Firaxis has a reputation. Its games may not be 100% at their best at launch, but they are often engaging and offer some level of challenge. We’ve seen them tackle tactics with XCOM before and Marvel’s Midnight Sun assign tasks to the group with a primary IP and more accessible mechanism. A few hiccups will be resolved with patches aside, resulting in an enjoyable and thoroughly enjoyable experience with the appeal of a wide range of users.
Marvel’s Midnight Sun begins with HYDRA engaging in a certainly ominous ritual. Upon completion, Lilith is resurrected. The result of that power, puts the world in danger, especially as she begins the process of bringing Chthon to Earth. Dr. Strange and Iron Man began building a team of Marvel heroes like the Midnight Suns, including Blade, Ghost Rider Robbie Reyes, Magik, and Nico Minoru, as well as pillars like Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, and Wolverine, against the forces of evil. This also means a revival of The Hunter, an original player-customizable character. They happened to be the daughters of Lilith, who had previously died defeating their mother in another battle, and they were destined to “end” things all over again.
While this is a serious situation, Firaxis handles it with the gentleness one would expect from a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie. While Dr. Strange and Iron Man are aware of the importance of everything when they meet Johnny Blaze after the opening scene, it doesn’t feel “heavy”. That’s a nice nod to accessibility, as it takes a number of factors into consideration. If people don’t update on the Ghost Rider lore, it will define who both Johnny and Robbie are. The intro ensures you know who each hero is when they appear. While it deals with characters and concepts from the comics, someone doesn’t have to keep up with any of the series to enjoy it.
That accessibility also comes with its gameplay. It’s a turn-based strategy game, with each battle involving a deck of cards with the abilities of the three characters you’ve chosen for the team at the time. All information is displayed continuously and clearly on the screen. It also makes choosing actions less complicated for newbies to the genre, by not being overwhelmed by options. While the implementation is not complicated, the battles will become more difficult as time goes on due to stronger enemies and more cards. Also, regardless of whether it’s a standard encounter or a boss encounter, battles involve waves of enemies appearing. That means your tactics often take into account crowd control, effective attack area, and counter-effect.
You will be dealt a “hand” of five cards when a turn begins. Then you can play different actions. Some attacks can create an area of influence or help bring enemies into certain positions. Others may involve buffs or other benefits. You can also reposition an ally in your town, to change attack position or stay in a certain location. Even if the card runs out, it is still possible to use objects in the environment to deal additional damage to enemies. The challenge is built in such a way that someone choosing an easier mode to enjoy the story will gradually build tactical awareness to handle the tougher battles. If you go with a standard difficulty, like I did, the intensity goes up to a satisfying level.
I really love the tag mechanism implementation. Each character starts with a certain number of characters that are instantly unlocked. As you play, you can earn extra coins to customize your deck. One way to earn them in Marvel’s Midnight Sun even involves building relationships with Marvel heroes. Each deck can be changed at the start of a quest, so you can build around certain party members or situations. There is a lot of freedom here. Especially since you can withdraw a card, exchange for a card that doesn’t suit you at the time.
But wait! I mentioned a system of relations with Marvel Midnight Suns, although it involves friendship instead of romance. As you go through the adventure and join the hangout in the center of the Abbey, dialogue options will appear with the Marvel heroes. You can even give them a gift, a game like Crossing animals or Star Valley. I didn’t expect trying to hunt down comics for Spider-Man to have him befriend me, but I love it. Doing so will build XP friendships. In turn, this unlocks things like Midnight Suns’ outfits or legendary abilities that make them stronger in battle. While the otome fan in me looks forward to relationship options, I think a Blade dating simulation would be great, the system and its limitations make sense and will probably bring fun for the fans.
Really, the whole experience is generally solid. The only time I had any issues involved some sort of character design or animation issue. Although the characters have a lot to say and seem to have emotions, I realize that their facial expressions are a bit stiff. This is especially true for The Hunter, but it makes sense for a custom character. More importantly, I also noticed some bugs and glitches. For example, sometimes a quest will cause the game to crash. I’ve found a workaround by reloading past saves, or going back to the game and choosing a different mission before returning to that mission will usually do the trick. However, Firaxis is aware of the issue and is working on patches, so this won’t be a long-term issue. (It may even be fixed by the time this review runs.)
Although the world is in danger and Lilith is a force to be reckoned with, Marvel’s Midnight Sun is a popcorn movie of a game designed purely to entertain players. It can be silly! Sometimes, it will be serious. You don’t have to think too much about it. No experience with the Marvel or Firaxis series is required. You can jump in there, play for a few hours and save time alongside heroes big and small.
Marvel’s Midnight Sun available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC. DLC characters will start appearing in 2023.
