When Firaxis first announced they are developing an XCOM-like game in the Marvel superhero universe, it wasn’t exactly clear how similar or different they would be. Then, with the official gameplay reveal, we saw it will be using a card-based combat system instead, and a new stream has clarified exactly how that will play out.

So if you were a bit skeptical of Marvel's Midnight Suns at first, check out the stream below to see if it might change your mind. Creative Director Jake Solomon even commented on the recent controversies surrounding the card system, explaining that it is certainly different from XCOM, but it will still be familiar to longtime players.

“What could be controversial about cards? Nothing, I assume,” Solomon jokingly said. “However, in case it is, I would understand why people would say, 'Uh, what? That's very different from anything you've done before.' I want to make sure that people understand: It doesn't play that different from things we've done before.”

We also get to see some more gameplay in the out-of-combat scenarios, where players can interact with other superheroes at The Abbey, and even develop relationships with these characters to unlock new cards and abilities. Recently, the developers confirmed that there will be no microtransactions in the game that affect gameplay, as they will only be cosmetic. But there are “tons” of content to unlock already in the base game.

XCOM games have also generally been pretty long in terms of playtime, and Midnight Suns seems like it won’t be much different: “The time limit in XCOM was something that made sense both narratively and mechanics-wise,” Solomon said. “Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a different type of game and thus has a different set of design goals and mechanics. Depending on the player, Marvel’s Midnight Suns will take about 40 to 60 hours to play through.”

What do you think? Are you excited for Marvel’s Midnight Suns? How do you feel about the gameplay? Are you more or less interested in the combat now? And how do you feel about the changes to the XCOM formula? Let us know!