The first Suicide Squad movie could be charitably called a mixed bag. It didn't know if it wanted to be a goofy, fun, candy-coated superhero flick, or a gritty, dark, serious superhero film, so it kind of tried to be both. It still did well enough at the box office (and somehow won an Oscar), mostly because the concept of taking a bunch of two-bit DC villains, and turning them into a rag-tag team of anti-heroes is solid enough to make up for Jared Leto with a "Damaged" tattoo on his head.
But even though it somewhat worked as a movie, and will likely work even better with James Gunn directing the sequel/reboot, the idea of Suicide Squad is the perfect fodder for a kickass video game. There were rumors before that WB Montreal is making a game, but we think the studio behind the Arkham games makes a lot more sense. Rocksteady already specializes in bringing comic book heroes to life in the gaming world, and there's a good chance that they could make a Suicide Squad game that could stand toe to toe with the Arkham series.
Rocksteady Is Pretty Good At This Superhero Thing
We all know the Arkham games by now. Rocksteady proved that you don't need to half-ass it, and make something like Superman 64. By actually putting some effort in, you could make games like Batman: Arkham Asylum, or Batman: Arkham City. These games are the definitive Batman games, combining his ability to solve crimes, with his other ability to beat people up so bad that they can't eat solid foods anymore.
However, Rocksteady has kind of painted themselves into a corner. Batman: Arkham Knight pretty much ended the series by implying that Batman was dead, or was in hiding, or something like that. The ending was a little vague, possibly so they could leave the door open for future games. But making another Arkham game just seems like a waste of their abilities, since it's all Rocksteady has done for the past decade, and if they have to make another superhero game, it'd be nice to see them branch out.
Plus, there's actually been a kind of backdoor opening for a Suicide Squad game already:
This is the after credits scene for Batman: Arkham Origins, which is kind of the black sheep of the Arkham family since it wasn't developed by Rocksteady. Still, this implies that the Suicide Squad does exist in some capacity in the Arkham universe, so if the idea has already been established, why not run with it?.
Who's In The Squad?
The first thing you'd need to establish in a Suicide Squad game is what members of the "skuad" make it in. Obviously the biggest names are Harley Quinn and Deadshot, who have both made appearances in previous Arkham games, as well as the movie. They're arguably the most popular members of the team, so they would be the easiest to transition into this game.
From there you have a cavalcade of characters you can draw from. Probably the most notable aside from the previous two would be Killer Croc, who's also been in the games, so he could be added in without much trouble. There's also rogues like Captain Boomerang, El Diablo, The Enchantress, and Katana, who would be recognizable to those who saw the movie. If you're drawing from sources other than the games or the film, there's also villains like Parasite, Killer Frost, King Shark, and at some points even Black Manta and The Penguin have been involved.
The only one who probably wouldn't be able to make it is The Electrocutioner, as he had a pretty significant fall from grace:
Maybe Go A Little Crazier Than Arkham
A Suicide Squad game is going to feel different from the standard Arkham games because no one in the squad has any qualms with straight up killing people. Most of the crew are either murderers at best, or super-powered terrorists at worst. This could allow Rocksteady to get a little more violent with the game, as they don't need to justify how Batman isn't killing people when he runs them over with his Batmobile.
The other big change is that with so many different anti-heroes, they could all play completely different from one another. Harley Quinn could possibly play similarly to the Arkham games with its counter based combat, but characters like The Enchantress, or Deadshot, or Killer Frost could have entirely unique gameplay mechanics. Batman didn't have any superhuman abilities, so it'd be interesting to see how Rocksteady would handle superpowers.
Also, since there are multiple members of the Squad, this may be a good opportunity to make this an entirely different kind of game, with heavy focus on co-op multiplayer. While another single player experience is always welcome, having a co-op game with an Arkham style has a ton of potential. This could mean that you and some friends could either tackle a main story campaign, or it could be split up into smaller campaigns or missions, like Left 4 Dead, or Warhammer: Vermintide. There hasn't been a superhero game that's attempted something like that before, and Rocksteady could be breaking new ground if they went in that direction.
Who Would The Squad Fight? (It's Probably The Joker)
As for the plot, the Suicide Squad comics have a wealth of missions and storylines to take inspiration from, and Rocksteady has always been good about coming up with new takes on familiar DC tales. Although, to draw more eyes to the project, it wouldn't be shocking if they manage to work the Joker into the story.
Considering that this would be the first Suicide Squad game, it probably makes sense for the Joker to be the main bad guy, as he's the villain with the biggest name recognition, and he's technically involved with the Squad through his association with Harley Quinn, and his appearance in the movie. It might be a little hard to do since he died in Arkham City, but this could easily be a prequel, so Rocksteady could stuff in all the Joker bits they like.
This is the easiest route to go, although this is Rocksteady, so they could throw us a curveball. They might pick another DC villain like Ra's Al Ghul or Lex Luthor, or just have the Squad go up against random terrorist organizations like they do in the comics.
But really, it's probably going to be the Joker.
The Squad Or The League?
The Suicide Squad has the most cultural relevance it has possibly ever had, thanks to the movies, and the popularity of Harley Quinn and superheroes in general. However, it could be a risk, because as well known as the Suicide Squad may be now, it still isn't quite as big as other names in the DC Universe. Plus, if the upcoming James Gunn directed movie doesn't do well at the box office, it may turn people off from looking at a game based on a failed summer blockbuster.
Rocksteady has been rumored for years now to be making either a Superman game, or a Justice League game, which are obviously much more lucrative franchises. After working on Batman games for so long, it makes sense to jump over to a game based on the most popular hero of all time. On the other hand, DC and Warner Bros. may have looked at what Marvel and Crystal Dynamics are planning with the upcoming Avengers game, and may have gotten a few ideas about how they could do the same for their own deep roster of heroes.
From a financial standpoint, these ideas make a lot more sense than a Suicide Squad game, because there hasn't been a good Superman or Justice League game, and Rocksteady is the kind of studio that could make one.
Only Rocksteady Knows What Rocksteady Will Do
With Suicide Squad on the minds of DC fans, now is as good a time as any to make a game based on this team of maniacs. It could have a different kind of vibe from Rocksteady's previous efforts, with heavy doses of violence, and humor. Having it be a co-operative experience with different powered characters also seems like a fresh idea from Rocksteady, and could be a really cool concept for a superhero game.
It all really falls to what Rocksteady would rather do, and what Warner Bros. wants them to do. Making a good Suicide Squad game would be a great promotional tool for the upcoming film, but a Superman or Justice League game is going to make a profit no matter what. Suicide Squad seems like a better use of Rocksteady's time, and because it's not as much of a long-running, and well established franchise, it means Rocksteady has more freedom to be as creative as they want.