Discovering Shared Online Mechanics in Dragon's Dogma 2 and Suicide Squad

Exploring the similarities between Dragon's Dogma 2 and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League in their online gameplay mechanics.
Discovering Shared Online Mechanics in Dragon's Dogma 2 and Suicide Squad

Highlights

  • Both Dragon's Dogma 2 and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League incorporate online mechanics for player interaction.
  • Despite their differing genres, both games allow players to recruit virtual companions that influence gameplay through player interactions.
  • The Pawn system in Dragon's Dogma 2 and the Social Squad feature in Suicide Squad showcase how player decisions impact each other's gameplay experiences.

When comparing Dragon's Dogma 2 and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, it may initially appear that they have little in common. One is an open-world fantasy RPG for solo play, while the other is a shooter that unites DC villains in a live-service adventure, seemingly worlds apart. However, beneath the surface, these games surprisingly share significant similarities in their online gameplay mechanics, despite any lack of direct inspiration from one another.

While Dragon's Dogma 2 is a single-player RPG, its Pawn system revolves around online elements where players can exchange their created Pawns. On the other hand, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League introduces the Social Squad feature, enabling players to engage with friends even in their absence. Though distinct in execution, these systems ultimately serve a similar purpose at their core.

Exploring Common Ground Between Dragon's Dogma 2 and Suicide Squad

Unveiling Dragon's Dogma 2's Pawn System

Upon embarking on their Dragon's Dogma 2 journey, players can craft a unique Pawn to accompany them throughout the game. These Pawns act as allies in combat, aid in locating items, engage in conversation, and even hold the player's belongings as needed.

However, players soon realize that Pawns offer more than mere assistance. By utilizing Riftstones, players can enlist other players' Pawns to join their party. These Pawns bring their individual world knowledge based on previous usage, sharing insights with the current player. This dynamic experience makes them almost lifelike, as their past adventures influence their responses, significantly shaping the player's in-game encounters, particularly if a Pawn carries the dangerous Dragonsplague.

Parallels Between Dragon's Dogma 2's Pawns and Suicide Squad's Social Squad

Although Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League emphasizes multiplayer gameplay, it also allows players to recruit AI companions for support. The Social Squad feature permits players to enlist their friends' characters, even when offline, replicating their appearance, skills, and loadouts. The recruited AI's attributes heavily influence the player's approach to the game based on the original player's choices.

Despite the apparent differences, these features share a striking resemblance. Player decisions impact others who opt to recruit their characters. In Dragon's Dogma 2, this manifests as Pawns aiding players based on their creator's world encounters, while in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, recruited AI utilize all items and cosmetics provided by the representing player.