Following the grand finale of the Infinity Saga involving Thanos,the MCU seemed to lose its spark, often failing to meet fan expectations with new blockbuster movies and TV shows. However, asMarvelstruggled to find its footing after Endgame, game developers were delivering some exceptional Marvel projects. From 2020 onwards, fans weretreated to titles like Marvel’s Avengers, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and Marvel Snap, among others. Yet, one title stood out above them all for me–Midnight Suns by Firaxis Games.
I admit,Marvel’s Midnight Sunsdidn’t seem appealing to me initially, even though I’m a fan of both the XCOM series and the Marvel universe. Combining tactical turn-based combat with card-based hero abilities andsprinkling some relationship-building dollhouseon top of that was seemingly a lot to digest for a lot of people, but that’s precisely where Midnight Suns shines—it is incredibly unique and plays unlike any other superhero game out there.
For starters, Midnight Suns introduces the first original Marvel superhero you can customize, and the Hunter has really exceeded my expectations. From their voiceover to the extensive appearance options and the diverse ways you can approach both dialogue and combat based on your dark or light alignment, playing as the Hunter, who was raised as, well, a demon hunter, was a delight. I genuinely grew attached to them throughout the story, striving to unravel all the hidden motives behind their demonic mother, Lilith.
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But there’s much more than that: you’re also surrounded by some of the strongest and beloved Marvel heroes, like Blade, Wolverine, Captain Marvel, and Ghost Rider. Spending time bonding with them and customizing their looks and combat style can provide hours of engagement, opening up some exciting possibilities and valuable power boosts. It’s true that some of the Abbey’s side activities or extensive chit-chat can occasionally feel like a necessary evil, distracting you from the most enjoyable part of the experience—its combat. However, for the most part, Abbey’s exploration is entirely optional, so you don’t have to dedicate hours to that side of the game if you don’t enjoy it.
Midnight Suns boasts another exceptional quality by placing well-known characters in entirely unexpected settings. Seeing Tony Stark, Steven Strange, and Peter Parker outside their usual realms offers players a glimpse into rarely explored facets of their personalities, while the game’s central ‘demon apocalypse’ theme brings forth their previously unexplored fears and doubts in great depth.
Deep tactical turn-based combat is what really sets Midnight Suns apart. It might feel a bit overwhelming at first, but once you familiarize yourself with all interconnected systems for a proper combat flow, it becomes hard to put down. Here, you build custom decks for each of your characters in advance, unlocking, upgrading, and choosing the card abilities that suit you the most. On the battlefield, controlling a squad of three characters, you evaluate which skills are the most potent to use right away, shuffling abilities from their decks, redrawing unwanted ones, and maintaining the levels of Heroism you need to unleash the most powerful moves. Additionally, you strategize on how to use the surroundings to your advantage and complete the various objectives that the game constantly throws at you.
The combat fully utilizes the signature abilities of the iconic superheroes (and there’sa lot), allowing for a highly flexible approach and enabling you to prioritize the heroes you enjoy the most. For instance, Spider-Man is at his best in environment when there are plenty of structures to use to your benefit, utilizing his web to throw crates, explode barrels, or simply push enemies off ledges. Wolverine, on the other hand, is invaluable for swiftly clearing the battlefield of easy targets that outnumber your squad. Discovering the ideal conditions for each hero to unlock their full potential is pure fun, especially given the diverse variety of maps, enemy and boss designs, and mission objectives that often push you into uncharted territories, forcing you to adapt to new unfavorable conditions. It seamlessly combines the best of both tactics and strategy elements that Firaxis is known for, brilliantly executed in Midnight Suns.
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When overcoming my initial doubts about the game, I was really blown away by what the studio achieved with Midnight Suns, making it my all-time favorite Marvel title. To me, Midnight Suns stands as proof that it’s possible to create an outstanding superhero experience that transcends the traditional open-world action formula we’ve grown accustomed to, offering something entirely fresh and unique instead.
That’s why it was disheartening to learn that Midnight Suns faced a fate similar to Marvel’s Avengers and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, failing to reach a massive audience despite its unparalleled strengths. It’s likelywe won’t see a sequel to this gem, and I fear it’s only a matter of time before Marvel abandons experimenting with various genres and formulas, leaning solely towardcinematic third-person action games like Spider-Man 2 as the safest bet. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with that approach, I long for more diversity and a range of titles to cater to different tastes.
Marvel games have been a true delight lately, and there’s even more promising titles to look forward to. From Sony’sSpider-Man 2and Wolverine to EA’s Iron Man and Black Panther games, and even Skydance’s untitled Captain America/Black Panther project on the horizon, Marvel fans can expect exciting times ahead. My only wish is that developers are given the freedom to explore fresh perspectives within this vast universe rather than sticking to the well-trodden paths.
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