Marvel's Midnight Suns was developed by Firaxis Games, who most may know from the X-COM games. While fun, those games are a bit intimidating to newbies of strategy RPGs because they can be punishing. It may be a lazy comparison to make, but they are almost the Dark Souls of strategy games.
So, leading up to Marvel's Midnight Suns, players may have thought it was going to be equally terrifying. It’s not though, and in fact, it is a great tactical RPG for beginners that combines collectible card mechanics into the equation as well. To better understand what this game is all about, let’s break it down with some helpful tips.
6 Start On Normal Difficulty
The difficulty system in the game is set up a bit like the Diablo series. In that franchise, it’s encouraged for players to start on easier settings and to work toward the higher difficulties as they give greater rewards. That’s how each difficulty is set up in Marvel’s Midnight Suns too. The easiest setting will allow players to survive encounters more easily, but they virtually get no bonus rewards.
Normal is still not that challenging, and it gives a boost to rewards. That’s why it is recommended to start on Normal, and if it proves too hard, players can bump it down whenever they feel like it. The game overall has a slow start, so it’s hard to know what to expect for a while. Just keep at it and things will start to make more sense once more characters start to unlock, like Magik.
5 Check Every Map For Environmental Weapons
Before starting a fight, scroll around the map. Look out for things in the environment to use as weapons and keep them in mind for positioning heroes later. Environmental weapons come in all shapes and sizes from blocks of concrete to red explosive barrels to lumber hanging over a platform.
These actions require points, so they can’t be used infinitely, although they are separate from card actions. The game shows that Doctor Strange can lift blocks, but most characters can interact with almost everything. Players need to take advantage of the situation with every possible avenue. That should be the goal of players in any good strategy RPG.
4 Knock Strong Enemies Into Weak Ones
There are two types of enemies in Marvel’s Midnight Suns, not including bosses like Venom which belong to a whole different grouping. Some enemies are built like heroes with skills and health. Other enemies will die, no matter what, in one hit. They can still pack a punch though, so they should be eliminated like everyone else.
Some cards have a Knockback identifier, which means players can position where the target falls back into. Some cards can be upgraded to get this special trait. Whenever one of these cards appears, use it right away to take out two enemies. Alternatively, using a Knockback card to throw someone into an electrical box will usually stun them. That’s a good tactic to use against tougher enemies like bosses.
3 Mission Bonuses Versus Milking Enemies For Experience
Missions come in all shapes and sizes, which shouldn’t be surprising to hear in a strategy RPG. Some missions will have players eliminate waves of enemies, while others simply need them to retrieve an object. The faster a mission is completed, the better the rewards.
While it can be a good idea to always strive towards efficiently beating a level as quickly as possible, there are advantages to milking the game too. In missions where players must retrieve an object without a time limit, the game will often not stop sending waves of enemies. Players can gain good experience by sticking around in times like this. Just make sure there is no countdown or penalty.
2 Upgrading Cards Versus New Cards
As a card RPG, there is an aspect of Marvel’s Midnight Suns wherein players will collect cards, and it naturally can get a little addicting. Players can present objects to The Forge at HQ, which will randomly generate a select amount of cards to drop for any current party member. Sometimes players will get some surprising new abilities, while other times they’ll get duplicate cards.
The nice thing about duplicates is that they can be used to upgrade existing cards. That is how a card can get the Knockback effect as was previously mentioned. Even if a new ability presents itself, sometimes it’s better to go for the upgrade.
1 Check The Map For Activities
It can be annoying, but players should get into the habit of strolling around the Abbey when they wake up and when they come back from a mission at night. Sometimes orbs will pop up which will reward players with different types of currencies or experiences. These objects will pop up in a variety of colors, and unfortunately, these respawning daily treasures aren’t marked on the map.
Characters can be seen on the map though, and this is a good way to check in on who wants to talk to Hunter. Before going to bed, or heading to a mission, make sure to go through all possible conversation options with teammates. Bonding with them will create new opportunities in battle just like in the Fire Emblem series, another fine example of strategy RPGs.
Marvel's Midnight Suns was released on December 2, 2022, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.