If there’s one part of the DC universe that stubbornly goes against the grain, it’s the Suicide Squad. The Squad, however, has carved out a space in which chaos reigns supreme. They’ve shocked and surprised in comics and movies—and now, they’re coming in hot to the gaming world with Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. It’s everything that you wouldn’t expect, but in a good way.
Rocksteady, the studio that gave us the acclaimed Arkham series, has decided to move away from Batman’s dark and serious side and detective mode. In Kill the Justice League, you are immersed in a rundown Metropolis and allowed to play as one of the characters from among Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark, and Captain Boomerang. The story is off the wall: Brainiac took over the minds of the Justice League, so it’s undoubtedly the Squad who has to come to the rescue—while they are, of course, avoiding their own personal detonators. To quote a GameGrin review, the result is a third-person shooter that is as ridiculous and chaotic as it is ruthless, hence Arkham’s gloom is replaced with an anarchic comic book-style uproar.
Each member of the Squad contributes to the sort of havoc they indulge in. Harley swings from the ceiling with a grappling hook, Deadshot zooms about with a gadget-laden pack, Boomerang runs at a teleporting burst of speed, and King Shark? He just jumps in and destroys everything. Though every character makes their way around and battles differently, after a time, the gameplay becomes somewhat repetitive—shoot aliens, blow up objectives, repeat. GameGrin comments that despite the flashy movement, missions don’t differentiate themselves from one another, and the loot system fails to provide the rush of actual progression.
And just when you thought it was done, you haven’t. Rocksteady is betting everything on a live-service model, delivering new characters, storylines, and missions via seasonal updates. If you want to witness Brainiac’s ultimate defeat, you’ll have to wait for future content. In the meantime, microtransactions are already implemented, with in-game money (yes, they’re called Luthorcoins) and a battle pass system on the way. Not surprisingly, some gamers feel that they bought half a game, with the other half in the hands of a paywall and a schedule.
There’s still plenty here for fans of DC to get excited about. The dialogue is sharp, packed with dark humor and sassy repartee that feels ripped directly from the best Suicide Squad comics. Tara Strong is back as Harley Quinn, infusing the character with her trademark zest, though some fans believe that her work falls short of her previous best. Captain Boomerang steals scenes more than anyone might have anticipated, while King Shark proves there’s more to him than straight-up brawn. Deadshot, conversely, is sometimes a mite too down-to-earth and tends to get lost in the mix.
One of the most poignant moments of the game is Kevin Conroy’s return as Batman. As reported by The Cosmic Circus, Conroy’s voice has been legendary for a decade, from Batman: The Animated Series to the Arkham trilogy. His cameo in Kill the Justice League is an impactful and sentimental moment, made even more heart-wrenching by the fact that it’s one of his last performances before he passed away. For longtime fans, hearing his Batman one last time is worth showing up for.
You can’t talk about the Suicide Squad without touching on their big-screen resurgence. James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad film took everything that didn’t work in the 2016 version and turned it on its head—embracing chaos, leaning into weirdness, and still finding a surprising amount of heart. It was a wild, emotional, and really funny ride, declared the Los Angeles Times. That same energy resides in Rocksteady’s game, where heroes are both deadly and cuddly misfits. Both film and video game know that the Squad functions best when they’re violating all the superhero conventions.
Harley Quinn is the poster child of the Squad’s trademark gorgeous chaos. Her path—formerly Joker’s sidekick, then morally ambiguous antihero, then reluctant leader—hasn’t been predictable. In the comics, as evidenced by Harley Quinn #19 (reviewed here at Batman News), her character vacillates between goofy and deplorably human. The game engages that crazy unpredictability, and even when the story stumbles or the gameplay slogs, she remains the star presence.
So what’s in store for the Squad? With Rocksteady promising regular updates, we’re not done with them yet. Is it their bickering team dynamic, their naughty joy in flouting rules, or the sheer theater of Harley Quinn attempting to kill Superman? The Suicide Squad continues to show they’re DC’s most unpredictable—and fun—team. If you’re holding out for the whole experience, perhaps wait, and don’t press the detonator button just yet.