Kill the Justice League’s Offline Story Option Will Always Be Too Little Too Late

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has had a troubled development history, putting some wear on its public image. From delays to price hikes and grinding mechanics, Suicide Squad hasn’t had an easy time with its reputation. A recent attempt to rectify this by Rocksteady falls far below expectations.

The Arkham series developer announced earlier this year that Suicide Squad will always need to be online, even when played solo. Gamers have historically been against this, with Redfall receiving huge backlash for this prior to its release. Rocksteady have attempted to quell concerns about online connectivity by announcing an offline mode—one that won’t arrive until after the game’s release. Though many are glad to see offline play coming, other players are unhappy with this gambit.

Suicide Squad’s Offline Story Mode Won’t Arrive In Time

There’s a whole cluster of issues with Rocksteady’s fix. With delay after delay for Suicide Squad, it’s easy to see why a delay to a feature within said game would be unpopular. Moreover, the patchwork culture of AAA releases that arrive unfinished has been more and more derided in recent years—especially with the new console generation’s price hike to $70. Of course, an offline mode is better than no offline mode, but it’s extremely questionable as to why it’s not being packaged with the title in the first place.

Suicide Squad’s Move Invites Some Undesirable Comparisons

The core problem with spreading out features over time is the impact at launch. This was well-demonstrated by the ill-fated Marvel’s Avengers, another superhero-themed live service title that Suicide Squad is often compared to. Crystal Dynamics planned for the game to have a life stretching long into the future, but its repetitive and lackluster content at launch sealed its fate. While a lack of an offline story mode at launch won’t kill Suicide Squad in the cradle, particularly because it’s not a content omission, it could turn players off. If gamers don’t have solid connections or have a zealous opposition toward always-online requirements, they simply won’t buy the game. Online functionality needs to be airtight if Rocksteady wants to avoid a fallout.

In addition, if Suicide Squad isn’t a hit on launch, there may not be anyone interested by the time offline functionality comes in. Redfall arrived locked at 30 FPS with the promise of 60 FPS post-release. However, when that 60 FPS came in, there was nobody there to receive it; players had already abandoned the game thanks to its lackluster launch. Should Suicide Squad be unable to find a playerbase at release, offline capability later on will be practically immaterial. More interest at launch will always help keep up retention and allow a title to age better; post-release content needs the base of a solid core experience to truly matter.

The Online Requirement Is Just A Sampling of Suicide Squad’s Problems

This is all without mentioning that focusing on the always-online requirement is only scratching the surface of Suicide Squad‘s many conundrums. It’s certainly a good thing to rectify, but what many players take issue with are more along the lines of the numerous live service elements. This includes:

• Suicide Squad‘s confirmed gear system, an upgrade mechanic that will require RPG-like grinding. This looter shooter feature could easily be roped into microtransactions.
• A battle pass that’s already been revealed in detail.
• A $70 price tag in-line with the current generation of games.

At a time when fans are only becoming more and more outraged at Suicide Squad‘s monetization plans, a post-release patch that adds in offline play is a meager offering. Of course, after already being delayed multiple times, there’s little chance that Rocksteady would consider throwing out these systems—nor should developers be made to crunch for an alternative. In the future, however, better planning that delivers the features gamers most want at launch should be considered.