REVIEW – Venturing into the occult corners of Marvel’s infinite realm, Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a strategy role-playing game envisioned by the team behind XCOM. In the thrilling missions, we must control the superhero team in the role of the Hunter, the notorious demon-hunter, who are trying with all their might to thwart the plans of the Mother of Demons, who according to an ancient prophecy is trying to awaken the evil Chthon. Players can choose from over fifteen familiar Marvel characters, three of whom can accompany us on the missions. Our battles are aided by cards giving us various abilities. Between the battles, at the Abbey, our headquarters, we can develop our heroes and build our relationships. The game was released in 2022 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, while the PS4 and Xbox One versions hit the stores in May 2023.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns offers an experience that targets not only Marvel fanatics but also anyone who enjoys strategy role-playing games and card games. The unique atmosphere demands battles with demons, vampires, and other supernatural beings within the dark corners of the Marvel world. The story is gripping, filled with twists and turns, and the characters faithfully embody their personalities and humor known from the comics. The confrontations are diverse and challenging, as we must employ a different strategy in each battle based on our cards and opponents.

Seventeen Superheroes in the Ring

During the game, we can choose three companions from seventeen Marvel figures for each mission. Among the options, notable heroes such as Iron Man, Captain America, or Spider-Man can be found, as well as others who have been less present in movies or games, like Blade, Ghost Rider, or Morbius.

Each character has a unique style and abilities, which we can bring into play in combat sequences via the cards. The cards include attacking, defending, healing, and supportive types. Our energy level is replenished every turn, which is necessary for using the cards. Additionally, each character possesses a special ability that can only be activated under certain conditions.

Knowledge of the opponents’ properties is indispensable in battles, as these influence the effective strategy. Some operate with ranged attacks or defensive maneuvers, others with close combat specialization or damaging abilities. Some enemies possess special abilities which they use against us, or others provide assistance to each other. The battlefield also contributes to the outcome of the events, as there are elements with which we can interact or use to our advantage or disadvantage. For instance, we have the opportunity to blow up a car or set a gas can on fire.

In addition to the clashes, the relationships between the characters also play a significant role in the game. At the Abbey base, we can converse with them or engage in activities. These influence the unfolding of the story and the emotional atmosphere, and help develop our characters and obtain new cards. The better our relationship with a character, the stronger they become, and the more assistance they provide in battles.

The Marvel Universe Comes to Life

Graphically, Marvel’s Midnight Suns is pleasing and detailed, but it’s no miracle. The stages and characters are well-developed and lifelike. The light and shadow effects are also very spectacular and contribute to the atmosphere. The style is different from Marvel movies or other games, as we are not only walking in bright and colorful locations but also in dark and ominous places. The music is extremely atmospheric and fits the mood well. The tracks vary depending on the situation or the character we are talking to.

The sound effects of the game are also praiseworthy: they are of high quality and authentic. The voice actors convey the personalities and emotions of the characters extremely well. There are moments of humor and wit in the dialogues that lighten the tension or depict the camaraderie among the characters.

As for the performance of the recently released PS4 and Xbox One versions, the two versions don’t exactly march to the same drum. On PS4, the game runs at 30 fps, whereas on Xbox One, it barely reaches the 25 fps mark. The loading times also differ: on PS4, it’s 10-15 seconds, while on Xbox One, it’s 20-25 seconds. The game resolution on both platforms is 1080p, which is a feather in the cap for these two platforms, but there are some minor graphical glitches in the game, such as texture pop-ins or animation blunders, but these don’t rain on the parade much. The game controls on both platforms are comfortable and intuitive – luckily, there’s no discrepancy in this aspect compared to other, more up-to-date machines.

Leaving its Mark on the “Dark Side”…

Marvel’s Midnight Suns is far from a perfect swan song; the forces of supervillains also put their two cents in during the development of this game. One such issue is optimization. The game requires quite a lot of resources even on lower settings. This means that if you don’t have a powerful enough PC or console, you may experience slowdowns or stutters in the game.

Another problem can be the limited control options. The game can only be controlled with a mouse or controller on PC. There’s no option for keyboard use for any function. This is a pretty odd decision from the developers, as many PC gamers prefer using a keyboard combined with a mouse.

A third problem could be the lack of novelty for some players. Although the game brings a lot of new elements into tactical RPGs and the Marvel universe, there are parts of it that can seem repetitive or formulaic. For instance, the use of cards is not a particularly novel idea, as we’ve seen this mechanic in several other games. The development of relationships between characters also happens in a rather simple and repetitive manner. The missions are not very diverse and often feature the same enemies and locations.

Midnight or Sunshine in the Final Result?

Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a great strategic and Marvel title that deserves attention and praise. It shows a new side of the Marvel universe, which is dark, mystical, and exciting, and the gameplay is unique and challenging as we need to use different strategies in every battle based on our cards and enemies. It’s also worth noting that the characters faithfully portray their personalities and humor known from the comics.

While Marvel’s Midnight Suns is not a flawless game, there are faults and shortcomings, but these do not significantly mar the experience. This grand strategic adventure is not only for Marvel fans, but also for anyone who loves tactical RPGs and card games.

-BadSector-

Publisher: 2K

Developer: Firaxis Games

Style: Tactical RPG

Release: December 2, 2022 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S), May 11, 2023 (PS4, Xbox One)