Were it not forConcord,Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguewould no doubt be the biggest flop of 2024. Eyed cautiously ahead of its release, especially after it was revealed that it would be a live-service experience rather than the more narratively focused, finely-tailored adventures ofRocksteady’s previousBatman: Arkhamgames, it wasn’t able to fight back the tide of bad publicity upon launch. Once Season 4 ends later this month, Rocksteady will be shuttering support for the game, making its live-service life less than one year.
Make no mistake:there’s a lot wrong withSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. From repetitive and uninventive missions to questionable combat design, there’s plenty to criticize, but something that shouldn’t be overlooked is its price tag. Retailing for $70 at launch, and with microtransactions and paid battle passes, the game was simply asking for too much in contrast to what it wound up offering. If the game were free-to-play, or even just more modestly priced, its strengths would have shone much brighter.
Of course, one might argue thatRocksteady should never have been put to work on a live-service gamein the first place, given its pedigree, but that’s another topic entirely.
For better or worse, some games just seemsuited to services like Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus. As the cost of the average AAA game inflates and in-game purchases continue to crop up despite consistent backlash, it simply doesn’t make sense for most consumers to shell out $70 or more for games that they are lukewarm about, or about which they have heard overwhelmingly negative opinions. But a fence-sitter might be willing to cough up $10-20 on a month of Game Pass or PlayStation Plus to try such a game out.
Inthe case ofSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, this could have translated into a far more dedicated and consistent player base. Again, the game has plenty of room for improvement beyond its price tag, but criticism from the broader gaming community would probably have been softened if the majority of its players could have gotten in the door for free. Keeping a healthy pool of active players is essential for a live-service game’s long-term success, and nurturing this community with the help of a games-on-demand service is a much safer bet than expecting swaths of players to put down $70 upfront.
WereSuicide Squad: Kill the JusticeLeagueto come to PlayStation Plus or Game Pass earlier last year, perhaps its legacy could have been different. Maybe players who swore off the game after seeing its bad reviews would have found something to latch onto, allowing Rocksteady to keep improving the game and maybe even turning it around eventually. But as it stands,its arrival on PlayStation Plus feels like little more than a surrender.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League
WHERE TO PLAY
Play as the Suicide Squad to take down the World’s Greatest DC Super Heroes, The Justice League. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, is a genre-defying, action-adventure third-person shooter from Rocksteady Studios, creators of the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham series.
