Hot off the heels of their previous release of new gameplay footage, 2K and Firaxis recently released a gameplay live stream for Marvel's Midnight Suns. Midnight Suns is a tactics RPG releasing in March of 2022. Players take control of a new, fully customizable hero known as The Hunter and work with numerous other Marvel Heroes to fight against Lilith, the resurrected Mother of Demons.
The gameplay showcase showed how fighting will work in missions and how to build "Heroism" to unleash devastating attacks. It also offers a teaser at some RPG elements that allow players to make choices and build relationships outside of combat to unlock new interactions with characters and team-up moves that the Hunter can use in battle. The beginning of the showcase also reiterated that there would be no gameplay-based microtransactions. Although this may put some fans' fears to rest, the announcement specifically said there would be no "gameplay" microtransactions. Firaxis confirmed there would be cosmetic microtransactions, but this will have no bearing on gameplay.
Characters use card-based combat to attack enemy units with their unique abilities. "Heroism" is a commodity built up by playing attacks and skills and allows heroes to use powerful and flashy attacks against their opponents. Players can also use the terrain to their advantage by knocking enemies into other enemies or environmental hazards. Heroes can also use the environment to their advantage, illustrated when Wolverine kicks a dumpster at Sabretooth and sends him, along with some Hydra grunts, flying into the distance.
The gameplay is very reminiscent of Firaxis' other tactics titles, such as XCOM or Mario+Rabbids Kingdom Battle. The game is also confirmed to be a fully fleshed-out single-player experience. During the gameplay showcase, Creative Director Jake Sullivan said in regards to meeting Wolverine in-game, "This is pretty far into the game, probably. I mean, actually, this game's very long, so not that far, but this is a good 10-12 hours into the game."
Each hero has unique gameplay mechanics built around them as well. Wolverine, for example, is a savage fighter who can attack multiple targets in a single turn by chaining attacks to numerous targets. Thanks to his healing factor, Wolverine also has no problem taunting enemies and drawing in their fire, allowing him to take agro away from his teammates to help them get the upper hand. By using his "Berserk" skill, Wolverine can also steal health from his opponents.
Bosses in Midnight Suns also have unique traits that make them interesting to fight against and mimic their abilities from the comics. Sabretooth, for example, has an ability called "Frenzy," which allows him to act after players make two moves and add pressure to Heroes who are fighting against him. The demonstration also shows a cutscene between Lilith and Sabretooth and showcases one of Lilith's most essential abilities: the ability to corrupt. Using her corruption, she can corrupt heroes and villains alike, spawning the potential for more challenging boss fights against enemies and even allies.
That is only half of what Midnight Suns has to offer. The other half of the game is a fully realized RPG that allows players to make their playthrough wholly their own experience. Once the heroes have finished fighting, they return to the Abbey, an entirely new hub where players The Hunter can interact with and foster friendships with the other heroes. Players will be able to decorate their room and change their outfits, offering a unique experience on a player-by-player basis. They can even interact with their beloved Hellhound, Charlie.
Since Midnight Suns is an RPG, the choices players make will matter. They have to decide who to spend time with while at the Abbey and make dialogue choices that affect relationships with other characters. Players also have the option to get outside and explore the Abbey grounds. Extended exploration options will lead to exciting things in and around the Midnight Suns' Headquarters and promote exploration when not in combat. Whether in or out of the action, Midnight Suns wants players engrossed in the story and world that it is setting up, which players can discover when the game launches in March of 2022.