The Borderlands series and the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League share a unique trait that may prove difficult for them to handle.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is in a prime position to become one of the most talked-about games of the year for various reasons, with its pre-release press erring on the negative side as well as public opinion shifting dramatically after it was revealed it had live-service elements. Rocksteady’s latest creation is unfortunately facing an uphill battle from the get-go, and while the recent Discord Q and A session did help set more realistic expectations of what the game has to offer, there is one element that equally filled some fans with hype as much as it made others further question the game’s direction. With Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League having a Joker-themed DLC planned, it seems it’s in the same spot as the Borderlands series.
One of the biggest issues Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League can face is that players may end up comparing it to the Batman: Arkham series for good or bad, as it’s arguably Rocksteady’s most popular work, especially thanks to Kevin Conroy’s Batman and Mark Hamill’s Joker. On the other end of the spectrum is Borderlands, a series that has long been around, and one that is likely to get its new installment sooner rather than later. Yet, Borderlands shares a unique trait with Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, and that is its overreliance on one iconic villain.
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Could Be Teasing the Return of a Major Villain
Rocksteady’s upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League could be teasing the return of a major Arkhamverse villain.
Why Borderlands and Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League Share a Villain Problem
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League’s Joker DLC Risks Beating a Dead Horse
Although the reveal that Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League‘s endgame loop may end up revolving around the Joker is not bad news, there is a chance that Rocksteady may be beating a dead horse if the same Joker as the Batman: Arkham series is used. On the other hand, using a different Joker may seem strange considering what happened to the character in the same universe as Suicide Squad, with the Ace of Knaves being first killed by his Titan disease in Arkham City and then “revived” in Arkham Knight, eventually also appearing in Arkham Origins.
While Joker is not the ultimate face of Batman games, he is arguably the most infamous villain for the Caped Crusader to deal with, and he’s also one of the most iconic DC characters overall. As such, it follows that Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League‘s post-launch releases may want to include the Joker, but this risks putting a strain on the series and the Arkhamverse as a whole that makes future titles extremely unlikely to ever grow out of the Clown Prince of Crime’s shadow.
Borderlands 4 Needs a Villain Strong Enough to Live Up to Handsome Jack’s Legacy
Likewise, Borderlands has been dealing with the same issue thanks to Handsome Jack. Borderlands 2‘s Handsome Jack is not only a fantastic villain within his series, but is widely considered one of the best villains in video games ever, which is no small feat. The problem is that, ever since Borderlands 2, the series has never really recovered from Handsome Jack’s presence, to the point that he ended up featuring in every game after his starring role. This includes Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Borderlands 3, and even the spin-off series Tales From the Borderlands.
This is not necessarily a bad thing in a vacuum, but given that the series is still ongoing, it needs to either bring a new villain in Borderlands 4 capable of going head-to-head with Jack’s legacy or accept that the series’ big bads may not be as impactful. The same thing may happen with Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, whose reliance on the nostalgia and hype generated by the Joker may prove to be a double-edged sword. Turning back is impossible for either series right now, and while they are struggling with the success of their villains, it also shows how important some characters can be in a game’s reception.
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by ANDREA TRAMA 19 Jan 2024
