A gameplay showcase for Marvel's Midnight Suns sheds new light on the strategy game's card-based combat. Firaxis Games is know for creating the turn-based XCOM franchise, but the developer's next project will add some superhero flair to the strategy genre. Marvel's Midnight Suns is expected to be quite different from XCOM, with new mechanics such as an explorable hub and deck building to set the upcoming title apart.
While Marvel's Midnight Suns will feature a team of iconic Marvel heroes such as Wolverine, Iron Man, and Captain America, the game will also star a wholly original new character. Named The Hunter, the game's protagonist will be fully customizable with players able to choose their physical appearance and superhuman abilities. The Midnight Suns' base of operations, The Abbey, will also be explorable from a third-person view in-between missions. Players will use this base to manage their resources and grow strong bonds with their superhero teammates. The hero powers in Midnight Suns will also be appropriately cinematic and powerful, which serves as a contrast to the vulnerable and outgunned soldiers in XCOM.
Firaxis Games has recently released a new gameplay showcase of Marvel's Midnight Suns on YouTube, giving players a deep look into the strategy game's tactical card-based combat. Despite distributing hero abilities to the player like a deck of cards, Firaxis insists that Midnight Suns does not play too different than its past turn-based projects. After assigning abilities to a hero, those abilities will always be available to the player during combat. Each round puts a limit on how many moves can be made, but these moves can be distributed amongst the available characters in any fashion. The demonstration ends with a battle against Wolverine's nemesis Sabretooth, giving a glimpse into Midnight Suns' unique and challenging boss fights as well as environmental interaction.
While turn-based strategy combat will be a huge draw for fans of Firaxis Games' previous projects, there will also be plenty of role-playing opportunities found within The Abbey. The mystical base allows players to socialize with their teammates, uncover lore and discover new pieces of gameplay to unravel. Characters such as The Caretaker, Blade, and Tony Stark will be hanging around the mystical fortress at all times. Growing The Hunter's bond with fellow Marvel heroes will have a tangible effect on gameplay, though players will not be able to romance these characters in Midnight Suns.
While the news of card-based combat may have made some fans nervous, Marvel's Midnight Suns appears to successfully translate the Marvel heroes into a unique strategy experience. The abilities available to the player are not limited by random chance and are instead picked out before they enter battle. Powerful bosses such as Sabretooth also promise to add challenge to the game, preventing the Marvel heroes from simply annihilating the opposition. While there is still plenty to reveal about Marvel's Midnight Suns, the game is shaping up to be a love letter to both strategy and Marvel fans.
Marvel's Midnight Suns will release in March 2022 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Source: Marvel's Midnight Suns/YouTube