Do you want to tactically triangulate a team of titanic trash-talking troopers in tights? Do you also want to date Wolverine and see what that bristly stubble feels like up close? And do you want to do it all for free? Then get yourself over to the Epic Games Store, bub, because this week it’s giving away Marvel Midnight Suns for free.
2022’s Midnight Suns has been called “Marvel X-COM,” which isn’t totally unwarranted since it comes from the well-loved developer of the rebooted alien-fighting series, Firaxis. But that’s also a bit of an oversimplification. Midnight Suns is a turn-based, team-focused strategy game, but the movement is far more open as it’s not restricted to a grid. Your superhero fighters also use a deck-based system for powers and attacks, injecting a bit of roguelike randomness into the equation.
There’s also a surprising amount of relationship mechanics in the game, drawing inspiration from Japanese RPGs like Fire Emblem and Persona. Your player character is a bit of a blank slate, but “you” can work on your relationship to all the named Marvel superheroes, even doing some PG-13 romancing if you want. It’s kind of at odds with the whole “eldrich forces are using dark magic to take over the world” bit, but hey, you can’t fight evil 24-7.
As always with Epic’s promotional freebies, you can claim the game at any time and it’ll stay with your account permanently. You can even log into Epic to get it in your browser from your phone, if you don’t have your gaming PC handy. The free promo lasts until Thursday, June 13th, so be sure to get in your “order” sooner rather than later.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.