To kill a hero is to kill every moral concept we know. Goodness, decency, and the will to use the powers that be to help others. Being a hero is to be courageous, to do what is right in the face of overwhelming odds. What happens when you take a murderer, a thief, or people who have no moral compass and put them up against the thing that will in turn make them the good guy? In the best circumstance, you get human growth. In any other case, you get a villain with an existential crisis.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a game where we get to play the bad guys, making us the hero of the story. In this action-adventure shooter developed by Rocksteady Studios, the Justice League has gone rogue, and it's up to the Suicide Squad to save the day. Superman can’t save you, but Harley Quinn sure can, and she'll make you laugh while doing it.
The Killing Joke
Throughout my time playing Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League on Xbox Series X, I've come to believe that this is one of those diamond-in-the-rough games that carries a good story, great gameplay, and well-done cinematics. Coated in well-timed humor and dry sarcasm that sent me right back to vibrant memories of my time with Guardians of the Galaxy (check out our Guardians of the Galaxy review).
Platform: Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC, and PS5
Developer: Rocksteady Studios
Xbox Game Pass: No
Xbox Play Anywhere: Yes
Players: Co-op and Single Player
Time to complete: 10-20 hours
Price: $69.99
The witty banter provided by Harley poking fun at everyone — herself included — makes for an entertaining ride. It’s a blast to see how much fun this game is and that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Taking inspiration from JLA: Tower of Babel, and Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad, the game’s story focuses on what would happen if The Justice League had gone rogue. The comics themselves are incredible, and I highly recommend taking a look at them for a fuller context as to how far the story goes.
When it comes to how true Kill the Justice League stays to the comics, it’s simple — there are bits and pieces of the comics in the game, Easter eggs If you will, but it doesn’t stay one hundred percent true to what the original story is. The main difference is in-game Batman becomes fully mind-controlled whereas in the comics he tries to resist mind control. In some cases, it wears off, but (if memory serves) he doesn’t become fully afflicted and is the one to help assemble the Suicide Squad.
Another notable aspect — in the original group, Killer Croc was there and not King Shark which changes some tone. There is so much ground to cover in the comics that I mentioned alone so the game wasn’t done in a precise one-to-one way, which I completely get. It’s an inspiration on the classic that was done well, a title that still kept true to the soul of the story.
Fighting, But make it fun
The mechanics of Kill the Justice League are a fun type of chaos that allows for different combos, play styles, and character switching. Playing as Harley, the mechanics are smooth, and going from building to building/shooting her pistol mid-air is so satisfactory. I will admit besides the tutorial I stayed with Harley for the entire game. Her witty remarks and combos on enemies are so much fun to experience.
Anyone can be Batman, that’s the whole point of the narrative of superheroes as well as villains. You can be the hero, you can be the villain, you can don the cape, and you can make life miserable for others.
This game's mechanics, while repetitive, are the fun type of repetitive that made me want to go back for more each play session. Whether it's experimenting with different ways to fight a boss or even generic enemies, I loved the way the controls were done: free-flowing, fast-paced, and at some points a challenge.
Let’s talk about the glitches in the controls because there were a decent amount of them. This is especially true during the boss battle with Brainiac where I experienced notable FPS drops and Harley's movement reduced significantly. Sometimes the game itself would freeze momentarily, which was frustrating. The slowest points in gameplay were when a lot was going on at once such as having multiple enemies, explosions, and truly chaotic moments.
A Human Condition
While silly and sarcastic 95% of the time, there is a real discussion to be had in this game. When Kill the Justice League was released it was met with a type of vitriol that was unfair, and, to be frank, entitled. The anger that Batman’s death received (as well as the other members of the Justice League) was heartbreaking but it made me think that no one wants to see the hero of the story die, as much as we love playing the villain. We love the Joker; we love Deadshot, and seeing different origin stories for all of these crazed maniacs.
As long as the hero is still around we don’t mind the villains one bit, but once the hero of the story ceases to be (in every way), and all we’re left with is antagonists, then people start to feel uneasy.
Here’s the kicker, as long as the hero is still around we don’t mind the villains one bit, but once the hero of the story ceases to be (in every way), and all we’re left with is antagonists, then people start to feel uneasy. Seeing what was a symbol of good more or less disintegrate, seeing The Justice League get killed one by one. It was one of the best choices made in a game, to change things up to tell people that not everything ends with glory or honor; sometimes it ends in ways you’d never expect.
Seeing how Batman’s death almost became a symbol during the game that nothing lasts forever. It was a part of the game where I thought to myself, “Maybe this character can finally get some peace”. The story of Batman is a tale as old as time, as well as other members of the Justice League. There are many iterations, storylines, and perspectives so I like that a different approach was taken instead of always saving the good guys.
The cut scenes in this game held weight to them with every Justice League member who was slain. For the first time in a superhero game, I felt a sense of finality and humanity echoing from years of not letting a story rest.
The Boss Fights
The boss battles are a discussion in and of themselves because they are well-crafted and tricky at points. While there weren’t a lot of bosses in the game, the unique way to fight each boss makes up for it entirely.
My personal favorite is the evil Batman version. It is so aesthetically pleasing to look at and so fun to fight in! That entire Bat cave section is so well done, simply carrying each Task Force X member through their memories, regrets, and disappointments. It provided these human moments that brought meaning and depth to each of the characters.
The cut scenes in this game held weight to them with every Justice League member who was slain. For the first time in a superhero game, I felt a sense of finality and humanity echoing from years of not letting a story rest.
I was taken aback when I had to fight Superman. I said out loud at my screen, “You’re joking right? It’s Superman!” I will admit that I died several times and had to be revived by King Shark more than I can count while taking on the Man of Steel. It is a tricky fight and has a lot of moving parts to it, much like the boss battle with The Flash and Brainiac, but that's also what makes it fun.
Meanwhile, Green Lantern's fight is a particularly easy battle, but it presents more of a puzzle that is fun, more than anything. At the end of it all, each boss is unique in how you approach them, and the final boss with Brainiac tied everything together allowing you to see each move set from each boss all wrapped up into one nice boss-sized package.
The idea was to be a Symbol
Anyone can be Batman, that’s the whole point of the narrative of superheroes as well as villains. You can be the hero, you can be the villain, you can don the cape, and you can make life miserable for others. Ideas in games are symbols for larger things that create meaning in our lives. This game was simple, it was funny it was to the point in a very real way that did not deserve the hate that was thrust onto it. By the end of experiencing this title, I was in tears when the tribute for Kevin Conroy came up. It was well done, and well fitting for the man who brought Batman to life from TV to games.
“Death is powerless against you if you leave a legacy of good behind”
And that is exactly what Kevin Conroy did, Rest In Peace Batman.
In the end, I highly recommend this game. It raises valuable questions that should be discussed and offers engaging battles with witty humor to keep you entertained. Upcoming updates will also be coming out for the game, so be sure to keep an eye out for the Bat signal on that one.
I’m also excited to see if we get any DLC with other DC Comic misfits. I would personally love to see Enchantress in the mix! We've known who our heroes are for far too long. Let us welcome the renegade, the misfit, the unexpected hero into the ranks. Who knows, you might be surprised at how much good one villain wants to accomplish.
