Summary
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice Leagueis in a prime position to become one of the most talked-about games of the year for various reasons, with its pre-release press erring on the negative side as well as public opinion shifting dramatically after it was revealed it had live-service elements. Rocksteady’s latest creation is unfortunately facing an uphill battle from the get-go, and while the recent Discord Q and A session did help set more realistic expectations of what the game has to offer, there is one element that equally filled some fans with hype as much as it made others further question the game’s direction. WithSuicide Squad: Kill The Justice Leaguehaving a Joker-themed DLCplanned, it seems it’s in the same spot as theBorderlandsseries.
One of the biggest issuesSuicide Squad: Kill The Justice Leaguecan face is that players may end up comparing it to theBatman: Arkhamseries for good or bad, as it’s arguably Rocksteady’s most popular work, especially thanks to Kevin Conroy’s Batman and Mark Hamill’s Joker. On the other end of the spectrum isBorderlands, a series that has long been around, and one that is likely to get its new installment sooner rather than later. Yet,Borderlandsshares a unique trait withSuicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, and that is its overreliance on one iconic villain.
Although the reveal thatSuicide Squad: Kill The Justice League’s endgame loopmay end up revolving around the Joker is not bad news, there is a chance that Rocksteady may be beating a dead horse if the same Joker as theBatman: Arkhamseries is used. On the other hand, using a different Joker may seem strange considering what happened to the character in the same universe asSuicide Squad, with the Ace of Knaves being first killed by his Titan disease inArkham Cityand then “revived” inArkham Knight, eventually also appearing inArkham Origins.
While Joker is not the ultimate face ofBatmangames, he is arguably the most infamous villain for the Caped Crusader to deal with, and he’s also one of the most iconic DC characters overall. As such, it follows thatSuicide Squad: Kill The Justice League’s post-launch releases may want to include the Joker, but this risks putting a strain on the series and the Arkhamverse as a whole that makes future titles extremely unlikely to ever grow out of the Clown Prince of Crime’s shadow.
Borderlands 4 Needs a Villain Strong Enough to Live Up to Handsome Jack’s Legacy
Likewise,Borderlandshas been dealing with the same issue thanks to Handsome Jack.Borderlands 2’s Handsome Jackis not only a fantastic villain within his series, but is widely considered one of the best villains in video games ever, which is no small feat. The problem is that, ever sinceBorderlands 2, the series has never really recovered from Handsome Jack’s presence, to the point that he ended up featuring in every game after his starring role. This includesBorderlands: The Pre-Sequel,Borderlands 3, and even the spin-off seriesTales From the Borderlands.
This is not necessarily a bad thing in a vacuum, but given that the series is still ongoing, it needs to either bring anew villain inBorderlands 4capable of going head-to-head with Jack’s legacy or accept that the series' big bads may not be as impactful. The same thing may happen withSuicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, whose reliance on the nostalgia and hype generated by the Joker may prove to be a double-edged sword. Turning back is impossible for either series right now, and while they are struggling with the success of their villains, it also shows how important some characters can be in a game’s reception.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League
WHERE TO PLAY
Play as the Suicide Squad to take down the World’s Greatest DC Super Heroes, The Justice League. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, is a genre-defying, action-adventure third-person shooter from Rocksteady Studios, creators of the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham series.
