Even if Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League isn’t shaping up to be the kind of game fans may have been hoping to see from Rocksteady, there is still a silver lining in that it belongs to the Arkhamverse universe and therefore maintains that continuity. There is a great likelihood that Rocksteady may no longer be moving forward with games that feature Batman as their playable protagonist—at least not in stories taking place in the present day—but its villains are still on the table for many new reprisals. In fact, villains are integral to one of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s gameplay features.
Task Force X isn’t necessarily composed of world-jeopardizing supervillains, though they have each caused their own mayhem and gotten themselves locked up as a result. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s Harley Quinn has the most history out of any of them in terms of her roots in the Arkhamverse, though almost every other antagonist posed a far greater threat to Batman than she ever did. Instead, villain set abilities have been briefly discussed as special attacks players can employ in combat, which helps to connect the game to its predecessors significantly.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s Evidence Lockup Includes Scarecrow’s Fear Toxin Gauntlet
Precisely like how Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League could feature Mr. Freeze’s Freeze Gun, it is more than likely that Scarecrow’s Fear Toxin Gauntlet could be featured, too. Indeed, this particular gauntlet has actually already been revealed in-game. There are brief shots from Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s trailers that showcase an evidence lockup, where Task Force X seemingly gets to choose which gadgets and gear they want to equip.
This theory would make sense given the fact that Captain Boomerang selects Dr. Sivana's Speed Force gauntlet, knowing he has a rivalry with the Flash, and that Harley selects the Bat-Drone Mark 1 and Batman's grapnel gun. But because fans know that there will be specific villain set abilities that they can harness in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League as well, that creates a much larger well of inspiration to draw from for special moves.
Scarecrow’s iconic gauntlet with syringes attached to each finger is displayed for fans to see at one point, and that leaves it in the perfect position for players to be able to equip it themselves. It would be exceptional if wielding Scarecrow’s gauntlet could mean that players had his fear toxin to inject into enemies, or if injecting themselves with it could temporarily render Metropolis in a nightmarish hue and allow them to attack enemies with increased ferocity in panicked and frenzied animations.
Of course, using fear toxin as a weapon against Brainiac minions would likely have little to no effect, and it is becoming more and more clear that they will be one of the only enemy types seen in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. It’s possible that Brainiac’s aliens could be made frantic with fear toxins, too, but that might not be as satisfying as engulfing a group of human goons in a plume of gas and seeing them all attack one another.
Instead, that same effect could turn Brainiac minions on each other for a period of time. Either way, inducing fear in the player character or their enemies would not only be an interesting mechanic that moves it away briefly from ordinary gunplay, but it would also be a lucid tether to Rocksteady’s most recent game before Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League releases on February 2, 2024, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
