In an era of samey mainstream games, Marvel’s Midnight Suns sticks out like a Spider-Man cosplay in a white collar working place. While this heroic effort from iconic XCOM developer Firaxis pulls liberally from a spectrum of different sources – the likes of Slay the Spire, Metal Gear Acid, and even Fire Emblem: Three Houses all immediately swallow-dive to mind – this is a truly unorthodox adventure that’s unlike any superhero title you’re likely to have played. And while the strategy title doesn’t always stick the landing, it deserves your attention all the same.

Of course, you may be forgiven for thinking this is just the aforementioned XCOM with a Stan Lee skin, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, this is a deck-builder, with each Marvel icon allotted a custom roster of cards. You’ll play these cards in combat to attack your antagonists and buff your teammates, building Heroism which allows you to use the environment to your advantage and play even stronger hands. Each squad member has a unique gameplay style: Iron Man is all about building up to devastating projectiles, while the likes of Blade leans into draining health with his vampiric abilities.

At the heart of it all is The Hunter, a vanilla newcomer who’s resurrected to help vanquish an ancient threat named Lilith. While the character creator doesn’t afford you an enormous amount of freedom, you will have the scope to dictate the kind of protagonist you want to be. A…