Summary
DCis one of the most enduring and prolific media brands, and its presence in the gaming landscape is representative of this. Hopes are high for future DC projects, like theupcomingBatman: Arkham ShadowandWonder Womangames, which appear to be a shift in focus compared to the recent spate of DC superhero titles.
The two most recent, high-profileDCgames,Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice LeagueandGotham Knights, are not widely beloved. They have their strengths, certainly, with the former featuring some satisfying combat mechanics and the latter boasting industry-leading visual design and character animations, but they both ultimately failed to reach the level of critical and commercial success seen by the likes of theBatman Arkhamfranchise, which many still consider the pinnacle of superhero video games. To get back to this level of polish and prestige, future DC titles must take a more direct approach, placing more faith in the success of single-player games spearheaded by one protagonist.
Though the aforementionedArkham Shadowis set in theArkhamuniverse, it is both a prequel and a VR spin-off title, not exactly positioned as a return to form for the franchise.
New DC Games Ought to Maintain a Single-Hero Focus
DC’s Multiplayer Push Hasn’t Gone Well
When Warner Bros. announced that Rocksteady, the studio behind theBatman Arkhamfranchise, would be developing aSuicide Squadgame within the Arkhamverse, the gaming community’s excitement was palpable. This excitement was significantly quelled by the subsequent reveal that thegame would be a multiplayer, live-service looter-shooter along the lines ofMarvel’s Avengers. Many felt that such alive-service venture didn’t play to Rocksteady’s strengths, and the game wound up being widely panned for its dull combat, in-game purchases, and repetitive, uninventive gameplay.
Gotham Knightsalso struggled to find success. Though it didn’t draw nearly the same ire asSuicide Squad, it was criticized for its bland open-world, unpolished gear and RPG systems, and general lack of focus. And while it’s not a live-service game likeSuicide Squad, it certainly boasts many of the genre’s hallmark features, such as grind-heavy progression, granular stat-tweaking and, of course, online co-op.Gotham Knightsultimately squandered its potential, and its focus on being a multiplayer, superhero team-up game over a tight and focused single-player experience may have contributed to its shortcomings.
Single-Hero Games Are the Key to DC Games' Bright Future
The destiny of DC games will be shaped in the coming years as Monolith continues work onWonder Womanand Rocksteady keeps expandingSuicideSquadthrough post-launch content. These two games represent the crossroads that the brand is facing.
Little has been revealed aboutWonder Woman, but it has the potential to be a solid single-player game that follows in the footsteps of Monolith’sMiddle-Earthseries. Honing in on this new vision of Wonder Woman could yield great results, as it would allow Monolith to tell an engaging, self-contained story within an iconic fictional world.Wonder Womancan stand out against other recent DC gamesby prioritizing a good narrative and character-specific gameplay systems over the unrealistic longevity that so many multiplayer games strive for.
Assuming this is the case,Wonder Womanshouldn’t be an exception. Other characters like Superman, Green Lantern, and The Flash all have the potential to lead incredible gaming experiences, but they need room to breathe; they can’t shine as brightly if they are part of an ensemble game, let alone a live-service multiplayer one. WhileWarner Bros. has expressed a desire to focus on live-service titlesfull of iconic characters, it should rethink this strategy, choosing to chase the nextBatman Arkhaminstead of the nextSuicide Squad.
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.
