And it couldn’t come soon enough.

Target locked – #DCFanDome – August 22. #suicidesquadgame pic.twitter.com/HrXZNKwo0f

— Rocksteady Studios (@RocksteadyGames) August 7, 2020

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Today Sophycles of Histastrophe! fame posted the above news and I have to say I was initially ready to dump on the idea due to the movie being a disaster and the fact that they’re still pushing a sequel to it. I won’t lie, I sometimes have a hard time separating my hatred for one part of a property from something that may not have earned that level of ire yet. The more I thought on it though it actually seems like a fairly fresh idea regardless of how saturated the market is with superhero properties, both excellent and horrifying. While Suicide Squad the movie may have had a rough go of it I can actually see myself getting excited about seeing it as a game property and thats before we even touch on the pedigree of Rocksteady and their history with the Arkham games. While not all perfect you’d be hard pressed I think to find any superhero that has been done justice like Batman was in that series of games. So for now at least we can rest that the idea of a Suicide Squad game or series of games is in the best hands it can be and I am excited to see what they come up with.

Personally I hope that they find an interesting way to work in the squad aspect of the property because even with recent releases like Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 we haven’t really had a truly current or next gen ensemble experience. Grand Theft Auto 5 I think had one of the best iterations of an ensemble cast in recent memory and I’ve been waiting for another game to elaborate on it. Suicide Squad I think might be the perfect opportunity to explore that strange area of Me, Myself and, I couch co-op. I can’t say I’d be angry if they included actual co-op either online or local but I still think there is more that can be done in that weird solo co-op space.

Now for the really important question, as far as starting roster of characters goes… who would you want?

I don’t honestly think that my first pick needs any introduction but for our leading badass I’d love to see none other than Dr. Harleen Quinzel a.k.a. Harley Quinn—

I won’t waste your time with a list of reasons why but suffice it to say if you’re my age and you grew up with Batman The Animated Series then Harley Quinn should have a special place in your heart. Other than that I don’t know what to tell you, she’s awesome and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching her grow as a character over the years. I hope this is yet another step in her journey that we can all enjoy.

Second pick for me goes to King Shark—

I’m going to be straight with you, I didn’t get a chance to own any Street Sharks toys as a kid and I don’t think anyone even remembers the show anymore let alone wants to make a video game of it. And no, Maneater regardless of how hilarious it is, doesn’t count. So this is as close as I’m going to get and I won’t let anyone trample on my dreams.

Give him to me, Rocksteady, you know you want to.

Third I think I’m going to have to go with a woman who needs little introduction, Enchantress—

I tend to have a soft spot for characters who struggle to control an evil aspect of themselves while trying to do good. It’s one of the reasons I enjoy characters like Venom so much in their strangely cruel but helpful ways, even Joker occasionally has a redemptive moment amidst the string of horrific crimes he commits. They are characters that will continually tease along that little bit of hope that one day they might overcome their darker sides and live a life of good. Naturally it will never happen but the point is that it could. The Suicide Squad is definitely a home for some perfectly ridiculous “villains” but Enchantress is definitely one with a better story and characterization than most.

Lastly the fourth spot for me is a bit of a toss up where I can’t help but want to even out this team of mostly close range brawlers with someone like Deathstroke or Deadshot because otherwise they won’t be able to raid worth a damn. On the other hand I kind of want to see Power Girl in the game, boob window jokes aside, just on the off chance we get to see a take on one of my favorite comic covers–

As odd as it seems Power Girl did spend an arc with the Suicide Squad and her interactions with Harley were always a real highlight and I think seeing them both in a game together would be fantastic. To be perfectly honest there are a myriad of characters you could throw into that fourth slot that be okay but hopefully Rocksteady will give us a varied roster to choose from so we can mix and match our own squads from the history of the comics.

I think that was the biggest news I wanted to touch on this week, other things that piqued my interest were a show called Lovecraft Country—

I am a big fan of Lovecraftian lore and this looks right up my alley for numerous reasons including the cast and overall feel. Very excited to check it out in a couple weeks.

The other thing was that Horizon Zero Dawn released on PC and while the reviews for it have been a little mixed on the technical side it was one game I have not yet played but would really like to. It’s been on my to play list for a long time and I should probably remedy that.

I hope you all have had a good week and can look forward to a little down time and relaxation the next day or two.

Stay safe and until next time, have a great weekend!

• Anthony