Rocksteady’s highly anticipated title, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, finds itself ensnared in a web of relentless criticism that stubbornly persists, despite the developer’s earnest endeavors to counteract and dispel the negative sentiments surrounding the game.

In the realm of modern video games, no creation is exempt from scrutiny, a regrettable byproduct of being accessible to the public. Unfortunately, certain titles face an unwarranted barrage of criticism well before they even become available on store shelves or digital platforms. The forthcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is the latest casualty of this phenomenon, succumbing to unjust condemnation in the lead-up to its release.

A significant portion of this backlash stems from the realm of fandom culture, where individuals closely tie their personal value to the products they consume, interpreting criticism not as constructive feedback but as a direct assault on their identity.  Despite the gamble associated with introducing unknown characters and an unhinged tone in Suicide Squad, this risk proves enticing to those seeking a break from familiarity. The game’s unique look and feel, distinct from anything else, tries to draw fans in, but fails to create that environment.

Speaking to PLAY Magazine, Studio Product Director Darius Sadeghian spoke about how the company sees the game. “We knew we wanted to make a four player co-op game, so we spent a lot of time iterating on our characters,” Sadeghian said.

“For us, it wasn’t so much about making a game in any particular genre. Rather, the focus is on creating a sense of flow and trinity between all out gameplay systems. That’s reflected in the way the traversal, melee, and shooter elements all blend together when you’re playing,” the senior developer continued.

Additionally, the game faces considerable flak for its adoption of a live-service model, drawing attention to a distinct aspect of its design that has become a focal point for discontent. The concept underlying a live-service model revolves around the continuous delivery of updates to a game over an extended period. Despite this intention to provide ongoing content and improvements, a significant portion of the gaming community harbors reservations towards such models. For some, the mere mention of live-service games triggers strong negative reactions, with some individuals even perceiving them as a detriment to the entire gaming industry. 

“We don’t really think of our game as fitting with any particular label,” said Sadeghian, adding that the Suicide Squad game is “still full of the DNA that infuses the Batman: Arkham series.”

“Our goal is to build a community with this game. We want each player to feel like they’re part of Suicide Squad and, more broadly, a global Suicide Squad community,” Sadeghain continued. “This has been at the core of our development and the game has been built from the ground up as an experience that can be shared with friends.”

Sadeghain noted several social features for the game including taunts, a social squad feature, and competition with online leaderboards. He also noted all the free content players will get to keep them engaged. This includes “new story missions, locations, gear, costumes, collectible trinkets, and more,” and new characters with “unique mechanics,” all of which will be unlocked for free.

Critics of live-service games argue that these titles are often disjointed, released prematurely with a myriad of bugs, essentially requiring players to pay full AAA prices for the privilege of beta testing the game. Whistleblowers contend that essential components, which should have been part of the initial release in a polished state, are sometimes withheld for six months to a year, contributing to a sense of dissatisfaction among the gaming community.

In the face of myriad criticisms and the palpable discontent expressed by fans, the release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is poised to make its debut on February 2nd, ushering in a pivotal moment for both the gaming community and the developers, who have navigated a sea of feedback to bring forth the culmination of their creative endeavors.