TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — An adaptation of a 1990s comic book storyline, "Marvel's Midnight Suns" is a tactical action game in which heroes band together to face off against a vampiric menace.
With a stacked lineup that includes Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain Marvel, Blade, Iron Man, Wolverine, Doctor Strange, Ghost Rider and Hulk, the game challenges you to mix and match card-based attacks and defenses in order to pull off the necessary formula to take down your challenges.
Phil Villarreal: I was looking forward to this game for most of the year, so it was almost inevitable that it would let me down in some way. Surprisingly, the finished product not only manage to live up to my expectations, but surpass them in many ways.
There were some small annoyances. While the voice cast is mostly solid, the Doctor Strange performance was a little forced and off-putting. But the tactical gameplay is solid, and the cut scenes are so packed with fan service that I didn't want to skip them.
It was a joy to see characters such as Blade and Ghost Rider step up from the dark recesses of Marvel herodom and share the stage with first-stringers such as Spider-Man and Captain America.
What were your first impressions, Sean?
Sean Newgent: I was vaguely excited for this game given the good work this team did on the "XCOM" reboot. But I was immediately put off by a lot about this. First off, it felt so much like a mobile game. Graphically it looks rough, very little about this screamed a modern console video game. But more so than the graphics, it's the gameplay that feels more suited to a mobile title than an RTS. I assumed this would be more in line with "XCOM" and instead this is a simple card battler where you move your characters, use attack cards, and occasionally pick up environmental weapons to defeat your foes. It isn't that deep and feels more suited for kids.
Add to that a big problem for me — regardless of how interesting the story is or how great the roster, it's written with Marvel's irritating need to insert jokes into every scene. It isn't endearing and more cringe-worthy to me.
But as we both have said, it's appreciated that characters like Ghost Rider, Blade, and Wolverine; all of whom add a little more edge to a roster that also includes favorites like Captain America, Iron Man, and Doctor Strange.
Phil, how did you feel about the gameplay and progression?
Phil: You're right about the unnecessary amount of forced humor. A better choice would have been to have left the sarcasm to the characters who do it best — Iron Man and Spider-Man — and left everyone else as straight characters.
As someone who tends to be intimidated by the complexities of "XCOM" or obtuse card-based games such as "Inscryption," I am just the sort of 44-year-old kid this game's skill level is aimed at.
There are plenty of ways the devs tried to make this one easier, such as allowing re-draws and area-attacks that spam large areas. I was thoroughly satisfied by the movement aspect, though, particularly when it allowed you to pick up environmental objects to bash unsuspecting enemies over their heads.
"Marvel's Midnight Suns" may have its flaws, but it's got enough energy, polish and grandiosity to make it the top superhero game of the year.
Final thoughts, Sean?
Sean: This game is another example, to me, of the overhype of big budget, big name titles. It feels a little phoned in and, again, like it was meant to play on a phone. I grew sick of seeing the same attack animations and after a few hours I was bored with the gameplay loop. The simplistic card tactics leave a lot to be desired and the constant quips are grating. This is nowhere near Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" offering from last year, but should still entertain anyone with an interest in this superhero universe.
"Marvel's Midnight Suns" is not a bad game, it's not a good game, but it's a game. And it works. It just comes across too simplistic and repetitive when it could have been deep and rewarding.
Publisher provided review codes. Phil played on Xbox Series X, Sean played on PS5.
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Phil Villarreal is the senior real-time editor for KGUN 9. He is also a digital producer and host of "Phil on Film" seen weekly on Good Morning Tucson, Phil moved to KGUN after 17 years with the Arizona Daily Star. He is married and has four children. Share your story ideas and important issues with Phil by emailing phil.villarreal@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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Sean Newgent has been with KGUN9 since January of 2020 and is Good Morning Tucson's executive producer. He graduated from Illinois State University with a degree in broadcast journalism. He is a critic and cultural commentator. Share your story ideas and important issues with Sean by emailing sean.newgent@kgun9.com.
Past game reviews by Sean and Phil:
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
Diablo II Resurrected
NEO: The World Ends with You
Rainbow Six: Extraction
King of Fighters XV
WWE 2K22
Weird West
Tiny Tina's Wonderlands
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
TMNT: Shredder's Revenge
Capcom Fighting Collection
Capcom Arcade: 2nd Stadium
Stray
Digimon Survive
Cult of the Lamb
TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection
NBA 2K23
Lego Bricktales
Gotham Knights
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II
Star Ocean: The Divine Force
Sonic Frontiers
The Dark Pictures: The Devil in Me
Evil West
Need for Speed Unbound
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion
