Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League tarnishes not only Rocksteady's legacy but also DC lore

Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League is a very weird game. On the one hand, it tries too hard to be a looter-shooter but fails in that department due to its monotonous mission design and a sub-par combat system, and on the other hand, it tries to be a sequel to Rocksteady Studios's Arkhamverse, which it also fails due to a myriad of reasons.

If taken in isolation, the game does shine, albeit occasionally. However, when contrasted against any of the other titles, whether it be in the looter-shooter or the superhero open-world action-adventure genre, it just doesn't seem to stick a landing in either camp.

One of the biggest and central issues the game suffers from is its narrative, which could've been its strongest suit. I mean, it's not every day that we get a Justice League game. However, Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League's story tarnishes not only Rocksteady's and the Arkhamverse's but also the broader and pre-established DC lore.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.

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Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League feels incomplete, rushed, and more often than not, goes against the pre-established DC lore

Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League fails to establish its villains as an imposing threat

The opening section involving the Hall of Justice is done quite well. (Image via Rocksteady Studios)

Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League's story does start quite strong, getting players attached to the crew of misfits while also establishing Brainiac's presence as an imminent threat to Metropolis and the survivors of the city. The opening segments are arguably the best part of the game's story, quickly drawing you in with some genuinely cool set pieces.

However, as the story progresses, the cracks in the game's rather loose narrative structure start to show up. The very first major disconnect that caught me by surprise is that there's basically no build-up to Brainiac's arrival and how he turned vital members of the Justice League into the mindless killing machines that they're portrayed as.

Yes, the story of Brainiac's arrival and his taking over the Justice League was sort of explained in the game via audio logs. However, for a game titled Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, the antagonists get very little screen time or have any weight over the story aside from being pawns to Brainiac.

Had the game taken a few hours explaining the events leading up to Brainiac's arrival while also perhaps letting players play as Batman and other members of the League, it would've made the story much more engaging and cohesive. This is something Injustice 2 did perfectly well despite not being a narrative-driven action game.

Injustice 2 does a better job at making Brainiac's presence feel like an actual threat. (Image via NetherRealm Studios)

Injustice 2 also featured a story where Brainiac invades Earth and tries to take over the Justice League. However, its story feels much more focused and, as a result, believable compared to Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League. While, yes, Injustice 2 also had its fair share of narrative inconsistencies, it never affected the game's story negatively.

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Return of the Caped Crusader and a tarnished legacy of the Arkhamverse

Batman's presence in Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League feels like an unnecessary retcon of the Arkhamverse. (Image via Rocksteady Studios)

Another major issue I have with Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League's story is it being connected to the Arkhamverse. Had it been a standalone game, it wouldn't have been an issue, but as a sequel to Batman Arkham Knight, Rocksteady's looter-shooter never felt right to me.

The elephant in the room in this regard was the revival and return of Batman, albeit not in a way that I or any of the fans of the Arkham series would've imagined. Batman's death in Arkham Knight was a fitting end to his legacy, and while I always wanted to see a new story in the Arkhamverse, I never thought it would be in a Suicide Squad game.

However, despite knowing that Arkham Batman would somehow be making a return in Rocksteady's latest title, I was excited to see the Caped Crusader's return. However, how Rocksteady handled the return and the subsequent death of the hero that made them who they are today was genuinely heartbreaking.

You see, Batman, after his identity was revealed back at the end of Arkham Knight, never died during the commencement of the Knightfall Protocol. Instead, he eventually arrived at Metropolis (somehow), and the Justice League found him. After this, he was asked to join the League, which he obliged.

The opening section involving Batman hunting down the Suicide Squad is an excellent addition. (Image via Rocksteady Studios)

This more or less makes the ending of Batman Arkham Knight as well as the Knightfall Protocol, pointless. Just think about it: if Bruce would eventually resume his vigilante shenanigans as Batman, why did he go to extreme lengths in Batman Arkham Knight to capture all criminals in Gotham and ultimately destroy Wayne Manor? Makes no sense.

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That's not how the Lantern's Ring works, Rocksteady!

Lastly, another major issue Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League has is the blatant disconnect it exhibits not only to Rocksteady's Arkhamverse but also the pre-established DC lore.

Do note that this section will contain spoilers for Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League's story and one of the earliest boss fights in the game.

Green Lantern is the first Justice League member you get to meet in Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League. (Image via Rocksteady Studios)

During the boss fight against the Green Lantern (John Stewart), there's a part where King Shark takes the "Ring" off of John's corpse and wears it. However, due to his will not being strong enough to control the Lantern's powers, he ends up losing control and summoning a giant Shark that almost engulfs the entire Squad.

Taken into isolation, it's a pretty good scene, quite funny, too, if I may say so. However, the problem is that none of this would make a lick of sense to anyone who's even vaguely familiar with the DC lore surrounding Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corps.

You just cannot take the Ring off of a deceased Green Lantern and wear it on your person to gain the Lantern's power. Instead, the Ring chooses its wielder, and when a Green Lantern dies during battle or in other circumstances, the Ring immediately sets off to find another suitable candidate or heads back to the Lantern Corps.

King Shark turning into Green Lantern is one of the most jarring story sequences in Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League. (Image via Rocksteady Studios)

This is something even the rather boring and ridiculously over-the-top Green Lantern (2011) movie starring Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan got right, despite being a rather lousy adaptation of the source material.

In conclusion, Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League is a good game, but only if taken in isolation, not as part of the Arkhamverse or the broader DC lore.