That Marvel train just keeps on rolling and now, with the newest iteration inbound, we\u2019ve got another offering to unpack in Midnight Suns \u2013 the closest any game has come in a long while to the classic X-Men Legends of 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This time, we\u2019ve got a roster of playable superheroes that throws in the usual suspects, alongside some unexpected appearances from popular secondary characters familiar to comic readers (enter Sister Grimm and Magik). You\u2019ll surely be happy to learn that Wolverine is also wearing his iconic yellow costume, replete with pointed black ears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this blog, we\u2019re going to take a closer look at what we know so far, unpacking gameplay insights, scheduled release, destination platforms and pretty much everything else we\u2019ve learnt to date about Marvel\u2019s Midnight Suns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s the strategy genre whizzes at Firaxis Games \u2013 a development studio based in Baltimore \u2013 we can thank for this latest dive into the spandex-clad universe of Stan Lee and his cronies. All signs seem to point to this being one of the most popular and unique Marvel licensed games we\u2019ve seen in years. Treading the less familiar territory of turn-based gameplay and character-driven combat to surprise gamers, who are likely more used to wading into ranks of bewildered AI enemies and bashing buttons.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This time, the central focus of gameplay will be a blend of RPG elements and deck building mechanics as you attempt to form the ultimate bad-guy-swatting team. Based loosely on the 1993-4 Marvel Midnight Sons series of comics \u2013 it combined the likes of Blade, Ghost Rider and Morbius \u2013 the story is expected to unfold in a darker and more ominous setting. So, don\u2019t be surprised if there\u2019s a little DC grime on this release when you get started and are locked in an apocalyptic battle with Hydra scientist, Doctor Faustus \u2013 backed by a few of the comics best super-villains, like Venom and Red Hulk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dark magic and the occult are prevalent themes in the series and the Mother of Demons, Lilith, will surely present a few big boss challenges along the way. Among the motley cast of heroes chosen to retaliate, players will assume the role of Hunter (a playable character conjured up specifically for the game). Then, of course, you\u2019ll cross paths with the familiar cohort of caped (actually only one rocks a cape) crusaders: Wolverine, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Doctor Strange\u2026 There\u2019s already a great showcase trailer released with a montage of Hunter gameplay if you want to check out the interloper in action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s most interesting to us about this release is the somewhat unexpected reliance on turn-based strategising. In the game, cards are drawn each turn from a randomly generated deck. So, you won\u2019t necessarily have a fixed set of actions to scan at the outset. From that deck you will then be gifted a series of both defensive and offensive commands. It will be up to you to channel your characters\u2019 proclivities for combat, healing, support, or defence. Before you launch your flourish of special abilities and attempt to outmanoeuvre your opponents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Think chess with digitalised pieces and more cutscenes. Plus, you\u2019ll be able to hurl in a few fan-favourite game changers to disrupt the layered strategy and knock all the pieces off the board, like Iron Man\u2019s repulsor blast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s worth noting that character movement will not be locked onto a grid system, unlike chess. The chance-to-hit mechanic is absent here as well and the turn-based combat is decorated with elegant touches, changeable costumes and customisable outcomes. Close attention will undoubtedly be paid to the source material and those evocative settings we know from careworn comic pages. Not to mention the fully explorable Abbey, which doubles as a makeshift base in Salem Massachusetts \u2013 somewhere to craft and change your outfits, as well as a spot for Hunter to meet his teammates and dig into some dialogue trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marvel\u2019s Midnight Suns is scheduled for release on December 2. It will be available to play on PS5, Xbox Series X\/S and PC (via Steam or Epic Games Store). Release date for PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch has slid back into 2023\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
That Marvel train just keeps on rolling and now, with the newest iteration inbound, we\u2019ve got another offering to unpack in Midnight Suns \u2013 the closest any game has come in a long while to the classic X-Men Legends of 2004. This time, we\u2019ve got a roster of playable superheroes that throws in the usual … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":9020,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"close","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[222,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-videogames"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9018"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9018"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9018\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9021,"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9018\/revisions\/9021"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nerdleaks.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}