Summary
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguehas had a troubled development history, putting some wear on its public image. From delays to price hikes and grinding mechanics,Suicide Squadhasn’t had an easy time with its reputation. A recent attempt to rectify this by Rocksteady falls far below expectations.
TheArkhamseries developer announced earlier this year thatSuicide Squadwill always need to be online, even when played solo. Gamers have historically been against this,withRedfallreceiving huge backlashfor this prior to its release. Rocksteady have attempted to quell concerns about online connectivity by announcing an offline mode—one that won’t arrive until after the game’s release. Though many are glad to see offline play coming, other players are unhappy with this gambit.
There’s a whole cluster of issues with Rocksteady’s fix. Withdelay after delay forSuicide Squad, it’s easy to see why a delay to a feature within said game would be unpopular. Moreover, the patchwork culture of AAA releases that arrive unfinished has been more and more derided in recent years—especially with the new console generation’s price hike to $70. Of course, an offline mode is better than no offline mode, but it’s extremely questionable as to why it’s not being packaged with the title in the first place.
The core problem with spreading out features over time is the impact at launch. This was well-demonstratedby the ill-fatedMarvel’s Avengers, another superhero-themed live service title thatSuicide Squadis often compared to. Crystal Dynamics planned for the game to have a life stretching long into the future, but its repetitive and lackluster content at launch sealed its fate. While a lack of an offline story mode at launch won’t killSuicide Squadin the cradle, particularly because it’s not a content omission, it could turn players off. If gamers don’t have solid connections or have a zealous opposition toward always-online requirements, they simply won’t buy the game. Online functionality needs to be airtight if Rocksteady wants to avoid a fallout.
In addition, ifSuicide Squadisn’t a hit on launch, there may not be anyone interested by the time offline functionality comes in.Redfallarrived locked at 30 FPSwith the promise of 60 FPS post-release. However, when that 60 FPS came in, there was nobody there to receive it; players had already abandoned the game thanks to its lackluster launch. ShouldSuicide Squadbe unable to find a playerbase at release, offline capability later on will be practically immaterial. More interest at launch will always help keep up retention and allow a title to age better; post-release content needs the base of a solid core experience to truly matter.
This is all without mentioning that focusing on the always-online requirement is only scratching the surface ofSuicide Squad’s many conundrums. It’s certainly a good thing to rectify, but what many players take issue with are more along the lines of the numerous live service elements. This includes:
At a time when fans are only becoming more and moreoutraged atSuicide Squad’smonetization plans, a post-release patch that adds in offline play is a meager offering. Of course, after already being delayed multiple times, there’s little chance that Rocksteady would consider throwing out these systems—nor should developers be made to crunch for an alternative. In the future, however, better planning that delivers the features gamers most want at launch should be considered.
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.
