Key characters and gameplay mechanics from the Suicide Squad game revealed

Ahead of the release of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, developer Rocksteady premiered an Insider Series meant to provide players with a deep dive into everything its upcoming project has to offer. The first episode revolved around the story and gameplay mechanics that players will experience firsthand when the game launches on February 2, 2024. However, the series didn't end there.

Rocksteady recently released the second episode where a lot of important information was disclosed such as the appearance of new and returning characters, important story plots, and a revamped gameplay mechanic from Batman: Arkham Knight. It's a lot to unpack, so let's go over all the important details revealed.

The Batmobile is back... sort of

One of the biggest surprises comes in the form of a completely new gameplay mechanic. At the 5:47 mark in the video, we see how Deadshot gets inside an armed vehicle and uses it to fight Brainiac's forces. It's very reminiscent of how the Batmobile plays in Batman: Arkham Knight, except this time it can fly as well (Is this the closest we get to a proper Superman game?).

Players were divided on the inclusion of the Batmobile in the Batman: Arkham Saga. On the one hand, it was fun to control, but on the other, it was also unnecessarily forced onto a lot of missions (We still haven't forgotten how Deathstroke's boss was downplayed to a simple tank fight).

Since the vehicle mechanic was just recently revealed and was nowhere to be seen in previous gameplay videos of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, we can assume it won't play such an integral part in the game. Players can decide when to ask for an airdropped vehicle and use it as they wish. Let's hope Rocksteady managed to find a better balance with the use of its latest gameplay mechanic than they did with Batman: Arkham Knight.

New characters are here

Colonel Rick Flag, Gizmo, Toyman, and Poison Ivy are all going to appear in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. While we don't know what Rick Flag's role will be in the game, we have a lot of information on the other characters and how they'll help take down the Justice League.

Gizmo, who appears at the 5:43 mark on the video, will be the one airdropping the vehicles and helping with their customization. Toyman will act as the brain trying to figure out ways to defeat the various members of the Justice League. Besides, Toyman is also the man you'll go to in case you want to upgrade melee weapons or purchase mods for traversal, ranged weapons, or shields.

While we're taking weapons, it's also important to note that The Penguin can craft or update weapons using parts from different providers, such as Star Labs, Lex Corp, GCPD, and Ametek.

Finally, Poison Ivy (or just Ivy as the game refers to) can offer afflictions, which is a fancy name for elemental powers. There are four different afflictions in total, including Diablo's blaze which sets enemies on fire, and Deep Freeze which freezes enemies in place. We have yet to learn the names of the other two afflictions and what they do, but it appears they will be related to electricity and Ivy's toxins.

New story details

Aside from her role in crafting afflictions, Ivy will also be an integral part of the main story. Players can recall she was killed in the final act of Batman: Arkham Knight after saving Gotham City. However, she left one sprout behind before her passing, prompting many theories that maybe it wasn't the last of Ivy we were going to see in the Arkhamverse.

Turns out that was exactly the case, as Lex Luthor found and took care of that sprout until it blossomed into a... kid version of Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley. Think of it as a Baby Groot scenario where the original character died but left a way for a new version of it to be reborn.

Lex was keeping this new iteration of Ivy trapped and planned to use her toxins to fight Brainiac's forces. However, before that ever happened, Ivy managed to escape and reunite with the Suicide Squad. Now she will be a part of the support squad and help Harley, Deadshot, King Shark, and Captain Boomerang on their mission to kill the Justice League.

A few other details

Aside from everything we've discussed so far, here are some other minor details we were able to discover in the second episode of the Insider series:

• You'll be able to explore the Daily Planet building on the inside as seen at the 1:09 mark.
• We get our first look at Deadshot's daughter at the 1:24 mark.
• The Justice League HQ will be the main base of operations for the Suicide Squad. It will change over time, as seen at the 3:47 mark.
• Hack will make an appearance. She'll help you open locked doors, upgrade weapon damage, and hack into the Justice League's comms.
• Harley's gun can use Bane's toxin to fight enemies as seen at the 12:51 mark.

The next episode of the Insider Series will focus on post-launch content, including new missions and upcoming playable characters. When that happens, we'll break every reveal right here in Bam Smack Pow so make sure to stick around for everything superhero-related.