Highlights
- Midnight Suns received critical acclaim for its unique take on the Marvel license and its successful blend of turn-based tactics and deck-building gameplay.
- While the combat in Midnight Suns was praised for its emphasis on movement and strategy, the social systems and base management mechanics did not align well with the core gameplay experience.
- Despite its underperforming sales, a sequel to Midnight Suns that focuses on refining and expanding upon the successful aspects of the original (such as the combat and deck-building) would be a welcome addition to the Marvel gaming universe.
One of 2022’s most interesting releases, Midnight Suns is a game of contrasts. On the one hand, Firaxis’ turn-based tactics and deck-building hybrid was a critical success, garnering plenty of praise for its unique take on both the Marvel license and Firaxis’ proven success with the XCOM franchise. On the other hand, Midnight Suns failed to land commercially, potentially prompting creative director Jake Solomon to step down from Firaxis in the interest of starting a new studio and stepping away from the turn-based tactics genre as a whole. And, outside the dichotomy between its critical and commercial reception, Midnight Suns‘ gameplay also seemed to present two disparate parts that never quite fit together.
Moment-to-moment gameplay in Midnight Suns is unique compared to XCOM in that it emphasizes movement and positioning (as well as momentum during turns) to a much greater degree. Additionally, the deck-building aspect and ability cards gave players much more agency in their strategy than the behind-the-scenes RNG calling the shots in both of the modern XCOM titles. The combat of Midnight Suns is extremely satisfying, but its odd approach to social systems and base management was at odds with the core of the gameplay. One year after its release, a Midnight Suns sequel that goes all-in on what worked in the original and eschews what didn’t is something that needs to see the light of day.
Although It Seems Unlikely, Marvel’s Midnight Suns 2 Needs to Happen
Despite its underperforming sales numbers, Marvel’s Midnight Suns has a lot of potential content left in the concept and deserves to see a sequel.
Midnight Suns’ Formula Deserves a Second Chance
It’s worth noting that the success of Midnight Suns was always something that would arguably look different from other games thanks to its niche genre. Regardless of its use of the Marvel license, turn-based tactics games aren’t nearly as popular as first-person shooters or open-world adventures. Firaxis itself acknowledged this, noting that even games like XCOM 2 have only achieved their success through having a “long tail” in terms of their sales figures. Additionally, the release date for Midnight Suns and confusion over how to market the title during its pre-release window didn’t do it any favors.
Tactics fans who had been anticipating Midnight Suns ever since it became known that Firaxis was working on an XCOM-style game using the Marvel license were treated to some compelling tactical combat when the game finally launched, but it was couched within a less-than-stellar base management and social interaction sim. Gone were the careful construction of bases and research into improving units from both of Firaxis’ modern XCOM games, replaced with gift giving, hangouts, and deep conversations with interpretations of famous Marvel characters that didn’t always line up with how these iconic heroes have traditionally been portrayed.
The combat in Midnight Suns shines so brightly that it makes a strong case for the game to receive a proper sequel –one that ditches the social sim aspects of its predecessor that only serve to bog down the pacing of the experience. Looking back on the game a year since its release, with 4 additional characters and their missions available via DLC expansions, it’s obvious that there’s plenty of life left in the concept. Not only does the Marvel Universe have an incredible cast of heroes and villains to draw from, but there’s practically unlimited potential in how a Midnight Suns 2 could double down on its deck-building and card-collecting aspects.
A sequel to Midnight Suns would exist in a post-Marvel Snap world and could easily replicate some of its success in how it approaches its deck-building. Variants featuring depictions done by noteworthy comic artists, iconic covers, or even alternate universe versions of beloved characters could each feature their re-rolls of character abilities for use in Midnight Suns 2‘s combat, while its base-building could adhere more closely to what players experience in XCOM 2. The best parts of Midnight Suns, the combat and the cards, deserve a fair shake in a sequel that makes good on the original’s proof-of-concept.
Midnight Suns
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a tactical RPG developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K. Players create and customize their own protagonist known as “The Hunter” and can team up with numerous Marvel characters like Wolverine, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Blade, Doctor Strange, and more. Combat is turn-based with ability cards that can be played, and between missions, players can manage both the team and their base of operations called The Abbey.
- Franchise
- Marvel
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Switch
- Released
- December 2, 2022
- Developer(s)
- Firaxis Games
- Publisher(s)
- 2K Games
- Genre(s)
- Tactical
- How Long To Beat
- 40 Hours
