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Marvel's Midnight Suns

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"Midnight Suns" redirects here. For the Marvel characters, seeMidnight SonsandMidnight Sun (character).For other uses, seeMidnight Sun (disambiguation).
Marvel's Midnight Suns
Developer(s)Firaxis Games
Publisher(s)2K
Director(s)Jake Solomon
Producer(s)Garth DeAngelis
  • Lalie Fisher
  • Magnus Dean Rath
Designer(s)Joe Weinhoffer
Programmer(s)Michael Springer
Artist(s)
  • Dennis Moellers
  • Greg Foertsch
Writer(s)
  • Chad Rocco
  • Steve Ogden
  • Scott Wittbecker
  • Zach Bush
  • Rony Kahana
  • Shanon Ingles
  • Patrick Kevin Day
  • Matthew Garcia-Dunn
  • Emma Kidwell
  • Benjamin Reeves
Composer(s)
EngineUnreal Engine 4[1]
Platform(s)
Release
December 2, 2022
  • PS5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S
  • December 2, 2022
  • PS4, Xbox One
  • May 11, 2023
Genre(s)Tactical role-playing[2]
Mode(s)Single-player

Marvel's Midnight Sunsis a 2022tactical role-playing gamedeveloped byFiraxis Gamesand published by2K.The game features comic book characters from multipleMarvel Comicsproperties, such asMidnight Sons,Avengers,X-Men,andRunaways.Players are able to create their own superhero named "The Hunter" with a choice of over 40 different powers.

Midnight Sunsreleased forPlayStation 5,Windows,andXbox Series X/Son December 2, 2022.PlayStation 4andXbox Oneversions were released on May 11, 2023. ANintendo Switchversion was also planned but later canceled. The game received generally positive reviews from critics, but was acommercial flop.[3][4]

Gameplay

[edit]
Combat inMidnight Sunsisturn-based,though it also features elements commonly found indeck-building game.

Players take the role of "The Hunter", the sole offspring ofLilith,as they lead a selection of heroes in various missions to defeat her. The Hunter, a customizable superhero created specifically forMidnight Sunsby Firaxis Games in collaboration with Marvel, can be played as either male or female.[5][6][7]Players are able to choose The Hunter'ssuperpowersfrom over 30 different abilities.[8]

Combat isturn-basedsimilar to Firaxis Games'XCOMseries, mixed withdeck-buildingsimilar to that found inSlay the Spire.Each hero, including the Hunter, has their own customizable deck of eight cards. At the start of each mission, players are allowed to choose three heroes to take into battle, with their decks combined into one that is to be drawn from each round.[9]The cards represent abilities that may affect either enemies or the player's own heroes.[9]Heroes may also move or interact with objects in addition to making attacks.

Between combat missions, players manage their upgradeable base of operations called "The Abbey" which they can walk around in athird-person viewto explore the grounds and interact with other heroes.[5]Role-playing elements such as interaction with other characters influence the gameplay and those heroes' abilities.[5]The Abbey is also the main source for acquiring new cards for hero decks and upgrading them.

Playable characters

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The base game includes 13 different heroes, including The Hunter, with four additional characters being released as DLC.[10]

^DLC:Available asdownloadable content

Synopsis

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HydrascientistDoctor Faustus(voiced by Time Winters) uses dark magic and science to resurrectLilith(Jennifer Hale) in the hopes of using her to help Hydra conquer the world. Six months later, a star called the "Midnight Sun" approaches Earth, destabilizing magic and heralding the return of Lilith's master,Chthon(Darin De Paul).

Doctor StrangeandTony Starkattempt to get a page of theDarkholdcalled the Parchment of Power fromJohnny Blaze(Graham McTavish), but he refuses. After being alerted to magic converging at theSanctum Sanctorum,the two are joined byCarol Danversin returning to aidWanda Maximoffin fighting Lilith and a Hydra squad until Strange can create a mystic shield to repel them. Realizing theAvengersare outmatched, Strange leaves Maximoff to maintain the shield while he takes the others to the Abbey to recruit theMidnight Suns--Nico Minoru,Magik,Blade,andRobbie Reyes-- and Lilith's estranged sister, theCaretaker(Vanessa Marshall), in resurrecting the Hunter, Lilith's child and killer. During the resurrection ritual, the Hunter's collar emits dark magic, forcing Minoru to complete the spell. Strange attempts to contact Maximoff for help in restoring the Hunter's memories, but learns she is in trouble. He, the Hunter, and Blade travel to the Sanctum, where they learn Lilith has enthralledVenomto help her destroy the shield and abduct Maximoff. Venom overpowers the Hunter untilSpider-Manintervenes, allowing the heroes to retreat.

After learning the Midnight Sun's gamma energy is preventingBruce Bannerfrom transforming into the Hulk, the heroes recruit Spider-Man before capturing Faustus to learn Lilith's next objective. While Hydra operativeCrossbones(Rick Wasserman) kills him before he can talk, they find Faustus' journal and learn Hydra is stealing artifacts from the Sanctum. Meanwhile,Sabretooth(Peter Lurie) is hired to kill the Hunter, but is mortally wounded byWolverineand rescued by Lilith, who destroysAvengers Towerto steal a gamma accelerator and enthralls Banner. The Hunter, Minoru, and Magik use a divination spell to teleport to a Hydra base, where Banner uses the accelerator to empower a similarly enthralled Maximoff. Unable to reason with her, the heroes retreat.

While stopping an attack by Lilith's demons, they recruit Wolverine and fashion a new suit for the Hunter so they can bypass the Hydra base's mystic defenses, use the accelerator to destroy the Parchment, and free Maximoff. Blaze contacts Reyes and gives him the Parchment, but also attempts to give the Hunter toMephisto(Jason Isaacs), trapping them in Limbo and preventing Lilith from reaching the Hunter. Nonetheless, Magik frees them so the heroes can enact their plan, banishing Sabretooth to Limbo along the way. Blaze sacrifices himself to destroy the Parchment via the accelerator, but Banner uses the device to transform into a smarter, demonic Hulk.

The heroes track Hydra and Lilith to her tomb, where Reyes tries to seal her and the Hulk in a cave before they can restore theDarkhold,but she unleashes demons around the world. After defeating Crossbones and his forces, the heroes steal a dagger imbued with Chthon's power while Maximoff and the Hunter subdue and free Banner. The heroes confront Lilith, who reveals her plot to destroy Chthon upon learning of his plans for her child and destroys the Hunter's collar, learning too late that it kept Chthon from possessing them. Nonetheless, the Hunter expels him while Lilith uses the dagger to destroy theDarkhold,restoring her human form. Realizing she and her child were corrupted by the grimoire, Lilith sends the heroes back to the Abbey while she, the Hunter, and Chthon's realm are consumed by theDarkhold.Nevertheless, the Caretaker believes that they are still alive.

Elsewhere,Doctor Doom(Graham McTavish) witnesses the events that transpired and takes theDarkholdfor himself, deeming the other users "amateurs".

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead

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While investigating an art collection that a Hydra battalion led bySinhas stolen, the Hunter encountersDeadpool,who was hired by Doom to recover a magic statue called the Magna Corrigo in the collection. After Sin betrays Hydra, steals the Magna Corrigo, and unleashes a group of infected "vampyres", the Hunter offers Deadpool sanctuary at the Abbey to protect him from Doom over the heroes' protests. With the Magna Corrigo in their possession, the emboldened vampyres publicly attack innocents and establish nests across Manhattan. With Deadpool's help, the Midnight Suns eventually track Sin to Transia, where she intends to use the Magna Corrigo in a ritual to empower the vampyres until Deadpool destroys it. Sin escapes and reports back to her masterDracula(Stephen Stanton), who assures her the Magna Corrigo was not vital to his plans.

Redemption

[edit]

Spider-Man and the Hunter locate Venom, who went underground and became infected from eating vampyres. Mephisto appears, offering to cure Venom in exchange for the heroes killing Dracula's forces, which Spider-Man agrees to. Upon being cured, Venom calls for a truce and joins the Midnight Suns. Seeking revenge for Dracula breaking a deal between them, Mephisto helps the Hunter, Venom, and Spider-Man find the vampyres' primary nest and Dracula himself. Working together, the trio destroy the nest and force Dracula to retreat.

The Hunger

[edit]

As the vampyres convert Hydra troopers and attack New York, Spider-Man convinces Blade to help him recruit a mutual acquaintance of theirs, Dr.Michael Morbius.The heroes accompany Morbius to his lab, only to find the vampyres have stolen his research and a prototype "sunlight serum" capable of dampening his and the vampyres' lethalphotosensitivity.After the trio fend off vampyres who came to kill Morbius and destroy his remaining equipment, Spider-Man offers Morbius sanctuary at the Abbey despite Blade and the Hunter's reluctance. Deducing the vampyres intend to mass-produce the sunlight serum, Spider-Man locates a Hydra facility under attack from vampyres led by Sin. He, Morbius, and the Hunter mobilize to stop them and recover the prototype serum, though they learn too late that she had already delivered several completed batches of sunlight serum to Dracula. Nonetheless, while fighting off Dracula and his empowered forces, the heroes discover the vampyres had diluted Morbius' sample while mass-producing it, weakening its effects. Defeated, Dracula escapes to the sewers.

Blood Storm

[edit]

Magik and Wolverine are requested by their fellowX-Man,Storm,to assist her in finding Dahlia, amutantorphan who has gone missing. After helping them defeat vampyres while investigating the orphanage where Dahlia last stayed, Storm joins the Midnight Suns and aids them in their quest while continuing her search. Eventually, they locate Dahlia in New York's sewers, where she lives alongside theMorlocks,mutants with monstrous appearances who were rejected by society and refused to join the X-Men. Though initially resentful of the X-Men, Dahlia later opens up to Storm and accepts her offer to help. Sometime later, Dahlia is kidnapped by Dracula, who wants to use her healing power to create a perfect vampyre race. Storm, the Hunter, and Blade confront and defeat Dracula and Sin, freeing Dahlia in the process. Afterwards, Dahlia accepts Storm's invitation to take refuge atCharles Xavier's school.

Tomb of Dracula

[edit]

Following a lengthy investigation, Blade, Deadpool, Venom, Morbius, and Storm travel to Dracula's castle to kill him and end the vampyre threat. After successfully killing Dracula, the team escape the collapsing castle and return to the Abbey to celebrate. Meanwhile, a severely injured and disfigured Sin vows to find a new master.

Development

[edit]

Rumors thatFiraxis Games,the studio responsible for theCivilizationandXCOMseries of turn-based tactical strategy games, was developing aMarvel Universe-based game similar toXCOMemerged in early June 2021 ahead ofE3 2021.Bloomberg'sJason Schreierconfirmed that such a game was in development though was not sure when it was planned for the announcement.[11]

Midnight Sunswas announced duringGamescom 2021on 25 August.[12]It was given a scheduled release date of March 2022.[8]In January 2022,Michael Jai Whiteannounced that he will be voicingBlade.[13]In June 2022, alongside the reveal ofSpider-Manas a playable character in the roster, it was announced thatYuri Lowenthalwould be voicing Peter Parker in the game, reprising his role from theMarvel's Spider-Mangames byInsomniac Games,andMarvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order(2019).[14]Nico Minoruis voiced byLyrica Okano,who reprises her role from theMarvel Cinematic Universetelevision seriesRunaways.[15]According to the game's lead engineer Will Miller, the game has around "65,000 lines of voiced dialogue" and "over two hours of cinematics".[16]

The game includes a tribute to Luke Wiltshire, who had died from long-term complications fromneuroblastomain November 2021 at the age of 23. Wiltshire had been told earlier that all treatment options had run out and was transitioned to end-of-life care. As part of his last wishes, he said he wanted to playMidnight Suns.The charity Solving Kids' Cancer put out a request onLinkedIn,which was seen by executives at 2K. 2K, Firaxis, and Marvel worked to create a playable build of the first act of the game within 24 hours and brought it to Wiltshire to play before he died.[17]

Marketing and release

[edit]

On September 1, 2021, a first game-play trailer was released showcasing the card system used in combat.[9]Midnight Sunsis directed by Jake Solomon.[5]In November 2021, it was announced that the game had been delayed until the second half of 2022. The game was reintroduced duringSummer Game Festin June 2022 with new footage, additionally confirming the October 7, 2022 launch date for all platforms excluding Nintendo Switch,[18]and revealing the additions ofVenom,Hulk,Scarlet Witch,Doctor StrangeandSpider-Manto the roster of characters.[19]On August 8, 2022, the game was further delayed to the following year, with the PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions slated to launch duringTake-Two Interactive's next fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, while the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were left undated.[20]On September 10, 2022, it was announced that the PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game would launch on December 2, 2022.[21]On May 2, 2023, it was announced that the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions would release on May 11, 2023. The Nintendo Switch version was canceled.[22][23]

Reception

[edit]

Marvel's Midnight Sunsreceived "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according toreview aggregatorwebsiteMetacritic.[24]

Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two Interactive's CEO, said that despite the game being a critical success, it was a commercial flop. Zelnick thinks "it's possible the release window wasn't perfect" and that it could have a long tail (like other Firaxis games).[38][39]

An application launcher in the PC version was described as a major cause for stuttering and general performance issues in the game.[40][41]

During the26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards,theAcademy of Interactive Arts & SciencesnominatedMarvel's Midnight Sunsfor "Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year".[42]

References

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