well together, creating an incohesive chaotic journey that is pretty fun albeit confusing at times.

Writing & Dialogue

If there’s one thing that should be praised in this game, it’s the dialogue. The banter exchanged between the group is well-written. Even crucial plot moments that are a result of poor creative decisions are still written compellingly. There are several scenes where what was unfolding was not ideal but the dialogue, wit, and banter made it a tiny bit more tolerable.

Harley Quinn at the beginning of the game

The dynamic between the characters is really interesting and adds layers to an otherwise bland environment. Regardless, every character felt connected in a way, each having their backstories and relationships that give the game a proper history that you can envision. Iterating further on the dialogue, although at times the humor can be a bit excessive, it’s a wonderful attempt at creating the Suicide Squad as the group chemistry feels organic and comic-accurate.

Detail Inconsistencies

The main nitpick with the story is there are a lot of details that simply do not make sense or align with the rules of said universe. A good example of this is when King Shark simply takes the ring off of Green Lantern and uses it. That is not how the Green Lantern ring works as when a Lantern dies, the ring then flies away to locate a worthy bearer. Either way, there have been instances where this wasn’t exactly the case, especially when it is not Hal Jordan’s ring. Therefore, this is something overlookable.

Green Lantern in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Furthermore, there are moments such as Batman explaining how his cowl cannot be seen-through that simply feel out of character. Finally, if the Suicide Squad were such a threat to Brainiac and his plans, he could’ve had someone like The Flash finish them off instantly. However, our group of delinquents is protected by plot armor of course. Furthermore, at the beginning of the game, Batman is able to take down the Suicide Squad with ease, yet in his boss fight, he is unable to take down even one member despite having a significant advantage.

Oswald Cobblepot, AKA The Penguin

Still, it is pretty cool that Rocksteady incorporated a bunch of other characters from DC such as The Penguin, Poison Ivy, and Lex Luthor into the game. Unfortunately, none of it led anywhere particularly interesting, except Lex’s appearance opened the door for multiverse storytelling meaning that most of the events that unfold in this universe might not even matter at all later down the line.

Found Narrative

Scattered throughout the city, you’ll come across a plethora of easter eggs and found narrative including audio logs and other lore-heavy items. This is a welcome addition that fleshes out the world, making it feel alive and vibrant. Another example of found narrative is exposition littered into in-game dialogue. Whilst hearing our characters comment on things as they happen are great, it seems as though the quips during combat were a bit excessive to say the least.

An example of found narrative located in the Gotham Museum

The Gotham Museum acts as a gallery of all of Arkham Batman’s adventures and experiences. Frankly, it felt like a walk down memory lane as we got to relive some of the most iconic moments of the series via audio logs, statues, cardboard cutouts, and more. Definitely a nice addition to the game that adds a sense of realism to the world.

Arkham’s Batman – A Bitter End

It goes without saying that Arkham’s Batman is one of if not the best adaptations of Batman. Naturally, expectations were high upon learning the late, legendary Kevin Conroy would be voicing Batman in this game. Fans had high hopes, believing that Rocksteady could deliver a game of the same caliber as Arkham Asylum. Of course, it was evident that the experience was meant to be different, but a variety of creative decisions led to many fans despising this version of Batman and how they portrayed him.

Batman’s dark and gloomy introduction

When highlighting the bad, it is equally as important to take a look at the good. Batman’s introduction in this game was truly spectacular, placing the player in a horror-like environment, forced to see things from the shoes of Batman’s enemies instead of his. Not only did this open a new perspective on just how dark The Dark Knight can be, but it also did justice in introducing the Batman we know and love. Unfortunately, the positives end there as (without spoiling too much) the ending they gave to Arkham’s Batman was lackluster, felt rushed, and forced.

What makes matters worse is the game was heavily emphasized as a ‘tribute’ to Kevin Conroy’s Batman when in reality, it felt like a stain on the legacy of the Arkham series.

Boss Fight

Even during Batman’s final boss fight, he appears to be heavily damaged yet our squad is perfectly polished and clean with no bruises or marks. It is briefly explained that Brainiac wanted their bodies to be untouched but still, it simply just feels like a bland boss fight. Plus, we’ve seen, played as, and thus know Arkham Batman already and what he is capable of. Without the ‘no kill’ rule he should’ve been a more menacing threat than a cliche boss that simply throws projectiles and objects at you.

Batman boss

It is hard to truly feel immersed and understand what is at stake when the master of martial arts does not even engage in hand-to-hand combat with the squad. The fight took place in the Batcave and Batman still lost, not exactly a perfect send-off for Kevin Conroy and Arkham’s Batman. If Rocksteady wanted to end the Bat, they should’ve put more effort into crafting a deadly, unique boss fight that involved the characters truly taking a proper beating. His final scene should’ve been more impactful, meaningful, and cohesive with his multiple-game story arc.

Ending

The boss fight and Batman’s overall arc were missing that edge that made Batman always one step ahead, leading to Bruce becoming just another character you have to beat to finish the game instead of a memorable boss. Well, he certainly will be memorable, but I fear for all the wrong reasons. I mean, just look at how Batman got teased in the reveal below – he would’ve ripped the Suicide Squad to shreds unlike what we got.

Speaking of endings, even when it comes to the other members of the Justice League, they were all defeated via bullet. Yes, a gunshot. Instead of utilizing creative, unique ways to take down each hero, we get an anti-climactic scene that showcases the heroes bloody and battered, ultimately meeting their demise via gunshot.

Superman has defeated Gods, Darkseid, and Doomsday to name a few yet he cannot bruise even one member of the Suicide Squad?

It is highly unrealistic and the game does not convince us that the Suicide Squad is capable of such a feat. Also, how is Batman’s mask/cowl not bulletproof? Even if he was shot in the mouth, he spent the entirety of the Arkham games avoiding bullets. That seems like poor planning from the detective who is always three steps ahead of everyone. Despite defeating Harley Quinn multiple times and sparing her, it seems Harley and co. came out on top this time.

Gameplay – Cool At First But Repetitive

In terms of gameplay, the best way to describe it is that it is a bit similar to Destiny. In fact, Destiny had a bunch of flaws at launch but the developers fixed them as the game went on. Hopefully, Rocksteady can learn from this and polish their live service game as the months go by. Don’t get your hopes up too high, but we can surely expect some neat improvements and new additions.

The Flash and Green Lantern facing-off

There are a lot of combat features, but they all blend together in a way that is forgettable and bland. There is a shield system that replenishes after shooting enemies in the legs and then melee-ing them. Overall, the combat can be summed up as uninspired. It lacks a sense of personality and often feels repetitive. Regardless, there is a certain charm to combining the fluid movement system with your offensive play.

Combat

Whilst the features seem fully fleshed out and intricate at first glance, the repetitive nature of the combat loop gets stale at times. That being said, the use of the PS5’s haptic feedback and vibration was excellent, making each weapon feel unique. Speaking of uniqueness, they tried to give each character a separate skill set and whilst they achieved so, it felt a bit out of place. It also doesn’t help that the enemy variety is pretty poor. Nevertheless, you can swap between weapons during combat and even perform a strong melee attack, giving you some neat options at your disposal.

The Suicide Squad is simply using the Justice League’s gear alongside some guns instead of bringing more of their own arsenal into the mix. Although this is a tiny bit disappointing, seeing Boomerang use the Speed Force was pretty amazing. The skill trees are called ‘Talents’ and are fairly straightforward albeit polarizing at first glance. You simply allocate skill points into one of 3 separate skill trees, enhancing a certain play style.

Rewards & Psyched Feature

The lack of intriguing chain combos that you can perform is also a downside. However, the traversal in this game makes it so that moving is a big part of your offensive play, allowing you to get creative with your attacks. Unfortunately, the creativity ends here as you realize most of the gameplay involves you going to a marker, killing aliens, watching a (fantastically produced) cutscene, getting your rewards, and then repeating it all. The process gets tedious and falls flat after a few missions.

Despite all of this, some features attempt to create a more dynamic experience for players. One of which is the ‘psyched’ feature which sees one squad member be hyped about a mission. Selecting them and finishing the task rewards you with bonus loot and rewards. Whilst there is a way to customize your build, the combat manages to quickly dry out early on, something that could’ve been avoided had we got a more immersive open-world experience. The rewards include weapons, XP, and more.

Traversal & Movement

One of the most praised features of the game is the movement and for good reason. Each character has their own special way of traversing across the map, most of which are smooth and fluid. Without a doubt, the movement allows for more dynamism whilst in battles, something that is truly missing. Overall, the solid movement mechanics are definitely a highlight.

In-game screenshot of Deadshot about to use his jetpack

Harley Quinn’s grappling hook is one of the best traversal mechanics in the game as you can move across the map without ever landing on the alien-infested streets. The best thing about having four characters that play and move differently is that it is almost impossible to hate them all. You’ll definitely find at least one way of movement that suits your style.

Multiplayer & Store

Multiplayer did not work on day one of the pre-order early access launch which was disappointing. However, Rocksteady quickly addressed the issue, taking full responsibility and promising an easy fix. However, the servers are still a bit unstable. One of the glaring issues with the game is that you have to be online/have an internet connection to play, even solo. This can be frustrating at times and take away from the overall experience.

The store is solely focused on cosmetics, making the game not a pay-to-win experience. Although it is a bit of a shame that costumes are unlocked via digital currency, there are a bunch of outfits you get simply by playing the game. All in all, the store is not much of an issue and is simply there for those who want it. Rocksteady Games has announced that a battle pass will be consistently available, providing new characters such as The Joker. It will be interesting to see exactly how it pans out.

Graphics – Polished

The graphics are the true saving grace of this game as each character model looks phenomenal. Pair that up with excellently produced cutscenes with stellar cinematography, and you’ve yourself a reason to play the game. Even those who are not particularly fond of the combat can enjoy the story due to the sheer amount of effort that was put into the graphical quality of the game.

Close-up shot of Deadshot

Of course, it is not the absolute best-looking game, but it still is fantastic, to say the least! There are a lot of instances where the scenes are perfectly shot such as the establishing shots and the long shots of Brainiac’s ship. One thing is for certain, the development team truly delivered a game that looks mesmerizing. Another thing to note is just how great the character designs are, they are excellently done.

HUD & Interface – Fully Customizable

Although a lot of people were criticizing the HUD elements that were leaked online before the game’s proper release, it seems a bit cleaner now. With a lot of customization and accessibility options available in the settings, you can turn off any HUD element that causes distress or distraction. Often times, the screen gets too cluttered and chaotic, so having the option to tone things down is good.

Some of the menu tabs such as the ‘talents’ tab are a bit cluttered and small, making it hard to read. However, each section of the menu is still relatively easy to access so we won’t complain too much. There are a lot of options including colorblind settings, turning off damage numbers, and editing the mini-map and markers.

Audio & Acting – The Best Part

A remarkable performance by all of the talented voice actors brought forth extraordinary entertainment during cutscenes. All the voice actors are perfectly cast, especially King Shark who is voiced by former WWE star and current AEW wrestler ‘Samoa Joe’. Of course, the late Kevin Conroy voices Batman for the final time, instilling bittersweet nostalgia in our hearts with each line uttered. Rocksteady Games went as far as creating a tribute to Kevin Conroy in the game. Rest in peace, legend.

Rocksteady Games’ tribute to Kevin Conroy

The soundtrack was brilliant. However, the sound design was a bit noisy sometimes with all of the chaos ensuing. It is not so much the fault of the sound design team as audio and sound effects have to be present. However, due to the sheer amount of bullets, aliens, lasers, and craziness flying everywhere, the audio is a bit overwhelming and cluttered at times.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was reviewed on PS5.