Rocksteady’s new co-op looter-shooter, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, won’t be the Batman sequel many followers wished, however an early part of the sport does supply some Arkham-like motion. However this time, you’re the ones being hunted by a robust superhero hiding within the shadows.
(Spoiler alert! Whereas the part I’m about to debate takes place within the early hours of the sport, some people won’t need any of this spoiled. If that’s you, flip round now!)
Early in Suicide Squad, gamers are on the run from Brainiac’s minions and mind-controlled superheroes. At one level, after an encounter with The Flash, they run into Batman. And this is identical Batman from Rocksteady’s earlier Arkham video games. This second was first revealed in a trailer in 2022. This entire sequence takes place in a Batman museum that—after your run-in with the Darkish Knight—additionally serves as a approach to recap the Arkham trilogy and what occurred after its last entry, Arkham Knight.
Anyway, earlier than you get an opportunity to discover the museum and all its Easter eggs, Batman hunts the squad at the hours of darkness. And right here, Rocksteady leverages its expertise constructing improbable Batman video games to show the tables on gamers. Now not are you looking down scared criminals at the hours of darkness. As an alternative, you’re the terrified criminals desperately making an attempt to evade Batman.
Batman—who’s being managed by Brainiac and is ok with killing folks—does all of the belongings you anticipate from the Arkham video games. He units traps, crawls round in vents, and disappears in a puff of smoke and bats. No matter who you play as throughout this part, you’ll finally get taken out by Batman. At that time, the sport routinely offers you management of one other squadmate. However they get picked off, too. Whilst you attempt to be extra cautious, taking pictures traps or dodging Batman, it received’t matter. He’ll get you. And finally, after all of your squadmates have been picked off, you run round alone earlier than…nicely, I received’t spoil what occurs subsequent.
Whereas Suicide Squad could be very a lot a looter shooter targeted on gunplay and upgrading gear, this phase of the sport early on is a pleasant hat tip to the Arkham video games. Not solely does it embrace a giant museum with a ton of enjoyable references—together with one which explains why Deadshot appears so completely different on this sport—however it additionally gives a pleasant reminder that you just aren’t superheroes on this sport. You’re criminals. Highly effective, well-known criminals, certain. However nonetheless, just a few criminals. The sort of thugs that Batman, within the Arkham video games, would mercilessly seek out and take out. Similar to you probably did in Arkham Asylum, Metropolis, Origins, and Knight.
Having the sport primarily begin together with your gang of baddies getting picked off one after the other the Bat isn’t only a cool callback to Rocksteady’s previous video games, it’s additionally a approach to set up your home on this universe and the way you’ll have to be cautious when making an attempt to kill the Justice League. You’re clearly outmatched and Batman’s early ass-kicking lets you recognize that.
As for the remainder of the sport, nicely, I’ll have extra to say shortly. I’m unsure Suicide Squad ever fairly matches this second. Nonetheless, it’s a improbable manner to make use of gamers’ previous expertise as Batman for example that they’ve fallen down the comedian ebook meals chain.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is out now for gamers who bought the deluxe version which comes with early entry. It’s out for everybody else on February 2.
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