DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos [PlayStation 5] | REVIEW

DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos has been one big surprise for me. I’ll be honest, I went into the game with pretty low expectations, but found myself completely hooked into its brawling action and comical storytelling. It’s not the best superhero game you’re ever going to play, sure, but for a game catered at an audience of all ages (and that arrived with little fanfare), it certainly hit the mark for me.

Check out some screenshots down below:

DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos kicks off with the Justice League enjoying a rare moment of peace in the harmonious Harber Town, when the villainous Mister Mxyzptlk and Starro attack. You might recognise Starro from the Suicide Squad movie, so will also know he has the power of mind control – something that’s used to the villains’ full advantage when they brainwash both the townsfolk and members of the Justice League so that Mister Mxyzptlk can become mayor. It’s up to Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman to bring them down, all whilst getting a little help from some friends along the way.

It’s certainly a more playful take on DC’s superheroes than that you might’ve seen in the comic books or movies, but it makes for a really enjoyable adventure. There’s some genuine laugh out loud moments that’ll have players of all ages cackling, whilst the stellar voice cast really bring the whole tale to life. The writing perfectly captures the different personalities of each hero, whilst the nods to DC lore will be appreciated by long-time fans. The storytelling was just really effective and proves from the get-go that there’s a lot more to DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos than might initially meet the eye.

When it comes to the gameplay, players will switch between the three heroes on the fly as they dish out combos, utilise their special abilities, and quickly dodge out of the way of enemy attacks. It’s simple stuff really and there’s a lot of button-mashing involved, but each character’s abilities add some variety and flair to battle and help make them feel like authentic takes on each hero – whether that’s when whipping up enemies with Wonder Woman’s lasso of truth, flinging batarangs as Batman, or using your heat vision to pulverise foes as Superman. Each character can be levelled up to unlock new abilities to beat up enemies with, whilst exploiting the elemental weaknesses of enemies, equipping artifacts to buff your stats, or calling on the help of your superhero pals in-battle adds a bit more nuance to the experience. Like I said, it’s simple, but offers enough that it never feels boring.

“DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos’ gameplay is simple enough to appeal to younger players, but offers enough variety to also keep more experienced gamers entertained.”

One thing I really appreciated about the game was just how much there was to actually do. Whilst it’s possible to just follow the main questline found in the open area of Harber Town, there are side quests to complete, additional dungeons to tackle, and a whole bunch of collectibles to find in order to unlock some cool costumes (that reference different takes on the characters found across the comic books). You even venture further afield at times, though I’ll leave that for players to discover. DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos could have played it safe and sent players on a straightforward romp through the game, but it instead delivers a meaty experience that gives them plenty to do without feeling like it outstays its welcome.

Best of all? It really will appeal to players of all ages. DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos’ gameplay is simple enough to appeal to younger players, but offers enough variety to also keep more experienced gamers entertained. There are plenty of difficulty options available too, so you can make the game super easy for youngsters or that bit tougher if you want more of a challenge. It respects its audience, whether that’s an old-school DC fan or a kid who just wants to play as one of their favourite superheroes.

You can even play the game in co-op, though it should be noted that this doesn’t include the main campaign. Instead, there’s a mode called Instant Action which is pretty self-explanatory, with players diving right into the action to take on an enemy threat with no real stakes. It’s fun and I could definitely see the appeal of playing this with a younger co-op partner, but I do think that the developer missed a trick by not making the main campaign playable in co-op too – especially since it really does deliver an entertaining experience.

Check out some screenshots down below:

It’s clear then that DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos does a lot right, but that doesn’t mean it’s the perfect superhero game. For one, the lacklustre enemy variety could see some battles feel a little bit repetitive later on in the game, whilst the lack of depth in the core gameplay mechanics make things a bit TOO simple for some. And let’s face it, the brawling action has been done plenty of times before in other games, so it’s not like it does anything original either.

Did these issues stop me from having a good time? Heck no. I haven’t even mentioned the visuals, which are colourful, distinct, and really fit the whimsical Saturday morning cartoon-vibe of DC’s Justice League: Cosmic Chaos. It’s just a really fun game and one that kept me smiling as I battled enemies as my favourite trio of superheroes.

Developer: PHL Collective
Publisher: Outright Games
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Website: https://outrightgames.com/games/dcs-justice-league-cosmic-chaos/