Major update will introduce new endgame content, gear, skills, controller support, and more!
XD Games, Shanghai — December 20, 2022 | Hoist those sails, dungeon crawlers; Torchlight: Infinite’s new season is ready to drop anchor! Launching in January 2023, “Blacksail” will see players embark on a new adventure that takes them to the end of the universe and into The Sea of Void.
Torchlight: Infinite’s new season will introduce more content to the popular PC and mobile action RPG while expanding hero gameplay and customisation with new skills. Not only that, Hero Relics will allow players to further progress and develop their in-game builds with new loot and loadout slots.
The Shattered Blacksail Story
All worlds end in ashes, forever lost in The Sea of Void. Here, countless Aemberons devour one another in an eternal cycle as wandering souls attempt to rejoin the world of the living. Emerging from endless darkness, the Lord of the Void Sea enslaves these souls as they pull Blacksail towards worlds that are yet to be broken. Here’s a sneak peek at Torchlight: Infinite’s new season:
Void Sea Endgame Content
In Torchlight: Infinite’s new season, Hunters can earn loot drops with special “Void Sea Night Flame” affixes when they kill monsters in the Netherrealm map. Upon defeating the final stage boss, an interactive device will appear on the map known as the “Void Sea Seal”. You can break this Seal using any Void Sea Night Flame to unlock a random Seal Whisper based on the affix of the Night Flame used. After breaking 6 Seals, Hunters can then go to the Void Sea End Port to challenge the Bride of Void Sea and steal her treasure. She may also drop a Void Sea Invitation – you will need these to challenge the season’s final boss, Lord of Void Sea, who will drop several unique Legendary Items.
New Gear Slot and Skills
As we enter the new season, Hunters will gain access to two new hero items: Hero Relics and Hero Memories. Each Hunter can equip one Hero Relic, offering up to 3 slots which can be inlaid with collectable Hero Memories, providing powerful affixes that are closely related to the hero’s specialization. Helping to create more diverse build possibilities, Torchlight: Infinite will also introduce 5 new main Skills with the launch of the new season:
Moon Strike
Howling Gale
Thunder Slash
Blazing Bullet
Haunting Abomination
More information on the latest skill additions in the new season here.
PC Controller Support
There will soon be even more ways to play Torchlight: Infinite. PC controller support is being included as part of the new update, in response to community feedback. This will be particularly good news for those who have been itching to play on their new Steam Decks.
Christmas goodies
And finally, a letter from across the Void Sea…
Thanks to the joint efforts of Torchlight’s heroes, the Dark Surge has faded. The Void Sea approaches, and generous gifts await those who took part in Torchlight: Infinite’s first season.. From mid-January, Hunters who own the “Black Ship Beacon” will receive the “Blacksail Token” which includes exclusive body effects, season supplies and other rewards. A Discord welcoming event is also now live, with 50 Jagged Primocryst up for grabs. To participate, join the Torchlight: Infinite Discord Server. From here, simply go to the discord-reward channel to get your code!
XD GAMES
Founded in 2003, XD Inc. is a global video games developer and publisher with extensive experience across development, publishing and operations. As of 2022, XD has 38 free-to-play and paid games with over 50 million monthly active users worldwide. In addition, TapTap — a mobile games community and app store — was launched by XD in 2016 and is estimated to currently have 44 million monthly active users. XD’s mission is to assemble like-minded talented games industry craftspeople with a common goal of touching the hearts of players around the world. XD produces games of the finest quality with passion, offering a pure gaming experience, and encouraging players of all ages to embrace the unique joy of video gaming.
Y2K-Themed Chaotic Genre-Mashup Anthology Roman Sands RE:Build Takes Players on an Existential, Philosophical Rollercoaster This Summer
Across it all, we’re staring down an inevitable doom. We resign to our fate, yet nevertheless are teased by a core human need to find an exit from the structures that define our nature.
Boulder, Colo. (Dec. 19, 2022) — Serenity Forge (Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!) and Arbitrary Metric (Paratopic) today revealed Roman Sands RE:Build during Nintendo’s Inside the House of Indies: Holiday Event – a new, genre-defying first-person narrative adventure launching this summer on PC and Nintendo Switch. Roman Sands RE:Build sets the stage for mental whiplash as it eliminates structures and takes players on an existential, philosophical journey requiring the suspension of human reason and our need for logic, process and connection.
Bathe in liminal uneasy vibes in today’s announcement trailer:
Navigate an unwavering caste system set to a backdrop of the apocalypse and find connection and meaning in the midst of an ecological disaster as players are thrown into two distinct games across a variety of genres encompassing three acts of one overarching narrative. Following their distinct style of transgressive games, Arbitrary Metric’s Roman Sands RE:Build weaves a deeply human narrative, offering a counterpoint to the alienation and malaise of modernity.
Offering a tapestry of unique sensory journeys, the game asks questions and provides intrinsically troubling answers representative of the stark truth of human reality where players are invited to peel back the mysteries of the psyche and uncover what is real and what is not and most importantly, what it means.
A unique, mind-boggling experience joining elements of adventure, gacha, horror, simulation and puzzle games as well as visual novels, players will need to master multiple genres and realities if they hope to solve the mysteries of Roman Sands RE:Build.
Stay in the loop on all things Serenity Forge by visiting the team’s website and Twitter page.
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About Serenity Forge
Based in Boulder, Colorado, video game development and publishing studio Serenity Forge prides themselves on the care and dedication they put into their work, creating meaningful games that challenge the way you think. Firm believers in the artistic, cultural, and educational power of video games, Serenity Forge aims to craft unique interactive experiences to broaden players’ horizons and expand their perspectives. Learn more at http://serenityforge.com.
About Arbitrary Metric Distributed between the UK and North America, experimental development house Arbitrary Metric strives to draw out new experiences from the medium. Dedicated to cathartic, transgressive games that offer a counterpoint to the alienation and malaise of modernity, Arbitrary Metric draws from leftfield sources of inspiration and enrichment to pull players through unique sensory journeys. Discover more at http://www.arbitrarymetric.com
SEOUL – Dec. 20, 2022 – Mobile MMORTS GODSOME: Clash of Gods from Nexon Games is charging toward the new year with its second major update released on Thursday, Dec. 15 in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand and the Philippines. The update features a new playable God, a Chronicle chapter, game mode, all new in-game events and more.
Players who join the battle will experience:
New Playable God Niu Mo Wang – Niu Mo Wang is an Epic God that specializes in defeating Fanatics. Niu Mo Wang will be obtainable through the newly added “Niu Mo Wang’s Fury” event.
New Chronicle Chapter “Birth of Great Alliance” – After the chapter is cleared, a new game mode, “The Sanctuary of Loki,” will be unlocked. Players will battle to become the King of the Haven and occupy the Sanctuary of Loki, located in the middle of the map.
Title System – With this new system, the leader of the Alliance who occupies the Sanctuary of Loki will be titled King and will be able to appoint Titles that grant buffs and debuffs.
“Preparing for War” Event – In this event, players will be able to obtain valuable items such as Divine Stones and Chaos Gems that will further their development.
Decoration feature – Players will be able to decorate their Sacred Land according to their tastes. More decorative items will be added progressively.
Several quality-of-life improvements – Tutorial and guide mission renovations, user interface fixes, extension of event periods and much more.
About GODSOME: Clash of Gods
GODSOME: Clash of Gods is a new MMORTS mobile game developed by Nexon Games. It combines MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) and RTS (Real-Time Strategy) elements through which large numbers of players can interact and battle in a vast continent and at the same time control troops in real time to devise strategies and triumph in the battlefield. Players can choose one from seven different mythologies and develop their gods to lead them into battle.
GODSOME: Clash of Gods officially launched on Oct. 20 in select countries:
Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. This new MMORTS masterpiece by Nexon Games is available for both Android and iOS devices. More regions will be available soon.
GODSOME: Clash of Gods is available to download here.
Founded in 1994, NEXON Co., Ltd. (Nexon) (3659.TO) is a company engaged in the production, development and operation of online games and Virtual Worlds. First listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2011, Nexon was placed on JPX400 in 2015 and added to the Nikkei Stock Index 300 in 2017. In 2020, Nexon was added to the Nikkei 225. Nexon currently has more than 45 live games on multiple platforms including mobile and available in more than 190 countries. Major game franchises include MapleStory, KartRider and Dungeon&Fighter. In 2021, Nexon completed the acquisition of Embark Studios AB, a company based in Stockholm, Sweden, developing multiple projects for global release.
Peppa is back for an even bigger adventure in 2023 following the success of My Friend Peppa Pig in 2021
Outright Games, the leading publisher of family-friendly interactive entertainment, in partnership with Hasbro will release the new video game, Peppa Pig: World Adventures on March 17thon PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Digitally on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Fans can take a world tour with Peppa Pig in this brand-new interactive adventure and even bring their own family into the story.
Check out the brand-new announcement trailer here:
It’s time to pack those suitcases and hit the road with Peppa. New York City is calling – and so are Paris, Australia, London and many more locations with new characters to meet, exciting quests to try and lots of accessories to dress up in and collect along the way.
There’s also fun to be had closer to home! Players can create a dazzling house in Peppa’s neighbourhood and decorate it with collectibles and souvenirs from their travels around the world. Fans can even turn their family into PEPPA PIG characters and make them part of the story!
Beth Goss, CEO of Outright Games said: ”We’re thrilled Peppa is back with Outright Games for her next video game Peppa Pig: World Adventures. We’re enjoying the challenge of building on the fantastic reception to last year’s My Friend Peppa Pig and making this game bigger with more locations, characters and fun! We’re looking forward to sharing it with everyone next March.’’
Eugene Evans, Senior Vice President of Business Development and Digital Licensing, from Hasbro said “After nearly twenty years, it’s incredible to see the global love for the PEPPA PIG brand continue to grow as Peppa delights fans around the world through videos and in digital games. We’re very excited to be working with our friends at Outright Games on Peppa’s next video game adventure.’’
Peppa Pig first appeared on screen in 2004 and has since grown to become the pre-schoolers best friend. Distributed in 180 countries, PEPPA PIG brings joy to parents and children from all continents and cultures by helping pre-schoolers explore and expand their understanding of their own world through the experiences of their friend Peppa. Peppa Pig: World Adventures will be the second Peppa Pig video game to be released in two years following the success of 2021’s My Friend Peppa Pig.
Peppa Pig: World Adventures will release onMarch 10thon PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and Digitally on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
About Outright Games:
Outright Games is a global video games publisher with a focus on bringing quality family entertainment to a worldwide audience. Founded in 2016, Outright Games has established its place in the market delivering engaging interactive games of beloved entertainment licences globally. Outright Games brings stories and characters to life with titles including favourites such as My Friend Peppa Pig with Hasbro, Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Rise of SH1FT3R with NBC Universal, Jumanji: The Video Game with Sony Pictures and PAW Patrol The Movie: Adventure City Calls with Nickelodeon. With an Outright Games title there will be fun for all the family to enjoy.
With over 1000 licensees around the world, PEPPA PIG is a top performing global preschool character that has been translated into over 40 languages and broadcast in over 180 territories. The TV series follows Peppa Pig, a cheeky little piggy who lives with her younger brother George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig. Peppa’s favourite things include playing games, dressing up, days out and jumping in muddy puddles. With 3 BAFTA Awards for pre-school animation and a pipeline of new episodes delivering fresh content through to 2027, the global phenomenon continues to look bright for the world’s most popular little piggy.
About Hasbro
Hasbro is a global branded entertainment leader whose mission is to entertain and connect generations of fans through the wonder of storytelling and exhilaration of play. Hasbro delivers engaging brand experiences for global audiences through gaming, consumer products and entertainment, with a portfolio of iconic brands including MAGIC: THE GATHERING, DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, Hasbro Gaming, NERF, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH and PEPPA PIG, as well as premier partner brands.
Hasbro is guided by our Purpose to create joy and community for all people around the world, one game, one toy, one story at a time. For more than a decade, Hasbro has been consistently recognized for its corporate citizenship, including being named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by 3BL Media, one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute and one of the 50 Most Community-Minded Companies in the U.S. by the Civic 50. For more information, visit www.corporate.hasbro.com.
About Petoons Studio
Petoons Studio is a videogame development company founded in 2016 in Barcelona. The team is a talented mix of innovative artists, animators and programmers working together to create world-class videogames.
Petoons Studio is pioneering the art of “Storyplaying”, fusing video games and animation in new ways of entertainment. We provide comprehensive development services for top brands, leveraging the talent of our highly creative and experienced team.
Bandai Namco Entertainment together with Bandai Namco Filmworks Inc. and Shueisha Inc. launch the SAND LAND project, revolving around SAND LAND, Akira Toriyama’s masterpiece.
SAND LAND project will see various partners come together to create a wide variety of contents and develop SAND LAND into a full IP. The project will start with the co-production of an animation by Bandai Namco Filmworks’ Sunrise Studio, Kamikaze Douga Co., Ltd., and ANIMA Inc.
SAND LAND is a popular manga created by Akira Toriyama, the author of DRAGON BALL and Dr. Slump. Serialized intensively for a short period in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2000, the one volume comic has gained worldwide popularity since its publishing.
In a desert world where both demons and humans suffer from an extreme water shortage, Beelzebub, the prince of demons, and Rao, a small-town sheriff, form a tag-team and set off on an adventure in search of the Phantom Lake somewhere in the desert.
Bandai Namco Europe S.A.S. is a leading global publisher and developer of entertainment content for platforms including, but not limited to, all major video game consoles and PC.
Bandai Namco Europe is producing intellectual property for a global audience and is building its reputation with franchises such as LITTLE NIGHTMARES™, PARK BEYOND™, and the upcoming UNKNOWN 9™ Awakening – developed by the recently acquired Reflector Entertainment based in Montreal, QC.
Bandai Namco Europe serves as the Headquarters of Bandai Namco Holdings Inc. for mainland Europe, which is known for creating and publishing many of the Toy & Entertainment industry’s top franchises, including PAC-MAN™, TAMAGOTCHI™, GUNDAM™, TEKKEN™, DARK SOULS™ and the recently released ELDEN RING™.
In ONE PIECE ODYSSEY, players will have to explore Memoria, a world built from the memories of the Straw Hat Crew’s past adventures, in order to regain their lost powers. In addition to Alabasta and Water Seven, two new memories are revealed today, Marineford and Dressrosa.
Watch the Memory trailer here:
In the original Marineford Arc, Luffy was along with many other pirates, fighting to try to deliver Portgas D. Ace, Luffy’s brother. In ONE PIECE ODYSSEY, Luffy once again faces the fateful battle that he challenged alone, but this time together with the Straw Hat Crew!
What will Luffy and his friends, who have grown up in the two years since the incident, do when they revisit this place?
The Dressrosa memory arc will take players to the island kingdom under the rule of Doflamingo, who has decided to use the Birdcage in order to prevent people from leaving the island. With bounties on their head, the Straw Hat Crew, accompanied by guest characters Sabo and Trafalgar Law must defeat their once powerful enemy, Doflamingo.
Stay tuned for the ending of the battle in Marineford and Dressrosa, which will be different from the past.
Produced by Toei Animation and based on the top-selling manga title of all time by creator Eiichiro Oda, the One Piece series first premiered on Japanese TV in October 1999 and follows Luffy and his Straw Hat Crew on their epic quest to find “One Piece,” the legendary treasure of the former King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger. Today, One Piece is now a global franchise that encompasses 15 feature films including the recently released “One Piece Film Red,” home videos, video games, and an ever-growing catalog of licensed merchandise that includes accessories, toys, games, novelties, furniture, housewares, apparel and more.
ONE PIECE ODYSSEY is slated to release on PlayStation 4®, PlayStation 5®, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on January 13, 2023.
The tailored social experience offers VTuber interactions, exclusive content, streams and a glimpse of future metaverse world, Nümiverse
Abu Dhabi – Dec. 19, 2022 – Nümi’s user-focused community portal, Nümi Tribe, is now open on the web and mobile devices to anyone who wants to be among the first to discover the next evolution of the metaverse, Nümiverse. From a global team of passionate developers with experience leading companies such as Epic Games, BBDO, Sony Music Entertainment, Riot Games, PepsiCo and more, Nümi Tribe invites audiences to meet and interact with Nümi Vtubers, discover exclusive streams and videos, and learn more about the upcoming Web3 world.
Nümi Tribe is a gathering place dedicated to remarkable personalities where everyone is special, and self-expression is encouraged. The space allows users to find the best reflection of themselves as they explore immersive content and connect with virtual influencers. Nümi Tribe’s cast of colorful and engaging Vtuber personalities include:
TechV – Feeling like a black sheep for being more mature than his peers, he’s not your typical gamer. He dives into talks about the latest horror movies, which tarot school is the best and mulls over the meaning of life.
Divada – This sleepyhead is actually the epitome of determination. She thinks outside of the box and is not afraid to show it. Originally from a small boring town, she now strives to become an idol. Charming, fashionable, emotional – it’s all about her.
Eegee – The rebel with a kind heart, she is an art and poetry lover. She also enjoys gaming, watching anime, and thinking about social dilemmas as growing and making a difference are her goals. She doesn’t like stereotypes and labels because each of us are unique.
Coming to VR devices in 2023 and to PC and mobile in 2024, Nümiverse is a Web3 world for metaverse gamers, content creators, and their followers. The dynamic digital world is being designed as an entertainment ecosystem where users, influencers, and creators can experience a wide range of activities, features and content, including:
Engaging and entertaining user-generated content (UGC)
Extensive character and residence customization
Social and events functionality, ability to stream games and online content using their custom avatar
Interactive items, sportive and social games, and opportunities to stage competitions
Interactive multiplayer gaming experiences
Nümi Tribe is directly tied to the overall Nümiverse experience. The community portal is where users will discover the first in-game drops, including:
Nümi Manga – a hub that will house endless anime and manga stories, providing ongoing content that dives deeper into the lore and world, coming soon
Season Pass – Season One of the season pass will offer the first round of exclusive content; available later this month
Nümi Visual Novel – a mini-game full of mysteries and special prizes; launching in January 2023
Helsinki – 19 December 2022 — Coinciding with the successful start of the Habbo X Alpha, the initial player testing of the first fully Web3.0 integrated Habbo game, the Room NFT collection went on sale on December 14th at 6pm GMT and sold out 54 hours later. Owners of the room NFTs can leverage the enormous back catalog of Habbo items, plus existing NFT furni, to decorate, creating their own unique immersive social spaces.
“We’ve seen a waning in enthusiasm for NFTs in the general market, but the Habbo community has welcomed and embraced the Web3.0 integration, demonstrated by the speed of selling out in this room NFT collection sale,” said Mika Timonen, NFT Director for Azerion. “By providing utility in the NFTs in Habbo X we are able to provide another reason to have an NFT outside of just the ownership factor. We feel this has been key to our success in this space and are grateful once again to our awesome community for taking this journey with us.”
For more information on Habbo and the latest NFT integration efforts and FAQs:
About Habbo Habbo is one of the largest virtual communities in the world. Founded in 2000, Habbo has expanded to nine online communities (or “hotels”), with paying customers in over 150 countries and more than 600,000 active users a month. Habbo was originally developed by Sulake, a Finnish company owned by Azerion.
About Azerion
Azerion is a high-growth digital entertainment and media platform. As a content-driven, technology and data company, Azerion serves consumers, digital publishers, advertisers and game creators globally. Azerion’s integrated platform provides technology solutions to automate the purchase and sale of digital advertising for media buyers and sellers, supported by in market sales and campaign management teams. Through its technology, content creators, digital publishers and advertisers work with Azerion to reach the millions of people across the globe that play Azerion’s games and view its distributed entertainment content to increase engagement, loyalty and drive e-commerce.
Founded in 2014 by two Dutch entrepreneurs, Azerion has experienced rapid expansion driven by organic growth and strategic acquisitions. Azerion is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and is a publicly traded company listed on Euronext Amsterdam. For more information visit: www.azerion.com
World of Warships, the leading naval battle MMO game from publisher and developer Wargaming, is celebrating the end of 2022 by offering a free week of Warships Premium to all players!
To access this week of Premium, starting from 16th December on all servers and running until 31st December, players simply need to click the link here and dive into the game. Warships Premium offers players higher Credit rewards, as well as more XP of all types to expedite game progression.
On top of this free week is a special mission chain, giving even more opportunities to unlock plenty of bonuses – including a Supercontainer, combat signal flags and ecoboosts for XP and credits.
The fun doesn’t stop there though, World of Warships is also offering an additional 14 days of premium to players that join through this link here – giving them 21 days of Warships Premium in total!
When: The free week of Premium starts on 16th December and will be accessible on all servers. Access to the free week will close on 31st December.
What: Warships Premium offers players more Credits and XP of all types, including Free and Commander XP. Players also get the following bonuses with a Warships Premium account:
+65% XP, Free XP, and Commander XP per battle
+50% Credits per battle
The freedom to simultaneously undertake three tasks in World of Warships campaigns
Where: Players can access the free week of Warships Premium by clicking this link:
When it comes to a Marvel superhero game, they tend to be rather hit and miss. For every amazing game featuring everyone’s favorite heroes there are often two that are best left forgotten. These games can span a wide range of genres but perhaps one that has yet to be tackled is the tactical RPG and with FIraxis Games behind the helm, Marvel’s Midnight Suns is ready to take on the challenge. Offering a new take on an older storyline and combining tactical RPG gameplay with some card mechanics, is Marvel’s Midnight Suns one of the few superhero games worth remembering?
Story
The forces of Hydra have come up with a new plan for world domination and have used a combination of science and dark magic to revive the demonic mother Lilith. With the powerful Lilith leading Hydra’s forces and her own demonic minions, she has begun calling the elder god Chthon that will spell doom for Earth. Knowing that they will need some help, Tony Stark and Dr. Strange have begun assembling a team that may have a chance to face down these forces but things are already off to a bad start as Johnny Blaze turns down their offer and the two are alerted that the Sanctum Sanctorum is under attack.
With Hydra’s forces growing in strength, Strange, Stark, and Captain Marvel are forced to leave Scarlet Witch behind to hold the wards while they search for help as the mystical forces are far beyond what they have been expecting. Their search takes them to the hidden Abbey, the home of the Midnight Suns who have been assembled for years as a force that takes down the mystical and supernatural forces that threaten the land. Here they meet the sworn enemy of Lilith in the form of the knowledgeable Caretaker, Blade, Ghost Rider Robbie Reyes, Magik, and Nico Minoru as well as their best bet against taking down the threat, “The Hunter.” The only problem is, The Hunter has been dead ever since they defeated Lilith hundreds of years prior by laying down their life to slay her. After a rocky revival, The Hunter returns as the player’s customizable protagonist who is tasked with taking down Lilith, her mother, once more and they will have a whole slew of super heroes ready to help them in this battle.
This battle between the heroes and villains in Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a fairly straightforward tale with a few little twists that aren’t too surprising but help spice things up a little from time to time. There is plenty to enjoy though through the game’s lengthy run time and a lot of this comes from the interactions between the heroes as well as with the player’s Hunter character. Watching Blade and Captain Marvel compare training tips or Tony Stark dealing with those who he has unintentionally harmed in the past makes for some great character moments and this is only the tip of the iceberg as far as character interactions go.
A lot of these moments come from the player’s Hunter character and while initially a lot of interactions involve how out of place the dead for three hundred year Hunter is there are also plenty of closer interactions and unique ones that see different sides of the twelve (at launch) heroes that players will eventually obtain as party members. The revived Hunter also serves as a blank slate that gives players mostly free reign on how they actually want to develop the character as every interaction with other heroes will give the player various dialogue choices, many of which will swing their affinity closer to light or dark, with these choices also increasing or decreasing the Hunter’s friendship with the character they are speaking with. While trying to make friends with everyone may not be possible in one run through the game, these affinities do carry over to the new game+ which is a nice touch for those who want to see the most out of their favorite heroes.
Along these same lines, not every hero will react the same to various choices, for example Spider-Man will be happy with most light dialogue choices and very obvious gifts during the game’s many hangout opportunities while Magik is a darker character that struggles with various aspects of herself and will appreciate more dark choices as a result. Of course, since players will unlock special abilities the higher down the light or dark path they go that will increase what their Hunter can do, there is some incentive to stick true to either light or dark. Either way, the ability to interact with the various superheroes and see them in a new way, such as watching a schlocky movie or playing cards with them, is a great bit of service for those who want to see a bit more of how these heroes act when not suited up to save the day.
Gameplay
Combat in Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a rather unique blend of tactical RPG and card game. As players enter into battle with the heroes they’ve selected to bring with them to the fight, they will find themselves placed in an arena where they will have a limited number of actions per turn. These actions begin with the drawing of five cards that make up the player’s initial hand and then the ability to make three card plays, two redraws, and a single movement for one of the heroes on the team. One thing that sets this game apart from other Firaxis titles is that, rather than having a percentage to hit all attacks executed by the heroes will hit their mark. This allows for players to properly strategize using what cards they have drawn and not worry about leaving things up to chance.
There is one element that takes percentiles into account and it happens to be a fall chance for enemies. Skills that have knockback or, once players unlock it, basic shoves from movement can send enemies flying into objects in the environment or one another, dealing extra damage, but when hit towards something like the edge of a building or a hellhole opened up by Ghost Rider there is a chance they may fall in, instantly removing them from a fight. This is a great way to strategize taking down foes that may be in the way or quickly eliminating a small threat and players have a number of other tools at their disposal as well. Heroic points can be used to perform actions such as throwing a rock, leaping off a box to slash foes, and more to help deal damage while keeping your card plays available for primary attacks.
That being said, the main use of Heroic Points is to unleash powerful super moves that not only deal plenty of damage, often to multiple foes, but also can provide buffs to the user. Heroic Points are earned through using standard cards to attack and, of course, there is some extra strategy here as well as cards that are labeled as “Quick” will automatically refund a card play if the targeted enemy is killed by the attack. This allows for plenty of unique strategies and planning to make sure that most moves go the player’s way. The game has a large number of difficulty options that players can eventually choose from, the game keeps player’s on their toes by the randomness of the card draw so it never feels entirely safe even on simpler missions.
Missions that players are sent on will have various objectives that must be completed that range from simply killing all enemies to completing a specific task. During the latter style of mission foes will often constantly respawn until the task is completed so players are encouraged to stay focused. There are a handful of enemy types to worry about with “minion” style enemies going down in a single blow from any attack, tougher standard foes, elite enemies that can often buff other foes with shields or special abilities, and of course supervillains. Often supervillains will constantly bring new minions into a fight until they are defeated and often have a number of special abilities and extra health bars of their own, making these battles a real highlight even when they randomly appear during side-missions.
Outside of simply seeing what each hero can bring to a fight, players are encouraged to constantly change their line-up when possible. During battle if a hero is knocked down, even if they are revived, they will often suffer a small injury that will hold them back from fighting until they recover. Players will also find that, since most heroes fit specific roles, they may want to choose a fighter more suited to a specific battle rather than a favorite at times. It is nice to note that as players battle through the game, they will unlock a number of additional cards that can be used to customize every hero’s “deck” that will give even more choices when it comes to battle though they are limited to only ten cards per character.
When not out battling against the forces of evil, players will be spending the rest of their time as the Hunter exploring The Abbey and hanging out with their fellow superheroes. In fact, The Abbey works as a daily routine with players able to wake up and talk to their allies, pet their demonic dog, train for temporary buffs or improve cards, research or unlock new upgrades, and more before going off on a mission where they will then return at night and be able to hang out with a hero of their choice before going to bed and starting the day over. This routine is a fun little endeavor and offers quite a bit of content for fans of the various super heroes, especially when exploring and uncovering the mysteries of The Abbey is such a massive undertaking on its own. There are countless areas to uncover and small mysteries to solve and while some of them are gated behind story progress a lot of it can be uncovered at the player’s leisure, though it does offer plenty of bonuses in the form of extra upgrades, materials that can be used to craft one-use items, and extra unlocks for various cosmetic chests. Of course, should players simply want to mainline the story then Abbey exploration is entirely optional though they would be missing out on a lot of extra content.
Visuals & Audio
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a fairly solid looking game with some great looking character designs for both the supervillains players face down as well as the heroes on their own team and players won’t have to worry about any “uncanny” resemblances to the MCU here. There are a large amount of costumes for every character in the game, including a number of great looking costumes contained in the Limited Edition versions of the title, but it is a bit disappointing that facial expressions are a bit on the stiff side. Characters often don’t emote very well during dramatic cutscenes and while this is fine for characters wearing masks or helmets, it is a bit distracting for everyone else. The Abbey is also nicely designed with there being a number of areas to explore and combat features some impressive animations for each heroes moveset along with some great ragdoll effects on defeated foes.
The voice work throughout the game is quite impressive with all of the voice actors completely nailing the personalities of the well-known characters as well as giving a lot of life to heroes that players may not be too familiar with such as Nico or Magik. The soundtrack also features a great collection of bombastic music that works well during battles and the more cinematic cutscenes while also offering some simpler music during exploration of The Abbey and hanging out with the heroes.
Overall
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is the type of genre combination that few would have expected to work but not only does it create an exceptionally fun tactical RPG, it offers a great look at various sides of superheroes that fans of Marvel may not be familiar with. Sure, the storyline may be a bit on the safe side and the characters’ expressions can be rather lacking, but the character interactions and impressive level of strategy capable in the great combat system make this a must not only for fans of the Marvel franchise but even those looking for a new tactical RPG to play.
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