2023 and 2024 weren’t great years for DC Comics' gaming ventures.Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s failure will almost certainly be studied and picked apart for years to come, but just a few months before it,Gotham Knightslanded with a thud, being considered by many to be underwhelming. This pair of underperforming titles may informthe future of DC video games, and while Warner Bros. ought to learn some important lessons from these games, it’s imperative that they be the right ones.
One of the many reasons whySuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueis so disappointing is the history of its developer: Rocksteady had previously worked on the wildly successful and influentialBatman: Arkhamseries. Each of these games follows Batman as he attempts to remedy a crisis, and they do a remarkably great job of conveying the sense of isolation and one-man power fantasy inherent to Batman stories. BeforeGotham Knights, Warner Bros. Montreal’s biggest claim to fame was also within theArkhamseries, as it developed theArkham Originsprequel title, which prides itself on many of the same strengths as the rest of the series. All of this is to say that it’s interesting, to say the least, that both of these studios struck out when stepping away from theArkhamfranchise and into the realm of co-op team-up games, indicating that there may be something inherently wrong with the concept.
Warner Bros. Shouldn’t Be Permanently Scared Off From Ensemble Superhero Games
The reasons forSuicide SquadandGotham Knightsunderperformingare myriad and up for debate, but few would argue that their team-based premises were essential factors in their failure. In theory, something like aSuicide Squadgame has a lot of potential, even with co-op elements, which many felt were ham-fisted in the final product. The problem, in the case ofSuicide Squad, is that these multiplayer elements followed a live-service model that simply wasn’t palatable to most players.
Marvel’s Avengers, a live-service team-up title that is already being lost to time, could be considered anunheeded omen forSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
Though not a live-service,Gotham Knightsstuck to many tenets of the genre, with a sluggish gear grind, level-gating, and repetitive side content seemingly designed for little more than character progression (not the narrative kind). This is to say nothing of the other shortcomings of these games, which include bland or poorly-penned storytelling and unsatisfying mechanics.
How Future DC Ensemble Games Could Be Improved
Given thepoor reception ofSuicide SquadandGotham Knights, it will likely be a while before gaming audiences see another superhero team-up title from Warner Bros. Even if the publisher has a strong grasp on what is wrong with these titles (which seems dubious, based on Warner Bros. apparent desire to be more aggressive with live-service ventures), the one-two punch of these ensemble games in quick succession will probably prompt a hiatus for such endeavors. But when Warner Bros. is ready to revisit this space, there are ways to avoid similar problems.
For one thing, it is becoming increasingly clear that the live-service model is not the goldmine that many publishers and developers seem to view it as. Yes, there are success stories, butfor everyFortniteorWarzone, there are far more failures, likeConcord,Babylon’s Fall, andLawbreakers. An ensemble game focusing on the Justice League or The Birds of Prey, for example, could be great, but it would probably need to steer clear of trends like battle passes, mindless gear grinding, and seasonal content that preys on FOMO.Gotham Knightsmay lack actual live-service elements, but its gameplay and structure clearly follow the same guidelines, so this wisdom applies to it as well.
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.
