Firaxis is gearing up to release Marvel's Midnight Suns in about a month, and it needs to tread carefully so that it does not repeat the pitfalls of recent superhero titles. It seems like big budget ensemble superhero titles have not had a great track record recently, with games like Marvel's Avengers and Gotham Knights failing to make a big impact. Marvel's Midnight Suns will be the latest ensemble superhero title to hit store shelves, and it needs to come out of the gates swinging.
With the disappointing launches of Marvel's Avengers and Gotham Knights, some players have grown a little weary of AAA superhero titles that are not from Insomniac Games or Rocksteady. Both studios have delivered some pretty stellar superhero-based games, and fans have been clamoring for more from them ever since. Other superhero titles that were not made by those studios seem to have fallen flat, besides Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, which was fun to play but a financial disappointment. Marvel's Midnight Suns has a chance to renew player's faith in AAA superhero games, and it needs to succeed at that.
AAA Superhero Ensemble Games Have Struggled Recently
Many recent AAA superhero ensemble games have failed to meet expectations. Marvel's Avengers was supposed to bring the titular team to gaming and let players feel like one of these powerful heroes. While many had some fun with the characters, the game was marred with live-service elements and repetitive gameplay that brought it down. On top of that, there was not enough content to keep player's attention, and it was mostly left to gather dust. Square Enix's second attempt at an ensemble group with Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy was fun, but it was stuck in the shadow of Marvel's Avengers controversy.
Gotham Knights recently hit store shelves, and it was instantly met with mixed reviews from the critics and players. The game put players in control of Robin, Red Hood, Batgirl, and Nightwing after the death of Batman. It was developed by WB Games Montreal who had shown it could craft an interesting Batman-centric title with Batman: Arkham Origins, and fans were intrigued to see what the studio would create next. While the characters were all strong, the game was marred with repetitive, clunky gameplay. What was supposed to be a big crowd pleaser from DC turned out to just be another disappointing superhero game.
Marvel's Midnight Suns Needs to Be Different
Both Gotham Knights and Marvel's Avengers were supposed to deliver the superhero fantasy, but both seemed to have failed to make an impact. Marvels Avengers' live-service elements and the repetitive gameplay that both offered put many players off. It has made some players weary about upcoming superhero titles, and has made some lose faith in titles not made by certain studios. While there is no way to turn back the clock on these titles, Marvel's Midnight Suns has a chance to renew faith in the genre.
Marvel's Midnight Suns will be the next AAA ensemble superhero title to hit store shelves, and many eyes are on it to see if it can deliver. It will be taking the titular team and bringing them into the tactical strategy genre, and is said to be the ultimate crossover event. It will be bringing in heroes from across Marvel's catalog from Doctor Strange and Wolverine to Spider-Man and Ghost Rider. If it pans out then it could be a great treat for Marvel fans, but if it falls flat then it will only join a long line of superhero titles that failed to meet expectations.
A lot is riding on Marvel's Midnight Suns as it has the chance to change the course of superhero titles for the better. Right now, superhero fans are looking for a win after a couple of mediocre titles in a row. The game looks like it could deliver that, but players will have to get their hands on it to see for themselves.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns releases December 2 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, with PS4, Switch, and Xbox One versions coming later.