Rocksteady Studios got gamers’ pulses racing in 2020 when it announced Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, an all-new game set in the Arkhamverse. Abandoning the Caped Crusader and placing the spotlight on some of DC’s most notorious villains, many gamers were ecstatic over the idea of returning to the universe Rocksteady had created for the first time since 2015’s Batman: Arkham Knight. After an initial gameplay trailer revealed a live-service title that seemingly had more in common with Anthem than Arkham Asylum the backlash from the gaming community was swift, and shortly thereafter Rocksteady announced that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has been delayed to 2024.
The plot of Suicide Squad: Kill the JusticeLeague, which sees the titular team brought together to stop alien antagonist Brainiac and the brainwashed DC heroes under his control, has managed to capture the interest of many gamers and comic fans alike. But while going toe-to-toe with a mentally manipulated version of the Last Son of Krypton as the wisecracking Harley Quinn may be appealing, Rocksteady should consider giving players more than just half-crazed heroes to fight. Adding in cameos from DC’s impressive roster of villains would mix things up and keep the game’s antihero headliners on their toes.
Giving Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's Brainiac a Supporting Cast Would Help
Although it seems likely at this point that there won’t be major changes to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League even with the delay, that doesn’t mean Rocksteady can’t consider shaking things up a bit with some additional content. With many of the complaints about the gameplay trailer centered around the fact that, other than set-piece appearances by brainwashed heroes serving as bosses, the game looked to be populated primarily with uninspired monsters, adding some side encounters with classic DC villains could help add some variety to the game.
Since internal playtesters have had positive feedback about Suicide Squad: Kill the JusticeLeague’s gameplay already, it only makes sense that adding more variety to the game’s besieged Metropolis should make the action-adventure title that much more fun. Not only would bringing in some high-profile DC villains to help or hinder Brainiac’s plans of world domination be fantastic fan service, but it would also fit in perfectly with the world established by previous Arkhamverse games.
Cameos from DC’s Biggest Villains Make Sense for the Arkhamverse
With Brainiac already at the center of the game’s story, it would make sense for some of his fellow villains from DC’s Legion of Doom to make cameo appearances. Legion of Doom members Scarecrow and The Riddler are already familiar faces in the Arkhamverse and have personas that lend themselves well to small side encounters that could be included in the game. In addition to the rumored Riddler trophy challenges in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Scarecrow could pop in occasionally to subject the squad to his own breed of terrifying trials.
Other DC Villains from the Legion of Doom could be taking advantage of Brainiac’s chaos to carry out their own plans in Metropolis. With their brains already warped and twisted beyond repair, Arkham City’s undead Solomon Grundy and Superman’s demented duplicate, Bizarro, would likely be unaffected by Brainiac’s mind-control powers and therefore free to pursue their nefarious designs on the overrun city. Players could encounter the dim but destructive pair in optional side missions throughout the game, providing an amusing detour from the main story.
While its gameplay debut left a sour taste in some gamers’ mouths, it’s far too early to write off Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League just yet. The game’s premise and characters are already intriguing, so adding some villainous variety could help break up the monotony of potentially boring battles against the hordes of Brainiac’s biomechanical minions. And in a game already packed to the brim with some of DC’s worst of the worst, adding a few more baddies for good measure surely couldn’t hurt.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League releases on February 2, 2024, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
