Ongoing for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League must avoid following the game's example. Rocksteady's follow-up to the Batman: Arkham series will let players become the morally ambiguous of Task Force X, either alone or in co-op with up to three friends, as they explore Metropolis and attempt to kill the Justice League. Suicide Squad: KTJL seems to have many similarities to the ill-fated Marvel's Avengers, but Rocksteady's game doesn't need to follow Crystal Dynamics' failed superhero simulator.
While Rocksteady has established an impressive pedigree with the Batman: Arkham series, a recently leaked Suicide Squad: KTJL menu image has been unfavorably compared to Marvel's Avengers. The leaked menu visually resembles the Marvel's Avengers menu, and it also hints at several concerning mechanics that have not yet been announced by Rocksteady. The leak suggests that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will have a Battle system, which could likely introduce microtransactions into the superhero shooter. An in-game store and various types of currency also appear to be depicted, raising concerns that players will be charged for cosmetics and quality gear just as they were in Marvel's Avengers.
Suicide Squad: KTJL Must Avoid Marvel's Avengers Microtransactions
While various aspects of the multiplayer Marvel adventure received criticism, including its repetitive missions and technical issues, pay-to-win microtransactions in Marvel's Avengers were perhaps the game's largest point of contention. Shortly after its release, Marvel's Avengers introduced paid boosters, which allowed players to obtain additional experience or resources by paying real-world cash. Crystal Dynamics removed these boosters after intense backlash, but up until the game's recent cancellation, Marvel's Avengers still charged players up to $14 for individual skins that could not be earned through gameplay.
Microtransactions can be effective when implemented properly, but Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League must avoid the aggravating MTX system employed by Marvel's Avengers. Considering the title's multiplayer focus, it's important that paying players are never given an unfair advantage over those that choose not to spend real-world currency in the game. Suicide Squad: KTJL should also avoid locking cosmetic skins behind a paywall, instead letting fans earn outfits through gameplay like they can in other superhero games like Marvel's Spider-Man and the Batman: Arkham series.
Suicide Squad: KTJL Must Focus On Story, Compared To Marvel's Avengers
With Marvel's Avengers ending updates this year, the game's lack of a coherent story is incredibly evident. While the live-service title's major updates often added new story content that pushed along an ongoing plot, the game's narrative and multiplayer content were largely separated. For example, players who try jumping into a co-op session before completing the game's single-player story will have Marvel's Avengers spoiled for them. Some content like the Beating the Odds mission and the Cloning Labs raid are also accessible immediately despite being distinct story events, making it very difficult to experience the narrative in order.
To avoid following the same fate as Marvel's Avengers, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League should definitely emphasize story rather than becoming a multiplayer hub. Suicide Squad's singleplayer and co-op multiplayer should both take players through the same storyline, either alone or with a group, rather than letting them accidentally skip the plot. The game's leaked menu image seems to hint at a Chapter Select system, with Task Force X allegedly facing Flash in Mission 3. This mission-based structure can help Suicide Squad: KTJL maintain a strong narrative while still ing multiplayer gameplay, with players possibly returning to chapters they've already completed to fight alongside friends or earn additional rewards.
Despite the game's apparent similarity to Marvel's Avengers, Rocksteady can avoid following in that game's disastrous footsteps with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The antihero adventure's leaked menu hints at microtransactions, but Rocksteady can ensure that cosmetics and useful gameplay items are never locked behind a paywall. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League should also focus on the story, rather than pushing the narrative to the side like Marvel's Avengers did.
Source: DC/YouTube