After its announcement at Gamescom Opening Night Live, Firaxis has now shared the first look at gameplay for their upcoming superhero-infused tactical strategy game, Marvel's Midnight Suns. During a livestream on IGN's official YouTube channel, Firaxis showcased the first look at what players will get to experience in terms of both story and gameplay in Marvel's Midnight Suns, which is described in the trailer as "a deeply customizable tactical battle system that rewards clever thinking with superhero flair."
Similar to the comic run of the same name, Midnight Suns will tell the story of a band of Marvel heroes coming together to fight back against Lilith, the Mother of All Demons. After Hydra resurrects the demon, she and her fanatic followers, the Lilan, are hellbent on bringing back her Master, Chthon, and fulfilling a prophecy to end the world. To combat this threat, a mysterious individual known as the Caretaker reforms the secret organization, the Midnight Suns, this time with heroes from across the Marvel canon ready to join. Together they revive a brand new, fully customizable hero named The Hunter, the child of Lilith and the main character of the game. With the heroes at your side, you will lead them in stopping your mother's evil plans.
The gameplay will consist of a familiar tactical style from XCOM developers Firaxis, as your team of three selected heroes use their abilities and powers. The unique spin here when compared to Firaxis' other games is that these abilities take the form of cards that are "drawn" at the start of each turn. These abilities can range "from damage-dealing attacks to life-saving skills," as well as large, cinematic finisher moves and team-up moves, as heroes double up to take down an enemy. These abilities can also be combined with the environment to create a "vast array" of combat approaches as you throw enemies into walls, hazards, and each other. Speaking of the environment, players will be visiting some of the most famous and iconic Marvel locations such as Avengers Tower, Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum as well as a demon-filled Hell dimension hidden within Hydra's facilities.
Marvel's Midnight Suns will launch with 12 characters from across the Marvel universe. Familiar faces from The Avengers and X-Men like Iron Man and Wolverine are featured prominently, but even some groups and characters that are lesser-known to people outside of the comic book bubble like the Runaways will be on the team. In between battles, you will be able to relax at the Midnight Sun's home base, the Abbey. This fully explorable "living" hub will allow players the chance to build their relationships with the different heroes. From meditating with Doctor Strange and training with Ghost Rider, these interactions will allow you to unlock unique abilities and upgrades for both combat and the Abbey itself.
When not taking walks with Tony Stark, you will be able to explore the Abbey grounds, which Firaxis says will provide "hours of rewarding exploration, gameplay, and story," like finding new powers and rewards (depicted in the trailer as The Hunter finding a Word of Power in what appears to be an underground section of the Abbey). Players will also be able to take any rewards or loot from combat to the Forge and craft brand new abilities while existing powers can be made stronger in the Yard under the tutelage of Blade. New missions with Captain Marvel will also be available in the War Room.
Marvel's Midnight Suns does not have a release date just yet, but it is scheduled to arrive sometime in March of 2022 and will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Watch the expanded gameplay trailer for Marvel's Midnight Suns down below.