The following contains story spoilers for Rocksteady Studios’Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
Rocksteady’sBatman: Arkhamseries is widely recognized as one of the most influential superhero games ever made, thanks to its innovative approach to combat and stealth as well as its engaging overarching narrative. More recent superhero titles, like Insomniac’sMarvel’s Spider-Manfranchise, have even gone on to utilize some ofBatman: Arkham’s best features. Now, Rocksteady has just released its highly anticipatedBatman: Arkhamspin-off,Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
Despite the brand-new story thatSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguebrings to the table, many fans have already expressed their preference for theBatman: Arkhamseries. Thankfully, the developer has ensured that not only will new players be given a briefBatman: Arkhamhistory lesson within the first few hours ofKill the Justice League, but veteran players will also get an opportunity to reflect on what came before in what is a rather creative approach to recapping its most defining moments.
How Kill the Justice League’s Batman Museum Recaps the Batman: Arkham Story
After theirencounter with Batman inSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, players are allowed to free-roam the Batman Museum as they please. Displays of various villains and events from theBatman: Arkhamgames fill the museum, along with buttons that players can press in front of each one. When a button is pressed, a voice recording of Jack Ryder plays, detailing the scene or character behind it. However, whereas characters are only described, scenes depicting major events are told in story format.
The First Room Tells the Story of Arkham Asylum
The first scene players come across is a scene depicting the very beginning ofBatman: Arkham Asylum, complete with the familiar intercom sound from the game, which is nostalgia-inducing enough to send any fan of the series fifteen years back in time. When its button is pressed,Arkham Asylum’s entire storyis summarized, even to the point of including a cutout of Killer Croc that emerges from behind Joker. As players move on into the halls, they will pass by depictions ofArkham Asylum’s villains, including a Titan-infused Joker.
The Second Room Tells the Story of Arkham City
In the next room, players will see a crowd of cardboard inmates where a condensed version ofBatman: Arkham City’s story is told, with its cardboard characters all moving in response to the events of the narrative. In the room that follows, a cutout of Batman stands tall in the center, holdinga lifeless Joker, signaling the end ofArkham City’s story. There are also pictures of villains from the game shown on the walls — even Deadshot, who is now, ironically, an anti-hero protagonist inKill the Justice League.
The Third Room Tells the Story of Arkham Knight
The final room is a rather large room, full of various scenes andcharacters fromBatman: Arkham Knight, but the main story is told through the button at the room’s entrance from theArkham Cityroom. When the button is pressed, most of the story is told as a giant cutout of Scarecrow appears at the top of the tower ahead, including when Scarecrow unmasks Batman and reveals his true identity. The end of the story is told in a separate scene across the room, detailing the moment Batman chose to fake his death at the end ofArkham Knight.
Game series often choose to include a mashup of cinematics from past games to explain their story so far, or they might even use an NPC to tell the story. However, Rocksteady’s approach inSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leagueto summarizing the events ofBatman: Arkhamis a very creative way of getting the players involved and telling the story using non-traditional methods, and just one of the many ways the developer is attempting to bring something original to the franchise.
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.
