Does Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League Take Place In The Arkhamverse?
Developer Rocksteady made a name for itself back in 2009 with the critically acclaimed "Arkham Asylum." Since then, fans have been thrilled by three more entries that continued the franchise and Batman's story. While the "Arkham" series ended in 2015 with "Arkham Knight," Rocksteady hasn't rested on its laurels. The studio's been hard at work on its next big game, "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League."
This new game looks to change everything by shaking up the style for Rocksteady. It shifts the focus from the heroes to the villains by making the titular Suicide Squad — including the likes of Harley Quinn and King Shark – the protagonists on a mission to save Metropolis and the world. It also switches up the gameplay by introducing multiplayer co-op and downplaying stealth in favor of over-the-top action and combat. What it does have in common with past Rocksteady games is that it still takes place in the DC universe.
This, of course, raises the question of whether or not the new game takes place in the same fictional universe as Rocksteady's past Batman titles. Does "Sucide Squad" take place in the Arkhamverse?
A fresh look at a familiar setting
"Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League" may be changing things up and going much bigger, but that doesn't mean it's leaving the established Arkhamverse. Rocksteady has confirmed that the game does, indeed, take place in the same setting and, in PlayStation's February State of Play event, the developer provided more details about the story and how it fits into the "Arkham" timeline.
Rocksteady explained that the game takes place five years after "Arkham Knight" and will involve the Suicide Squad fighting off an invasion by Brainiac. Brainiac has attacked Metropolis, brainwashed the Justice League – except for Wonder Woman – and is threatening the world. And, of course, only the villains turned heroes can stop him.
There's no word yet on how much players will get to learn about the time between "Arkham Knight" and this new title. Presumably, Gotham and the world are very different after Batman was unmasked and seemingly died. At the least, the game will likely provide some answers about what actually happened to Batman, as Rocksteady has previously revealed, in a heartbreaking tribute to Kevin Conroy, that Batman will be appearing in the game.
"Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League" may not focus on Batman but it does take place in the old, familiar "Arkham" setting and even feature the "Arkham" batman as an antagonist. The gameplay may be different but, for fans that need to see more of the world that they've grown to love, this will be a game to pick up.