Why Marvel's Midnight Suns abandoned the brutal permadeath mechanics of the XCOM series
In short: Firaxis Games initially attempted to apply their signature XCOM formula to Marvel's Midnight Suns, including cover systems and permadeath. They quickly realized these mechanics failed to capture the essence of playing as powerful superheroes. Instead, they pivoted to a deck-building system that emphasizes efficiency and synergy over survival.
When Marvel Games approached Firaxis in 2017 to develop a new project, creative director Jake Solomon and his team initially leaned on their experience with the XCOM series. They prototyped the game using paper maps and HeroClix figures, attempting to translate tactical staples like cover, limited movement, and attack randomness. However, the team concluded that these systems were fundamentally at odds with the fantasy of controlling iconic superheroes. In XCOM, the gameplay is designed around the struggle to survive against overwhelming odds, whereas Midnight Suns was designed to make the player feel like a powerful force, turning the combat arena into a puzzle to be solved.
To replace the unpredictability of XCOM's hit-chance mechanics, the developers implemented a card-based system inspired by games like Slay the Spire. This shift ensured that while the available abilities are randomized each turn, every action is guaranteed to succeed. The combat emphasizes maximizing efficiency through 'knockback' effects and environmental hazards, rather than hiding behind cover. Because the heroes are inherently powerful, the game also eschews traditional progression systems like hero training, instead encouraging players to explore synergy between different characters' unique decks.
The narrative and social elements were equally deliberate departures from the studio's previous work. Drawing inspiration from Japanese role-playing games like Persona and Fire Emblem, the team built 'The Abbey' as a social hub where players can deepen friendships with characters like Blade, Magik, and Iron Man. This focus on relationship building was intended to make the game more approachable for players less familiar with strategy titles. Despite critical acclaim for its strategic depth and narrative, the game was a commercial failure, even as it pushed boundaries by integrating over 65,000 lines of voiced dialogue and cinematic storytelling into a tactical framework.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Marvel's Midnight Suns
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