Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League will be Rocksteady's first video game set within the Arkhamverse outside of the main series. With the studio treading new ground by creating a team title, there's still plenty of cues that can be taken from the Batman experiences that made them so famous, to begin with.
Whether it's the combat system in use, the way the open-world is designed, or perhaps even the characterizations themselves, the Arkham trilogy is a masterclass in comic book game design. Kill The Justice League can of course still set itself apart, but there definitely need to be some lessons learned from Rocksteady's previous installments.
10 Importance Of Thugs
Henchmen and thugs tend to be unimportant NPCs that players take great joy in beating up and taking out. Yet the Arkham games were intent on giving each thug a unique design, which often represented the faction they had joined. What's more, they had interesting and compelling dialogue and personalities.
Players could stand by and listen to a genuine conversation between criminals, and perhaps even learn clues as to where the story was heading. Although they still provided some of the hardest fights, they were also an integral part of the gameplay experience. Perhaps Suicide Squad can replicate this with their thugs.
9 Limitations On The Open-World
Players love open-world games and there have definitely been a variety of releases in the category. Sometimes an open-world title can simply be too broad though, becoming too much for players to actually explore. However, the Arkham games found the perfect balance.
From the Asylum to the City-wide prison and finally to the whole of Gotham itself, the trilogy and the prequel game all limited where players could go but showcased the most important locations. Kill The Justice League would be wise to follow a similar path with Metropolis.
8 Attention To Detail
In regards to that open-world though, Rocksteady made sure to include a high level of detail in every area. It could be down to the faded posters on the wall or perhaps the types of businesses that were lining the streets of Gotham; there was something to look at in every area.
Not all of these inclusions provided clues to the narrative either. Some just helped to sell the world as believable and made wonderful nods to the source material fans love so much. There was also an understanding of the lore and mythology that built up Gotham in the first place as such a mystical and dangerous city.
7 Genuine Continuity
One of the great things about the Arkham series is that it changed the game for DC Comics in regards to long-term storytelling. Its sense of continuity was immense, as each game managed to perfectly flow into the next (ignoring a few timeline issues potentially caused by Origins).
With this sense of planning for the future, fans felt like they were stepping back into a continuation of the same world. The characters evolved and there were no soft reboots aiming to switch up the title. Suicide Squad should hopefully feel like it's in the same world, with especially Harley Quinn having a sense of continuity.
6 Great Storytelling
There's no substitution for brilliant storytelling and the narrative beats within the Arkham games are truly immersive and based purely on character. While other games might prioritize how the story will involve the action set pieces and combat play, Batman makes sure to put the story first.
This means that every major villain, every action of the player, and each notable twist all feel thought out and more important than just fighting random thugs. While the video game industry continues to move towards massively multiplayer titles, Suicide Squad can show the benefits of a full-on campaign.
5 Unique Characterizations
The comic books of course were a great reference point for the DC titles, but Rocksteady also wasn't scared to take risks and move in new directions. Their female twist on Copperhead or their British iteration of The Penguin are both great examples of this.
They made The Calender Man feel dangerous again and their morphing of the Jason Todd story to create The Arkham Knight was genius. Kill The Justice League has some great characters to play around with, but Rocksteady shouldn't just stick to what the comics have previously done.
4 The Combat System
When people speak about an Arkham-style title for one of their favorite characters, this usually references the combat system more than anything. The DC Comics video games boast some of the best mechanics in the industry and this has often been replicated and copied at other studios.
With players getting their hands on a very different set of characters: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark, and Captain Boomerang, there needs to be an upgrade to the familiar system. However, the highlights of that original creation can definitely work for this newer title.
3 Seamless Gameplay
There was something seamless about the gameplay in the Arkham series, even on the older generation consoles. Loading screens aside, it felt like the story never stopped, with the action and the narrative perfectly blending into each other and players never being taken out of the experience.
This is vitally important as oftentimes a game's combat can feel detached from the story that's being told. From the key boss battles to the side missions, each element of the game is woven into the main story in some way and is perfectly linked between both cut-scenes and combat moments.
2 Comic Book Abilities
The team at Rocksteady had the great idea of making Batman's arsenal of gadgets available to players. With this wide range of technologies, fans actually had plenty of options when it came to taking down opponents and acting as the World's Greatest Detective.
Kill The Justice League can definitely replicate these options with their characters. Fans have already seen Deadshot's Jetpack in action as well as Captain Boomerang's Speedster skills. There's definitely much more that Rocksteady could include with this group though.
1 Obscure Source Material Callbacks
At the heart of these games is a studio that clearly cares about The Dark Knight. They understand the legacy of the character and his world and aren't afraid to throw in some obscure references, even if only a few people will understand them. That's part of the fun of Arkham though.
Every corner could have an unexpected character or a reference to a story beat that fans might be familiar with. Hopefully Kill The Justice League will do something similar; the trailers have already revealed the use of small gangs such as the Street Demonz for instance.
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