Marvel’s Midnight Suns – The Good, the Bad and the Undead Review

Marvel’s Midnight Suns: The Good, the Bad and the Undead Review

For most people, being a superhero — or at least having extraordinary abilities — is a potent fantasy. At the end of the day, though, even fans have to admit that most superheroes are slightly ridiculous. Whether promoting truth, justice, and the American way or working through childhood trauma, they’re still men and women wearing their underwear on the outside. That’s why I’ve always liked Deadpool. He’s an antihero. He breaks the fourth wall and comments on the absurdity of the situation. I was excited that Firaxis chose Deadpool as the first add-on character for Midnight Suns. Was I pleased or disappointed?

Back into the Fray

I haven’t revisited Marvel’s Midnight Suns since reviewing the game in early December. It’s hard to find the time when there’s always a new game scratching at the door for attention. In any case, I liked Midnight Suns. The ability to craft your very own Marvel superhero and fight alongside some iconic MCU characters is awesome. The game’s writing and narrative arc are excellent and feel right at home in the Marvel world. The turn-based card battle system underscoring the action works well. Although there’s some repetition in the encounters and a lack of enemy variety, the heroes’ powers are fun to use and watch play out.

Players can unlock Deadpool relatively early in Midnight Suns’ first chapter, by doing some Spider-man missions and gaining Peter Parker’s trust. After appearing out of nowhere while your character is thwarting the heist of a rare artifact, Deadpool then becomes part of the available roster. Of course, you’ll want to play through his narrative arc, too.

I Say Vampire, You Say Vampyre

The Deadpool DLC introduces a new, agile, and hard-to-kill enemy in the form of vampires. Or vampyres. Whichever. They spring from the Nosferatu-looking fashion line of vamps and they need to be dispatched quickly. Deadpool’s narrative naturally ends with a boss called Sin, that’s one of the game’s best. Oh, and that whole spelling mess? It’s a running joke in the game.

Deadpool has twin pistols and a katana and is most effective one-on-one with enemies. He does have a few powerful cards for damage dealing to crowds. By far, the best part of Deadpool’s fighting style is his animations. While all of Midnight Suns’ attack animations become repetitive, at least Deadpool’s have the added bonus of humor. I won’t spoil the jokes, like Deadpool’s ability to conjure a rainbow.

Inclusive Humor

That rainbow isn’t random. Deadpool’s omnisexual orientation has been part of his character from the start, and the DLC flirts with Wade Wilson’s queerness throughout. It’s never heavy-handed, though, and the other heroes react much more strongly to Deadool’s incessant humor.

Deadpool — voiced, as usual, by the always-spot on Nolan North — is a joke machine. In the films, it’s laced with profanity and innuendo. Midnight Suns tones the content down a little, but the self-aware, fourth-wall-breaking asides are there in force. Humor in games is always subjective, as it is in all entertainment. Considering the sheer number of jokes and snark coming out of Deadpool’s mouth, some lines are bound to land with a thud. However, I generally found the character, writing, and performance to be genuinely amusing and great fun.

More to Come, and that’s a Good Thing

The Good, the Bad and the Undead is just the first of four planned DLC add-ons, and it’s a great start. Deadpool doesn’t change up the main game, but the addition of a new enemy type and a host of new cards is a great way to bring lapsed players back to Midnight Suns. Anyone who enjoys Deadpool’s sense of ironic humor will enjoy this DLC. It makes an already engaging game just a little better.

***PC code provided by the publisher for review***