Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League will be released in 2023 as the next stage in Rocksteady and Warner Bros'. Arkhamverse project. The DC Comics video game has been well documented, but there are various elements about its production, narrative, and characters that don't make sense right now.
Perhaps after getting hands-on with the game, that point of view will be different. But as audiences continue to preview the release, questions are being raised as to why certain decisions were made. Those questions could very well be influencing the production process.
10 Batman's Return
The finale of the Arkham trilogy placed a firm conclusion on the Dark Knight's story. After Rocksteady had carefully curated this tapestry of interconnected narratives across the franchise's history, it decided to satisfyingly bring an end to Bruce Wayne's journey under the cowl.
Considering Batman's watch ended, it makes no sense that Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League would bring Batman back so soon after his story had already reached its end. It does a disservice to the character and his previous outings and might be one of the worst features of the new DC game.
9 Penguin Working For The Squad
The Penguin has been a long-term rival of Batman in the Arkhamverse and one of Rocksteady's go-to villains for crafting missions around. The studio clearly wanted to continue that character development and thus has included Cobblepot in Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League.
His involvement with the team doesn't make sense though. Of all the villains that Amanda Waller could have brought in to support the team, it seems odd that Penguin was among the best. With his career largely behind him and numerous defeats to his name, Penguin's skill set and current capabilities feel far removed from what Waller would need.
8 Justice League's Previous Absence
The debut of the Justice League in the Arkhamverse has been a long time coming. But their involvement in Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League does bring into question their whereabouts throughout the previous Arkham games. Those past stories could have benefited from additional heroes.
Indeed, with Gotham City having been taken over by Scarecrow, it perhaps would have made sense for a hero like Flash, Superman, or Wonder Woman to lend a much-needed hand to Batman. Instead, they were barely mentioned. Yet suddenly, they are now a prominent team in this iteration of the DC Universe, without much of an explanation.
7 Harley Quinn's Story
Harley Quinn's narrative throughout the Arkham games has been one of the most complex of the series. The character might have been Joker's right-hand woman, but after his death, things changed. From losing her child to having to find her own way in the criminal underworld, Quinn had a lot to contend with.
It does not appear that the game shows much in the way of growth though. In some ways, it doesn't make sense to have Quinn on the team. Her portrayal thus far suggests that much of that pre-mentioned arc will be abandoned in favor of a classic portrayal of Quinn that audiences are more familiar with.
6 Post-Launch Support Focus
Moving away from the narrative elements that don't fully add up, from the Suicide Squad costumes to new characters, Rocksteady is focusing on a model of heavy post-launch support. It's a choice that piggybacks on current trends, but not one the key audience would likely appreciate.
This move doesn't make a great deal of sense. The Arkham games enjoyed success because they were standalone pieces that didn't require consistent updating. Perhaps in the long-term, it will be a good thing, but for now, players will be wondering why they couldn't just receive a full game at launch.
5 Deadshot Changes
Harley Quinn, Batman, and Penguin aren't the only characters making their return from the Arkham series. Deadshot is another villain who will be a part of the Squad after building extensive history with the Dark Knight. The issue is that this Deadshot has been redesigned.
It doesn't make sense to include a familiar character just to change them within continuity. Perhaps this is a second iteration of the villain, but that removes the back-story and lore of the original. Rocksteady should be commended for adding further diversity to the game, but there were other ways to do this without confusing the canon.
4 Shooter Gameplay Mechanics
The Arkham series has built such a sturdy set of gameplay mechanics that it seems a shame to abandon them. Perhaps the Batman combat system wasn't the right fit for Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, but the DC game's best feature should still be its core combat.
What makes even less sense is moving away from melee attacks to focus on a shooter-styled system instead. That type of game is a dime a dozen and does not mesh well with the abilities of an athletic character like Harley Quinn, or a well-equipped antagonist such as Captain Boomerang. Weirdly, the gameplay doesn't take advantage of the gimmicks that define the Squad.
3 Online Only
The Arkham series never needed an internet connection to work. They could be played anytime, anywhere, and were thus easily accessible. Because of the focus on the one-player narrative, audiences got swept away in the immersive gameplay experience.
Unfortunately, Rocksteady has made the peculiar move to force players to have an internet connection at all times; even if they are not specifically using the online play features. It doesn't make sense as it can limit the audiences that are interacting with the title, while also providing a wholly unnecessary extra step.
2 Rushed Development
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League was given impossible goalposts. The calendar for release clearly didn't make sense, with the game having already been delayed. The announcement that the title would be pushed back once more is further evidence of the unrealistic expectations.
Audiences are discussing whether there should be more playable characters in the DC game at launch, and what changes they'd like to see throughout the title. This feedback is making its way to Rocksteady who may be acting upon those criticisms. If that is the case, it never made sense to push forward with a release date without properly gauging audience reception.
1 Future Of The Franchise
The future of the Arkhamverse franchise is currently up in the air. After such a beloved series of titles, that built one of the best iterations of the DC Universe, many were surprised to see Rocksteady branching out into other universes with Gotham Knights. The direction of the Suicide Squad title raises even more questions.
Right now, it doesn't make sense to not have a definitive road map to move forward with. Perhaps the changes at Warner Bros. and DC's studios have meant that future video games can only be linked to the DCU. It does unfortunately seem like a missed opportunity to not capitalize on the universe further with games that are comparable to Arkham. The choice to go with the Squad doesn't make sense in its current incarnation.