Midnight Sons 3: Search for the Sorcerer Supreme is an action-adventure game based on mystic and supernatural Marvel Comics characters, It is the third installment in the Midnight series, after Marvel: Midnight Sons and Midnight Sons 2: Highway to Hell.
The game was created by Mad Man Ninja and is primarily developed and published by Mad Man Ninja Studios. Its gameplay consists of combat scenes in which the player must attempt to extend long chains of attacks, avoiding damage and exhibiting stylized combat; this combat, along with time and the number of items collected and used, are considered in grading the player's performance. Across the series, new characters with unique skills are available.
The game is inspired by Brian Michael Bendis' Search for the Sorcerer Supreme comic arc. Midnight Sons 3 was released on March 2, 2025 worldwide.
Gameplay[]
Just like its predecessors, Midnight Sons 3 consists of levels, missions, in which players battle enemies, carry out platforming tasks and solve puzzles to progress through the story. The player's performance in each mission is graded from D through C, B and A, with top marks of S and SS. Grades are based on time taken to complete a mission, the number of red orbs (currency obtained from defeated enemies) gathered, "stylish" combat, item usage and damage received. The games tracks stylish combat by an on-screen gauge, which is the performance of a series of attacks ("combos") while avoiding damage. The longer a player attacks without repetition and evades damage, the higher the score. The gauge registers "Dope" after a few attacks, progressing through "Crazy", "Blast", "Alright", "Sweet", "SShowtime" to peak at "SSStylish". If the protagonist receives damage, the style rating falls; if the gauge is "Crazy" or below, it will reset.
Team Trigger is a mechanic which enables the player's character to switch beetween three previously selected characters. This may alters the player's strategy, increasing attack and defense or speed, restores health and enables special attacks. It also allows a player to choose one of different combat styles; each style has a different focus and techniques. Many playable characters can switch between all four equipped weapons (two guns, two melees) on the fly, allowing for far greater combat freedom and variety.
Character selection is available at checkpoints and at the beginning of each level, each one with its specific style. The styles are "Trickster", for dodging and agility; "Swordmaster", with abilities for swords and other weapons; "Gunslinger", with firearms techniques; and "Royal Guard", which allows a player to repel attacks with a button press (storing energy for retaliation). Later in the game, two additional styles become unlocked: "Quicksilver", slowing enemies, while the character attacks at normal speed; and "Doppelgänger", which creates a shadow double who fights alongside the player. A second player may control the shadow double by pressing "Start" on a second controller. A two-player mode, similar to the Doppelgänger style, is accessible in a certain point of the game.
Plot[]
The Midnight Sons escape Hell by the cost of their ally and teammate, Doctor Strange. He has failed as the Master of the Mystic Arts and all the other mystic characters are the heir apparent.
As the mystic battle royale begins and the entire Universe hangs in the balance, the forces of the Dark Dimension make their earthly power play, and many of them are mighty enough in Agamotto's eyes. But who will be the next Sorcerer Supreme? And will he or she survive the initiation?
Characters[]
Playable Characters[]
The candidates[]
- Dr. Doom: a scientific genius and also an accomplished sorcerer. He was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Scarlet Witch: she has the superhuman ability to manipulate the powerful magic known as Chaos magic, a dark magic, which allows her to alter reality and control various forms of mystical energy. She was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Brother Voodoo: possesses numerous mystical and quasi-physical powers derived from the Loa, the spirit-gods of voodoo. He was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Magik: she is the Sorceress Supreme of her Limbo dimension. She was considered as a possible Earth's Sorcerer Supreme.
- Morgan Le Fay: possesses a gifted intellect, and as a former pupil of Merlin, she knows a great deal of magical lore, considered one of the greatest sorceresses in Earth's history. She was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Daimon Hellstrom: as a ruler of a dimension of Hell, Hellstorm commands virtually unlimited power in his own dimension. He was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Jennifer Kale: powerful sorcerer and a leader of the Cult of Zhered-Na, based in the section of the Florida Everglades that is the mystic Nexus of All Realities. She was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Clea: possesses vast magical powers. Clea is half-Faltine and half Dark Dimensional mortal, and can naturally fly and hover. She was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Johnny Blaze: became bound to the Spirit of Vengeance Zarathos after making a deal with Mephisto to spare his surrogate father. He was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Wiccan: possesses an innate mystical ability which allows him to alter and manipulate reality at will. He was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Doctor Druid: possesses extensive knowledge of ancient ritual magic practiced by his Celtic ancestors. He is also fluent with Oriental mysticism passed on to him by the Ancient One. He was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Modred, the Mystic: has access to all of the spells contained within the Darkhold. He was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Satana Hellstrom: a succubus, a particular type of demon blessed with great beauty and magical powers. Satana's soul was formerly bonded to an arch-demon and agent of destruction known as the "Basilisk." She was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Baron Mordo: has the ability to tap this universe's infinite store of ambient magical energy and manipulate this to a variety of effects. He was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Spiral: has powerful mystical abilities. With gestures or dance moves, she can teleport herself and numerous people across great distances. She was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Scarlat Scarab: powerful mystic and sorcerer powered by the ancient Scarab Gem. He was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Kaluu: is possibly the most powerful living human black magician. He was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
The other Midnight Sons[]
- Danny Ketch: collects the powers of all the Ghost Riders for the angel Zadkiel to prevent the corruption of the powers within their human hosts.
- Sister Sara: she is a living portal to Heaven, capable of being used to send others there. She can also teleport herself in the process.
- Moon Knight: chosen by the Egyptian moon god Khonshu to be his avatar on Earth to protect and avenge the innocent.
- Nightcrawler: son of the demonic warlord Azazel, turned himself to the Catholicism. His primary power is the ability to teleport himself.
- Blade: a dhampir, Blade has devoted his life to ridding the world of all vampires.
- Nico Minoru: whenever she bleeds, a powerful staff emerges from her chest, called the Staff of One, allowing Nico to bend magic.
- Elsa Bloodstone: daughter of Ulysses Bloodstone, she is a well-known monster-huntress.
- Hannibal King: a vampire and possesses all of the various superhuman attributes commonly associated with vampires.
Non-playing characters[]
- Margali Szardos: capable of controlling magical forces for a wide range of effects. Margali is an accomplished sorceress. She was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- The Hood: a mighty occultist, powered by a Nisanti demon, turning his powers to build one of the greatest criminal empires of the world. He was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Mephisto: he is a Class Two Demon, and possesses vast supernatural power, which is apparently inherent within him. He is energized by sources of evil in the human world. He was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Zadkiel: was an Angel and an Archangel. In myth and legend, he was believed to be the Archangel of mercy and benevolence. He was not allowed into the higher heavens and was placed in command of Heaven's black ops team. He was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Selene Gallio: can psionically drain the life forces of other human beings into herself, by physical touch. If she drained a person’s entire life force from him or her, the victim dies and the victim’s body crumbles into dust. She was considered as a possible Sorcerer Supreme.
- Dormammu: is of sufficient skill and might to tamper with the spells of Odin against his will, as the Lord of the Dark Dimension did once to revert Thor back to his mortal guise. Dormammu had sufficient magical power to hold his own against clashes with Agamotto.
- Caretaker: A member of the long-lived Blood, he was entrusted with the safeguarding of two families, both whom possessed pieces of the Medallion of Power within their souls.
- Master Pandemonium: his four limbs are missing, having been replaced by demons. Upon command, he can separate any or all limbs into their demonic beings. He can also call forth hordes of other demons, all following his commands.
- Storm: she is able to control the weather and atmosphere and is considered to be one of the most powerful mutants on the planet. Her ancestry supports the use of magic and witchcraft. Many of her ancestors were sorceresses and priestesses.
- Frank Drake: a monster-hunter, he uses the Exorcist Gun, which he calls 'Linda.' It fires energies at frequencies that affect the supernatural. 'Linda' is also attuned to detect supernatural energies.
- Morbius: experienced a transformation by electrical shock treatment and chemical ingestion into a pseudo-vampire.
- Man-Thing: transformed into a creature composed of vegetable matter through the synergistic interaction of mystical energy and mutagens.
Nominations and Awards[]
- GIWA 2021: Game Idea Box Art/Game Title of The Year (nominated).
Gallery[]
