Card-Based Marvel's Midnight Suns - Marvel universe card-based tactical RPG from Firaxis

[cvv]

I wouldn’t be too surprised if the gameplay comes back in some form given it’s the one thing people seem to be positive on with this game.

Game bombing seems pretty much a guarantee that the money machine will never look at the system again

There's a limited revisionist/boosting movement going on, mostly from these kind of types:

Spoiler

with PC Gamer IIRC even naming it their 2022 GOTY but it's not likely to be enough.

 

[abija]

Suits look at BG3 and the obvious conclusion is game had too much combat and not enough degenerate sex in "adventure mode".

 

[Shaki]

Is this worth touching if I have nothing else to play rn? What's the Codex consensus? At first glance it looks like goyslop...

 

[GhostCow]

Is this worth touching if I have nothing else to play rn? What's the Codex consensus? At first glance it looks like goyslop...

It's good. Give it a shot.

 

[GhostCow]

I'm actually in the middle of a replay right now because the DLC is on sale and apparently I played for over 8 hours straight last night. Around 10 throughout the whole day. It's definitely safe to say that it's a good game. I don't think the people giving "No" reaccs to Shaki have actually played the game.

 

[Iluvcheezcake]

Is this worth touching if I have nothing else to play rn? What's the Codex consensus? At first glance it looks like goyslop...

I would get it if its on sale and i had nothing else to play.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

If they had removed a lot of the "fat" (chasing around the map for trinkets, overly long social activities, etc.), the game would have no doubt been better received. But even with all the chaff, the core game there is highly addictive.

 

[Lemming42]

It'd be wonderful to see the exact same game systems used again in a different setting, and with a greatly reduced focus on the non-combat stuff. Nothing wrong with walking around a base and talking to your teammates in theory but this game took it to an absurd extreme. I think it's a superb game that's just been swaddled in a lot of fluff.

I feel like it'd work well with an FTL/Slay the Spire/Fights In Tight Spaces kind of gameplay model, large maps with nodes that each lead to an encounter, and a renewed focus on tough resource management. Then the dating sim stuff could be done between these large maps, which would help space it out at lot. Having to return to the Abbey to ignore Blade wanting to hang out with you after every single combat encounter was excessive, but after every 15 - 20 encounters it'd be fine, perhaps even a welcome change of pace.

 

[GhostCow]

On my second playthrough I am using mods that increase friendship gains by 10x and resource gains by 5x. It makes the game a lot better. Much less grinding this way. I don't mind talking to the characters or running around the abby. I just hate having to do a billion general missions to accomplish anything.

 

[Grunker]

It’s not just a good game - it’s fantastic. Unfortunately it is inexplicably bundled with a shit story, hopelessly boring characters and a long winded friendship simulator that takes forever. If you can stomach that, the meat and potatoes of the combat is probably the best deck-based combat system out there except maybe Gloomhaven.

 

[Lacrymas]

If you can stomach that, the meat and potatoes of the combat is probably the best deck-based combat system out there except maybe Gloomhaven.

This is fantastic, yet Trials of Fire is shit? Explain yourself, knave.

 

[Grunker]

If you can stomach that, the meat and potatoes of the combat is probably the best deck-based combat system out there except maybe Gloomhaven.

This is fantastic, yet Trials of Fire is shit? Explain yourself, knave.

Lol, still butthurt about that despite reviewing a card game while not knowing the term “combo deck” referred to?

I don’t think your question makes sense. The game systems aren’t even remotely similar except for the fact that both uses cards. One is much more actual card game with archetypes and such (Trials), the other is not.

I also already explained extensively why I disliked Trials - it relies too much on stringing together OP combos. This doesn’t, though you can pursue that playstyle if you prefer to. Also don’t recall calling it shit - iirc I never played it enough to call it that because I didn’t find much compelling there. In fact you might almost just call it personal preference since I’m not into the combo playstyle - I like eeking out value and agonizing over efficiency, not beelining solitaire style for the big win slam - so it could be that Trial just didn’t gel with me for that reason.

Like I said though, the comparison is almost meaningless. Mechanically I struggle to find much of anything the games have in common so it seems like an incredibly weird thing to compare.

Edit: my god, I just found that old thread and your takes on the game still makes my brain hurt. Though I do suppose I should have been less surprised that you compared ToF to MMS seeing as you also compared it to Gloomhaven

 

[Lacrymas]

My question was more "why do you find this good", rather than comparing it to ToF. And my takes are always hot.

 

[Grunker]

My question was more "why do you find this good", rather than comparing it to ToF. And my takes are always hot.

I found myself spending so much time each turn thinking of the correct line of play, always starting over in my head to run through new lines and options. That’s what I love about TB combat in general and I was really amazed at how often this game gave me multiple, competing lines of play both during good and bad turns/draws. The interplay between the cards, the heroes you currently have deployed and the objective/enemies just so often results in multiple ways to go that all seem legitimate but that aren’t always.

On top of that, I found the characters to be distinctly different yet decently balanced - even the ever-present shit-tier I was able to make work, though I did find a couple to be duds in terms of wringing any fun out of them, namely Deadpool.

But the main reason I played until my fingers bled was just turn after turn after turn of going through the multitude of options trying to find outs of difficult spots or maximize a particularly good draw.

I would have loved to see an expansion of the combat system in a sequel, but alas.

I’ve also heard many people claim the game has HP bloat on ultimate which I think shows the skill ceiling the game has, because if you maximize your turns you can absolutely cream big enemies on Ultimate - but if you just use your cards without thinking much you won’t put so much as a dent in them.

 

[Cyberarmy]

Combats are helluva fun and this alone outweighs every other boring part game has. Bonus points if you are comic books fan. Negative points if you are hardcore fan like me and bothered by a tall Wolverine...

 

[Tuco Benedicto Pacifico]

I loved the core gameplay loop of the combat in this game. My appreciation of it went admittedly far past the initial impressions when they showed it off the first times.

That said, it's also true that one year is gone and at no point I've ever felt ANY urge to go back and play it. In fact even just the idea of having to go through its narration and social activities bores me to tears.

That's never been a problem with XCOM 2 + War of the Chosen, a game that I replayed relentlessly over the years.

 

[ADL]

This is in January's Humble Monthly along with Two Point Hospital and Aragami 2. Finally gonna try this when I get some free time.

 

[Lacrymas]

I've been playing this for a bit and I'm assuming no-one will ever stop quipping the Josh Whedon-esque one-liners?

 

[mediocrepoet]

I've been playing this for a bit and I'm assuming no-one will ever stop quipping the Josh Whedon-esque one-liners?

Strap in and remember... you can skip pretty much all dialog by clicking through it and then just remember to select the dark/light choice for your chosen alignment.

 

[Grunker]

I've been playing this for a bit and I'm assuming no-one will ever stop quipping the Josh Whedon-esque one-liners?

Dialogue will remain trash and there’s tons of it

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

Yeah the writing is bad at every level from plotting to pacing to characters to dialogue. Just be thankful Marvel apparently wouldn’t let Firaxis include player character romances (although honestly the cynical part of me says it probably would have saved the game from being such a massive bomb).

 

[Lacrymas]

Is this game considered canon in the Marvel universe? If it is, that might explain why they didn't let them. As for why it failed commercially, it's a turn-based AAA tactics game, I don't think it stood a chance. It might get a resurgence of interest now that the mainstream have tasted TB games with BG3, though, and are looking for a game with similar production values.

 

[mediocrepoet]

Yeah the writing is bad at every level from plotting to pacing to characters to dialogue. Just be thankful Marvel apparently wouldn’t let Firaxis include player character romances (although honestly the cynical part of me says it probably would have saved the game from being such a massive bomb).

I just want to see this card battle system and RPG mechanics get used in a game that's 100% good instead of good except for the dialogue and stupid high school dorm collectathon shit (basically everything you do that isn't combat).

Like a military tactics game with this system and better environments like some of the set pieces.

 

[Red Hexapus]

I've been playing this for a bit and I'm assuming no-one will ever stop quipping the Josh Whedon-esque one-liners?

Dialogue will remain trash and there’s tons of it

Played it a bit during a free weekend. The gameplay was ok, but the dialogues and the story were so cringeworthy, I've decided to give it up, it was not worth it.

 

[Lacrymas]

Also, I don't like the fact difficulties are locked. I doubt normal will provide enough of a challenge for me.