Summary
Rocksteady may be the developer behindSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, but it was WB Games Montreal who introduced the idea of a Task Force X coming together in a post-credits scene forArkham Origins. WB Games Montreal’sBatmanprequel had a PvP multiplayer mode that has sunset since, and it’s interesting to imagine what its own Suicide Squad could have looked like if given the opportunity, though Rocksteady still has a chance to prove that itsproposed live service and battle pass structureis the right direction forKill the Justice League.
If Rocksteady had remained nestled in its comfortable cocoon of single-player action-adventure there would have been fans who were thrilled by it staying on course with previousArkhamgames and fans who were tired of the lack of Rocksteady’s perceived innovation after nearly a decade. Either way, there are key characteristics ofRocksteady’sArkhamformulathat fans can still hopefully anticipate inKill the Justice League, such as how villains interact with one another to create a greater sense of world-building.
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Villains’ Relationships are as Important as Batman’s in Arkham Games
The relationships that Batman has withvillains throughout all of theArkhamgamesare palpable and hold a lot of rich history. Once a conversation between them begins, it’s clear that they’ve known one another for quite some time and what degree of animosity one has for the other.Arkham Asylumis perhaps the most prominent example of these relationships because it was the original entry in the canon, meaning it needed to establish a lot of these relationships initially and decide how far along in his crime-fighting career Batman was.
There isn’t a Robin to speak of, for example, but Barbara Gordon is already Oracle, inferring that he’s been Batman long enough to have a Batgirl who would then be crippled by Joker. But the most succinct example is in the game’s opening itself, where Joker’s lines of dialogue inform the player how many times he must’ve been caught by Batman before and how many times Batman must’ve been responsible for all the other asylum inmates being incarcerated there, let alone Blackgate inmates who appear at the asylum.
Regardless, hearing Joker, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, and others talk to each other shows how well they know one another, too. This is especially apparent inArkham Citywhen Penguin and Mr. Freeze’s animosity toward each other is on display, andcertain relationships fromArkham Asylumbleed into each game thereafter to create a brilliant continuity of relationships between characters.
BecauseSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguecontinues the continuity of theArkhamgames, the onus is on it to also continue that legacy of world-building with characters who interact with one another. Harley Quinn has had an illustrious role in theArkhamgames and now features as a playable protagonist, giving her ample potential to behave like an intermediary who is familiar with any and all supervillains who might be reprised from previousArkhaminstallments.
Many characters who are from the DC mythology at large and have not been introduced in theArkhamfranchise yet may be where the game decides to place most of its attention and for good reason, but since Penguin was revealed to be reprised it would not be surprising for Rocksteady to find ways of including other established characters as well. Whether they’re an antagonist of Batman or another Justice League member, it would be terrific to see these characters interacting with each other and building those relationships.
That’s because world-building is an element in the series Rocksteady cannot afford to abandon lightly. It’ll be interesting to see how Rocksteady suddenly weaves a history of Justice League endeavors into a universe where the superhero team’s existence was ambiguous at best, and creating context for established interpersonal relations will be an even greater challenge following the definitive,tetralogy-capping events ofArkham Knight.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguereleases on May 23, 2025, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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