‘Marvel’s Midnight Suns’ Is the God-Tier Tactical RPG That Stole My Heart (and Time)

I remember the general apprehension when Marvel’s Midnight Suns was announced. The instant we found out it would be a tactical RPG with deck-builder elements and relationship-building, everyone scratched their heads. “…They’re wasting the Midnight Sons on a [REDACTED] XCOM game with Marvel paint on it?” However, long-time XCOM studio, Firaxis Games, would soon prove us all wrong.

Long after the reports that Midnight Suns would likely never get a sequel due to abysmal sales, I finally bought the Legendary Edition. Firaxis had proven its vision for the game months before its release through in-depth gameplay deep dives. “Eh, I’ll wait,” I said. The game reviewed better than one would think considering the reports of prominent bugs and glitches! Plus, the studio announced there’d be DLC early on, and I wanted to wait for the inevitable “Complete” edition.

…I’m so sorry, Firaxis. I was part of the problem. The truth is: Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a genuine GOAT tactical RPG — and this is coming from someone who never liked the subgenre. The game took all these disparate genre elements and made magic with them. Deck-building, Persona-style social bonds with your teammates, tactical nirvana, nuanced team comps, exploration — Midnight Suns, somehow, did everything right.

‘marvel’s midnight suns’ is one of gaming’s biggest tragedies

Some of my favorite games, I hesitate to talk about. It feels like I’ll never be able to find the words to match the elation I felt while playing them. But, here? I’ll try! So, to start, all the heroes and villains you come across feel like they were ripped straight from the comics. I don’t know if Firaxis consulted some of the geekiest goofs around or if the team was comprised of those geeks. But the assignment? Thoroughly understood.

Blade, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, Venom, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Magik, Ghost Rider, Nico — all perfect! When you assemble a squad for a mission, you truly have to consider exactly who you’re taking. Each person plays drastically differently from one another. Captain Marvel is a straight “hit thing real hard” character, full stop. But to balance that, maybe you bring Doctor Strange, whose deck is more “trickster” and focused on immobilizing and weakening enemy units.

Synergies on synergies. The game also requires you to have a strong sense of spatial awareness on the battlefield. For example, you can knock enemies into generators, possibly affecting multiple units rather than just one. Boss encounters end up being exhilarating as you have to use every trick in your deck and surroundings to come out on top.

you deserved so much better, sweet child

I could write a book about how great this game is. You get to start a book club with Wolverine! How is that not spectacular? You’ll find yourself adoring Marvel characters you never would’ve given a second glance otherwise. “Who the hell is Magik?” Oh, you’ll learn. I had 60+ hours invested in Midnight Suns, and I wasn’t even halfway through the game’s campaign! Sometimes, I just wanted to hang out with Spider-Man and Ghost Rider!

Oozes charm. I have to go back to it, actually. Life happened, and I, unfortunately, fell from the game. But even writing this, all those fond memories come flooding back. I believe I’m ready to continue my Marvel journey, Firaxis!