At the end of August, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment pulled back the curtain on two long-rumored and much-anticipated titles based on popular DC superhero comics: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, and Gotham Knights. Both properties have solid bases of hardcore fans which should help the games at launch, but WB has even better secret weapons up its sleeves.
Usually, releasing new titles in crowded landscape of similar games makes it harder to stand out amongst the competition. Insomniac's Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Square Enix's Avengers have already made it to market in time for the holidays and next generation console launches, but in this case, their early head start is Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad's greatest advantage. Stealing pointers and avoiding missteps from fellow superhero games will allow WB's developers to deliver stellar experiences.
But WB Games Montreal and Rocksteady Studios should be open to influences outside of capes and tights comics, as well. 4-player co-operative play is at the heart of both forthcoming Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad, and there are plenty of excellent co-operative multiplayer titles in a variety of genres whose influence could improve Warner Bros.' DC-centric offerings.
A Lesson in Loot for Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad
It would be a considerable understatement to say Crystal Dynamics' Marvel's Avengers has stumbled out of the gate. Square Enix has yet to recoup Avengers' development costs, and posted a substantial loss in the quarter following its release. The title has plenty of room for improvement, but one key area where it falls short is the game's loot and microtransaction system. Most of the randomized gear is devoted to raising character stats, rather than providing characters with game-changing abilities.
WB Games Montreal has already confirmed Gotham Knights will be launching with a wide variety of cosmetics. Rather than using Avengers' micro-transaction examples, Gotham Knights would be better off following Spider-Man: Miles Morales' example of featuring a large wardrobe of costumes as core game content. At the very least, WB should pay attention to Avengers poorly-received price points and adjust accordingly if the game features microtransactions.
As far as loot goes, Avengers also leaves something to be desired, with most gear providing randomized stat bonuses like a standard MMO. While it is possible that neither DC game will make use of a lootable equipment system, Gotham Knights is breaking with the long-running Arkham franchise formula and Suicide Squad members use a wide variety of weapons in the comics, so it seems likely that players will be able to customize outfits and equipment to some extent. For that purpose, Gunfire Games' Remnant: From the Ashes' is a worthy touchstone. Rather than equipment drops with randomized stats, challenges and missions could yield pre-fixed gear with carefully balanced stats and meaningful abilities from a randomized pool.
Lessons in Co-Op for Suicide Squad and Gotham Knights
Co-op is at the core of both Suicide Squad and Gotham Knights, and being able to switch between characters with distinctive playstyles is a great way to keep a game fresh and make group play more fun. Each of Gotham Knights' playable characters will have personalized skill trees and distinct XP progression. Another recent hit that follows a similar pattern is Genshin Impact. Being able to switch between Bat-Family or Suicide Squad members on the fly, both in single player and multiplayer, would enable some incredibly in-depth combos, especially since the characters in both titles will likely be deeper and more complex than Genshin Impact's gacha-gated roster.
There even a precedent for switching between playable characters mid-fight in the Arkham series. And while both titles are carving new paths—and possibly laying the groundwork for Warner Bros.' shared universe of DC video game titles—synching distinctive character abilities in devastating ways is one of PVE co-op's great joys. There is no reason for the game to focus cooperative elements solely on combat, either. Allowing different characters to affect the environment in unique ways would help make each hero and anti-hero feel more distinctive, and opens the door to some potentially impressive group puzzle solving.
The Spice of Life in Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad
Insomniac's original Marvel's Spider-Man borrowed a great deal from Rocksteady's Arkham franchise, but it also pushed the formula forward in certain ways, especially where mission variety was concerned. Providing players with a large number of distinct activities is a key aspect of successful superhero games, and both Suicide Squad and Gotham Knights need more variety to keep pace with the competition.
Again, having different characters with personalized abilities is a good way to achieve that versatility, but looking to other open-world games with great side quests for influence will help. Spider-Man's MJ and Miles missions provide a hint at how these character-specific activities could work. In Gotham Knights Dick Grayson's background as an acrobat could allow Nightwing to achieve jumps that other bat family members couldn't manage, whereas Barbara Gordon's computer savvy could allow Batgirl to hack security systems.
Suicide Squad presents a different opportunity for distinct missions: crime. Harley, King Shark, Deadshot and Captain Boomerang are on-again off-again bad guys, and while Amanda Waller has them wired to explode if they step too far out of line, the Squad has been known to indulge in some extra legal activities on the side during missions. Deadshot is a peerless assassin in DC's comics who could take on additional targets as the group tries to take down Supes, while Harley could pull off Robin Hood-esque heists. Better yet, these antiheroes could have to strike a balance between traditional good guy stuff (rescue hostage rescue, defense missions, fighting crooks) with less savory activities that provide unique opportunities for character growth.
Red Dead Online, which is soon to be released as a standalone title, is another co-op game that presents players with a good amount of variety, and its honor system hints at a potential model for a hero/criminal dynamic. Rather than a meter that simply tracks one's morality however, good deeds could serve as "fuel" to be spent on transgressive missions. And if players dip their toes too deep into dark waters, or even cause too much collateral damage, they may have to answer to Waller's wrath. Being aware of what the competition is doing, and seeing what resonates with fans is an excellent model for refining an established formula. And while superhero games often adhere to certain conventions, both Suicide Squad and Gotham Knights have a golden opportunity to break the mold.
Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League are currently in development for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Exact release dates have yet to be announced.