Marvel’s Midnight Suns has an incredible foundation to build from in a potential sequel. Having Marvel characters come together to amass a personalized party of iconic characters is not wholly new, with franchises such as Marvel vs. Capcom or Marvel Ultimate Alliance piquing that interest long before Marvel’s Midnight Suns. However, while tactical, turn-based combat has always been Firaxis’ greatest strength as a developer and makes Marvel’s Midnight Suns unique as a result, that is still only half of what makes Marvel’s Midnight Suns special.
The Abbey offers players an opportunity to intimately befriend their favorite Marvel characters in a leisurely environment, with the added charm of a refreshingly mystical and supernatural atmosphere. Players take these characters to hang out during ordinary activities or invite them to check out discovered havens on the grounds, and the Abbey is a comfortable location with a day-and-night cycle making it feel immersive. That said, the Abbey could improve greatly from what it currently is, and certain changes could help it feel more immersive as well.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns’ Abbey is Still Underutilized
Marvel’s Midnight Suns players will likely notice that while the Abbey encompasses many different areas for resource-collecting and upgrading, there are also areas that are inexplicably inaccessible or do not reach their potential in functionality. The attic can be climbed up into, for example, but its only function seems to be that a gold chest is there.
Bedrooms for each character are seen, which makes sense considering that bedrooms would need to be accounted for with each character who is accommodated at the Abbey, but only a couple of them are ever viewable and customizable for whatever reason. Further, the omission of a kitchen, bathrooms, and other necessary utilities has already been addressed by former Firaxis developer and creative director Jake Solomon, joking about how these amenities are not featured as explorable areas in the Abbey.
Kitchens and bathrooms are obviously less important to players than the Forge or the training courtyard, but their omission chips away at what would need to be logistically included in a home shared by upwards of 20 people with distinct needs. Ultimately it makes Midnight Suns less immersive as an RPG with social simulation mechanics. Having these parts of the Abbey viewable might not have any effect on gameplay, but it would go a long way in making the Abbey more lived-in and customizable, comparable to Hogwarts Legacy’s Room of Requirement.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns Should Change Locations in a Sequel
One of the easiest ways to improve upon the Abbey in a Marvel’s Midnight Suns sequel would be to abandon it entirely for a new place that Marvel characters can call home. This would likely be dependent upon where the narrative takes place, but iconic landmarks such as the Baxter Building, Stark Tower, Asgard, a SHIELD helicarrier, or Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters would all be great choices with a lot of Marvel lore to instill in them.
The RAFT would be an interesting location as well since players could explore cell blocks and see imprisoned supervillains they have incarcerated while out on missions. Either way, as long as a location’s amenities and utilities are accounted for, the player’s new home would feel more immersive no matter where they end up. The Abbey itself could be reprised and improved in a sequel, though it would also run the risk of feeling repetitive when there are so many locations that characters could crash at that could be even more customizable or nostalgic.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is out now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, with PS4, Switch, and Xbox One versions coming later.
