Outright Games has gradually expanded and improved its range of video games with more and bigger and more complex titles. Since the games they usually work on are tailored to a younger audience, this isn’t always the easiest combination to pull off, but over the years it’s become clear that the publisher has partnered with developers capable of producing deeper games. It’s in this spirit that in a few weeks we get the next big Outright title, namely the PHL Collective-developed DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos – and ahead of its launch I’ve been given the chance to sneak a peek and check it out.
First of all, I want to dispel some prejudices. Yes, this is a game designed for a younger audience. Yes, it has a look that would make many people think it’s a children’s game (with cute models and animated scenes). However, it is not strictly a title for children, in fact it has lots of areas and lovingly built features and additions that all clearly show that this is a charming adventure for DC fans of all ages.
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DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos is played from a top-down perspective (so-called top-down) and is therefore about the defenders of Earth who must now deal with the threat of a terrible enemy known as Mister Mxyzptlk, a sprite-like individual who is the very incarnation of chaos. This speck of debris has now arrived in Happy Harbor (where the Justice League was originally founded) and began terrorizing the locals, then blaming the problems on the Justice League, while teaming up with Starro the Conqueror to split the forces. This ultimately leaves the three playable and seamlessly interchangeable characters Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman tasked with saving the world, while other heroes like Cyborg help out in a supporting role.
While the core concept and story is easy to follow and understand (as it is primarily geared towards an audience of between 7-10 years old), PHL Collective has written the dialogue and brought in an array of great voice actors to elevate the storytelling significantly. Nolan North as Superman, Vanessa Marshall as Wonder Woman, and Dietrich Bader as Batman do wonders to bring this trio to life, and the witty dialogue hits the spot and doesn’t hesitate to poke fun at DC characters (for example, the team quickly makes clear that Booster Gold – soon to be made into a movie as part of Peter Safran’s and James Gunn’s new DC universe – is exhausting to deal with). This makes for a story that even older fans will have a lot of fun with, and Bader’s sarcastic Batman is my personal highlight.
But the narrative isn’t all that makes DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos fun to play. The battles are deeper than you might expect with a variety of unlockable abilities, ranged attacks and combos to master. On top of that is an upgrade suite that adds extra effects to each ability and improves its effectiveness. And then of course the fact that you can instantly switch between the core trio at will, allowing you to go from quick strikes like Wonder Woman, to heavy strikes from Stålis, to gadget warfare like the Leather Patch. Add to this pop-up comic effects (like Poof! and Wham) as well as the added layer of each hero having an elemental effect, which is incredibly useful for breaking through the shields of enemies with the same element type, and you have battles that are deep and entertaining for all ages.
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The enemies and bosses also keep you constantly entertained, as they all attack in unique ways and pose different kinds of threats. Should you find them too easy or difficult to face, you can always switch to one of the five available difficulty options to suit your abilities.
The upgrade suite is also more complex than one would expect from what is essentially a child’s game. You’ll need to collect a wealth of resources and items that can be spent on talent trees to improve abilities, and then there’s also other things to find and collect, including comic book pages, which are essential to unlocking the various hero outfits available in adventure, each inspired by a classic DC comic. Then there are also Artifacts of Justice to hunt around for, all of which can change how a character is played and build on the wider Justice League story. For the more die-hard DC fans wondering what DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos is inspired by, the developers told me that The Brave and the Bold #28 was an important comic book for them when they were creating this title.
It was clear during my hands-on that there are similarities to what Crystal Dynamics did with Marvel’s Avengers in a cosmetic sense, and similarly the game world reminded me more of Lego superhero games. In DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos, for example, you can explore a vibrant and bright world full of possibilities, including side quests, finding loot, killing bosses, clearing dungeons, fighting your way through enemy-filled sewers and much more – all of which give you opportunities to raise your level up, collect resources, advance the story and earn new items and goodies. It really seems like players won’t be bored for a second while playing this title.
While I’ve only been able to explore a small portion of DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos so far, it’s clear that this is much more than just a kid’s game. The world, the humor, the depth, the DC references all come together to create an entertaining and promising action adventure that should be able to entertain all age groups. And while this title won’t be part of the DC Extended Universe or Gunn’s DCU (I asked the PHL Collective to be sure), the developer has confirmed that it will hopefully explore options in the future to include more characters in the game and be able to continue developing this adorable and fun video game in the future.
DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos is released on March 10 for PC, Playstation, Switch and Xbox. It actually feels a little strange to write it, but it’s not at all impossible that this will be the best superhero game of 2023.
