‘Suicide Squad’ Alpha Leaks Suggest First Post-Launch Hero, Surprising Positivity

Suicide Squad

Rocksteady

While Marvel’s Avengers may be dead, my favorite Avengers leaker and dataminer, Miller, has found a new place to call home. That would be Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which has just started an NDA-laden closed alpha ahead of his release next year.

Miller is not in the alpha, so not breaking any NDAs himself, but he’s done some datamining and heard impressions info from players, and it’s definitely newsworthy.

For starters, it seems like one of the first post-launch characters, an additional member of the Suicide Squad, will be Killer Croc. That’s from some bits in the game files, and would definitely draw from one of the higher profile members of the squad over the years. There’s little info past that, but no, it’s not a secret fifth character (though there’s no ruling out there could be one as the game progresses), but one of the post-launch releases like the game has already promised, in that sense definitely channeling Marvel’s Avengers. Like Avengers, the post-launch characters are also free (though other microtransactions follow).

Miller also talks about a “major feature” that has been held back from the marketing, something that is an opportunity for fan service and great gameplay, but he’s not spoiling it on purpose.

Finally, what is probably the most eye-opening news about Suicide Squad from all this is that…it may actually be very good, a strong contrast from the vibes it’s mainly been giving out during its previews. Among the praise:

• “It’s way better than I expected to be.”
• “They learned the right lessons from Avengers, the gameplay at its core is extremely fun and you immediately feel powerful.”
• “The shooting feels crunchy (in a good way) and I’m way way more pumped for it.”

Finally, the tutorial is great, melee and combos are incentivized, there’s a QTE for faster reloading, cutscenes are good but stiff without music in spots (possible it’s just not inserted for the alpha).

I mean, wow. That is much more glowing praise than I would have anticipated. I know this is Rocksteady and we know they’re extremely talented as per the Arkham trilogy, but this felt way outside their norm and like it was chasing live service trends, making a game no one really wanted to see. That’s certainly how I felt. But I mean of course I would much prefer if it was actually, surprisingly great, as I always I would like to play a good game, not a bad one, obviously.

Expect more leaks from the alpha, NDAs or not, but if this level of positivity is truly widespread, those leaks may do a lot more good than harm for a game everyone has been deeply skeptical about.

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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.