Suicide Squad’s Battle Pass System Didn’t Kill the Justice League — Just My Excitement

Another year, another game set to take itself off of the rails. It seems that developers still haven’t learned from Marvel’s Avengers, continuing to add in unnecessary and predatory gameplay additions that don’t have a point besides making money. While slightly unimpressed with the general gameplay showing during the February 23 State Of Play, there was an instant signal that tells me not to buy Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League — the dreaded Battle Pass.

When Will They Learn That Their Actions Have Consequences?

Let’s get the elephant out of the room first: games set in the DC universe can go one of two ways. Either, you get something exciting and fresh like the Batman: Arkham series — ironically created by Rocksteady Studios. Or, you’ll end up with something like Gotham Knights, a game hampered by its predecessor and a generally lackluster game feel. And it looks at this point, at least, that Justice League: Kill The Suicide Squad has made the list, plummeting on a crash course toward that latter half.

During the State of Play Showcase, there was nothing showing off what makes this game special. It looks like every other third-person looter shooter, with bullet-sponge gameplay, uninspired enemy designs that point you in the exact direction to shoot, and just an overall painfully generic feel. At least the characters themselves look great if that’s any sort of consolation.

While feeling underwhelmed at the overall state of Kill The Justice League, there was at least a bit of hope that the long-rumored Battle Pass was just a hoax. Maybe, just maybe, at that point, it may be salvageable in my eyes. That is until the first look at the LOADOUT screen comes up. Alongside the painful 2020’s UI trend of way too much information on the screen at once, SHOP & BATTLE PASS make their debut.

Battle Passes Are So 2020

Look, sometimes picking up a no-thought game can be kind of fun. Alongside the idea of just bashing through some baddies with some friends, there are some parts of Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League that look genuinely impressive. The range of movement looks to open the environment for bombastic battles, and the dialogue looks to deliver the quip-filled fun that we’ve grown to love over the years.

However, at this point, you’re already paying $70 for the game, with the current generation game price increase. There’s also the likely chance that there will be a digital deluxe edition, a collectors edition, alongside the Digital Deluxe Collections Edition Premium Edition that will set you back the price of a house payment. Is it really necessary to add an additional tier of in-game purchases to unlock the… totally canonical Superman King Shark skin.

Look, we get it. It’s fun to play dress-up and get your favorite villains dolled up in some new clothing. While we don’t fully know what the Battle Pass for this particular game is going to look like, we can only expect that you’re going to need to complete challenges to unlock XP and rewards, which will then require you to grind for countless hours to unlock the most meaningless rewards of all time.

Giant Enemy Crab versus Bright Purple Blobs

It’s a shame to see Rocksteady Studios, the minds behind the critically and commercially successful Batman Arkham series sink to this level of uninspired and unimaginative drivel. But, with the sheer number of excellent games on the docket, is a woefully generic 3rd person looter-shooter going to bring in the audience it needs? Let’s ask Outriders for their thoughts on this one.

There’s a great chance that I could be wrong, and Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League could turn out to be a very competent little shooter. However, seeing yet another multiplayer-based, 3rd person shooter with unnecessary gear scores, battle passes, and plenty of ways to snag your cash, it’s leaving me in the camp of “I have too many other good games to play to worry about this one at all” camp, and that’s a damn shame.