SHOT DEAD

There are flashes of greatness in SUICIDE SQUAD: KILL THE JUSTICE LEAGUE

- Morgan Park

The Justice League was long dead when Rocksteady's quirky looter shooter finally clicked. I was 20 hours in, having just reached max level as Deadshot, discovering that Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League's endgame hunt for Brainiac is no joke-I was ducking and rolling past walls of lasers and getting the most out of a legendary rifle that penetrates pesky armor. It was a blast because I was finally hitting difficult missions.

It took a long time (far too long) for Suicide Squad to show its hand, but once it did, I briefly became the Destiny player that I usually can't relate to eagerly replaying content I've done before, enamored by the possibility of ultra-rare rewards. The problem is that, at launch, Suicide Squad's endgame is a brief but delicious dessert, and to even get there you have to play a story mode that's not good.

Going into Suicide Squad as a fan of Rocksteady's Batman trilogy comes with unavoidable whiplash. You'll recognize the studio's unmatched eye for animation in the expressive movements of Task Force X and the silky transitions in and out of cutscenes, but this is Rocksteady's take on a completely different genre. The carefully curated utility belt of gadgets, puzzlebox dungeons and claustrophobic arenas of the Arkham era have made way for a wide-open, acrobatic shooter that takes place almost entirely outside and mostly in midair.

YOU'LL BELIEVE A SHARK CAN FLY