Marvel Comics has become an expected stable in just about all forms of media these days. From movies to video games, you can bet a full alliance of your favorite superheroes and game companies are in the works. On the video game front, Marvel has been quite busy over the past few years. Smash hit successes like Insomniac’s Spiderman series and the surprise enjoyment of Square Enix’s Guardians of the Galaxy come to mind. However, when it comes to team-ups, Marvel had not truly hit its stride in some time.
It’s no secret Marvel’s Avengers had a lot of gameplay controversy in 2020. Additionally phone games like Realm of Champions and Future Revolution never really gained much fanfare. However this year in 2022 we seem to have gotten well-received hits on both ends. The strategy card game of Marvel Snap for smartphones had been a runaway phenomenon for the last few months. On the flip side, Marvel’s Midnight Suns is earning very promising reviews and succeeding in its hype for the most part.
Now comes the inevitable question: “Which one should I spend my time and money on really playing?”
Midnight Suns Vs Marvel Snap
That’s where this article is to help you out. While you’d think the games would be quite different considering the platforms they are on, there are a lot more similarities than you’d expect. So let’s dive deeper into what you’re really playing with and what could be worth more of your time.
Game Appeal
We’ll take a quick look at each game as a whole first. Marvel Snap is a very simple fast-paced card battler created by game developer veteran Ben Brode. Ben is most known for directing and helping created Heartstone. A lot of what made Heartstone popular and fun to play is in Marvel Snap. Almost every single hero and villain marvel comics have to offer is a playable card you have to work to collect. Each card has its own unique ability or effect. It is free to play on any smartphone device or computer system.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a full-length video game available for Xbox, Playstation, and Steam. The graphics are very well done and the interactive and immersive gameplay is quite acceptable with some issues. Midnight Suns’ main appeal comes from the story and dealing with a more in-depth look at the supernatural and magical side of the Marvel comics world that has yet to be explored at this level of exposure when looking at the movies or even most popular comic issues.
Both Marvel Snap and Midnight Suns highlight some less-known but still fan-favorite characters in their own right. Snap could have you playing characters you’ve rarely seen outside of specific comics because of their great card effects for you to use. Midnight Suns make main characters out of cult favorites like Blade, Magik, and the most recent Ghost Rider, Robbie Reyes.
(Related: Can You Buy the Doctor Strange Defenders Skin in Marvel’s Midnight Suns )
Gameplay
Marvel Snap
As mentioned with Marvel Snap, its appeal and popularity can largely contribute to its gameplay for those who loved Heartstone. You build a deck of 8 cards and play on a field of 3 areas. Each area has its own effect as well and you have 6 turns to play cards based on how much energy you have. You gain 1 new additional energy per turn. So turn 1 you have 1 energy, adding up to turn 6 where you have 6.
This feature gives you a chance to play multiple girls to total that energy or play your big 6-level energy card as a final last grab for victory. Each card has a Power number level as well ranging from 0 to 12 and the player equalling the most total power on their side of a zone on the field wins that area. The player winning the most zones wins the game. The play-through of a single game usually only takes roughly 5 minutes and once you’ve played a couple of games it’s easy to master the process.
From personal experience, while the game is not a ‘pay-to-win’ scenario technically, you can find yourself stagnant quickly if you play too much too fast. The more you play, the longer it takes to earn desired cards and unlock more points and rewards.
Midnight Suns
While Midnight Suns is a full-length console/PC game, there’s a high chance you’ll feel like its padded despite also having a lengthy campaign. You create your own stand-in character, giving the game a some what fan-fiction insert feel as you team up with some of your favorite heroes. The main appeal is the card-battler tactic system. Combat is turn-based with up to 3 heroes of your choice at a time. The cards you use, which can be random but also built into a deck during downtime, are like moves you can have your characters make in battle.
The battlefield environment is greatly interactive. You’ll use objects and other enemies around you to stun, defeat and exploit damage out of your opponents. The level of interchangeability makes combat stay fresh for most of the game. However main complaints seem to come from the breaks in between combat.
Your headquarters, The Abby, is a decently sized area where you can explore and find new upgrades and items for your team and deck. However, some of the ways to do this are tedious at best and feel empty and pointless at worst depending on how you like to play games in general. From puzzles to mini fetch quests to constantly interacting with the heroes, it just feels like a random box of RPG things that can come off as chores if you’re not into it. Coming off of the combat as well it can feel like a derailing of momentum as well.
Ultimatelly Midnight Suns come to how much you like your ‘everything-under-the-sun’ style RPG mixed in with your Super Hero fantasies. A good story and great combat system can only appeal to you so much if that’s all you’re enjoying.
(Related: How to Heal Your Heroes in Midnight Suns )
Price and Availability
Sometimes it all comes down to convenience and value. Since Marvel’s Midnight Suns is newly released and a full-length console-level game, the starting price is 59.99$. This is not to mention several higher-priced release editions and add-ons that come with it. Starkly, Marvel Snap is free to play, but depending on your attitude towards gaming could sink a lot of money into collecting and catching up faster than others with everything it has to offer with in-app purchases.
Midnight Suns has rather an impressive replay value for its combat and there is a lot in the game. If you do everything with a completionist mentality, the hours put in is probably worth the price. That just depends on how much you’re wanting or willing to do and if the game can keep your attention.
Marvel snap is very casual and on the go. Whatever competitive spirit you may have could burn out quickly. You currently can’t buy and run through cards the way you can in Heartstone. It may just take you too much time to fully enjoy it, or you might lose interest after only a few weeks.
Conclusion
The kind of Marvel game you’ll want is going to come down to how much you care about the characters. Do you want to interact with them at length like an RPG, or is collecting them like cards more your speed? Midnight Suns offers a little bit of everything but might feel tedious. Marvel Snap is fast and fun to start but then slows down on what it can offer if you’re not wholly addicted to card games.
Pricing is always a factor as well. You could play Snap for free until the price of Midnight Suns goes down as a good strategy. If you’re wanting to know which one you should sink more hours into, it might also come down to your mindset as a player. Marvel Snap might have more longevity if you take your time. However, MIdnight Suns’ unique combat can offer a lot more interesting and willing replay value.
(Related: How to Level Up in Marvel Snap )
