With just a little under a week to go before the launch ofMarvel’s Midnight Suns, members of the development team have assembled fora brief trailer, giving a view into what different members of the team are most looking forward to seeing players react to. Team members' responses have been varied, from confidence in its combat visuals to anticipation of game-breaking character builds that the developers hadn’t seen coming.RELATED:Marvel’s Midnight Suns Confirms Four New Characters For Season PassBut one member of the team’s response, about how the story addresses the sensitive topic of mental health issues, is something that hasn’t been discussed much in the months leading up to the game’s release. After a brief introduction by Creative Director Jack Solomon and Senior Franchise Producer Garth DeAngelis, the interview snippets start with heavy subject matter, as Producer Rony Kahana digs into the game’s handing of mental health subjects — a topic that hasn’t really surfaced amid the mass sharing of media about individual heroes' powers and abilities.Kahana expressed her satisfaction within the writing team, saying, “I think my favorite part of the development process was being able to work with our talented team of writers and be able to write dialogues about imposter syndrome or being able to deal with mental health issues like dealing with childhood trauma.”
The team at Firaxis Games, along with producer 2K, has been particularly transparent with information on the upcoming title in a time when so much gaming news isthe result of unauthorized leaks. The developers have been putting out at least one informative video since theofficial trailer releasedback in June, and in the case of single-hero showcaseslike with vampire hunter Blade, sometimes two official videos have dropped within the same week. However, most of the material has focused on cards, powers, and potential strategies, and much less has been said about the type of story the strategic battler will put forth.
But apparently it’s going to be quite the involved story, as immediately after Kahana’s appearance, Lead Engineer Will Miller revealed the dialogue system will incorporate roughly 65,000 voiced lines spread across “more branching choices than you’re able to imagine.” For perspective, that’s roughly 5,000 more voiced lines than celebrated RPGThe Elder Scrolls V: Skryrim, according to avideo produced last monthby its developer, Bethesda Softworks. Additionally, Miller said we can expect more than two hours of cinematic scenes spread across the branching pathways, which put together, is longer than several movies in theMarvel Cinematic Universe. “Enjoy,” said Production Associate Brian Stansbury. “It’s going to take up a lot of time. It’s hard to get away from.”
We’ll find out more about the results of the creative team’s work on Marvel’s Midnight Suns' story when it makes its debut on December 2 for PlayStation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. A 2023 release is planned for Nintendo Switch.
