Firaxis Games, developer of the upcoming tactical RPG Marvel's Midnight Suns, clarified why the team decided to make a small but significant tweak to the team's name.
Longtime Marvel fans no doubt noticed the similarity between Midnight Suns and the Midnight Sons, an obscure supernatural team of Marvel heroes that saw a flash of success in the 90s. Speaking to CBR, Firaxis Games explained that the game's adjusted name is intentional as it both serves to pay homage to the original comics and establish this new team as its own entity.
“The decision to call the game Marvel's Midnight Suns was driven by Firaxis’ love for the original Midnight Sons comic series, while the change in name highlights the fact that this is not a retelling of the original story and that it offers a completely new unforgettable adventure. The Marvel's Midnight Suns name is unique to the game," explains Firaxis.
Marvel's Midnight Suns draws inspiration from "Rise of the Midnight Sons," a brief comic book that saw various supernatural heroes join forces to defeat Lilith, Mother of Demons. Midnight Suns differs in that players will be creating their own hero, the Hunter, who is the child of Lilith and the only being capable of slaying her. The original Midnight Sons team included Ghost Riders (Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch), Blade, Frank Drake, Hannibal King, Morbius, Sam Buchanan, Victoria Montesi, Louise Hastings and Modred the Mystic. Doctor Strange would later join the team in the "Siege of Darkness" storyline.
The roster revealed for Midnight Suns currently includes Blade, Doctor Strange, Captain America, Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Magik, Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes), Wolverine and Nico Monoru. Firaxis Games confirmed that fans can expect a total of twelve playable Marvel heroes; the remaining characters will be revealed at a later date.
In order to take down Lilith, players will need to form bonds with their teammates. When they're not out in the field, tearing up demons in tactical turn-based combat, players will be able to explore The Abbey, the home base of the Midnight Suns. There they'll be able to chat and hang out with their favorite heroes, building their relationships by engaging them in conversation, doing activities around the hub and giving them gifts.
"We really wanted to push this idea of relationships," said Jake Solomon, creative director on Marvel's Midnight Suns. "To unlock the potential of any hero in combat, you really have to develop a relationship with them."
Marvel's Midnight Suns launches for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC in March 2022.
Source: Firaxis Games