Guardians of the Galaxy Review
To be very blunt: Guardians of the Galaxy is the game that I was hoping that Avengers would be. With Marvel’s Avengers, there were signs of disappointment from the very beginning. Whether it was the lackluster first preview or the reported troubled development of it, many — myself included — loved the idea of it so much that we wished for the best. The grinding is unbearable, the characters never feel like the Marvel characters that everyone loves, and the story and environments are incredibly generic. Those are all things that Guardians of the Galaxy manages to avoid.
Whereas the gameplay and navigation feel a lot like Marvel’s Avengers, Guardians shines as a single-player experience with a fun story and characters that are as fun as the ones that you will find in the MCU. From a strictly cosmetic sense, remember how upset everyone was with the character designs from Marvel’s Avengers? It wasn’t just that they didn’t look like the characters from the comics or the movies, either. They looked like really bad cosplayers, and that’s something that you never got used to while playing the game. Maybe that was the intention so that they could sell those $15 MCU skins. Guardians of the Galaxy combines the comic and movie looks and gives you something that you learn to embrace. I remember thinking that Peter Quil and Drax looked silly, but even after I unlocked the MCU skins — FOR FREE! (Imagine that) — I found myself sticking with the original look. That’s a really small thing, I know, but that’s the point that I’m trying to make: Guardians gets it right — down to even the smallest of details.
Campaign-wise, I was expecting something that was around 10 hours and that was essentially Avengers but in space. That’s not at all what this is. In terms of story, this game is a treat. What begins with the Guardians of the Galaxy taking a job so that they can pay a fine quickly unravels into this epic encounter to where they’re trying to save the entire universe from an evil space cult. It’s full of surprises and well-done character development. Hell, I think it’s even better than the MCU movies were. I loved the dynamic interactions between the characters; the constant chatter/arguing; and the decisions that you would have to make in who you sided with. It gave off some serious Mass Effect vibes, and that’s never a bad thing. It’s so well written, and this is some A+ voicework.
Being that this is a single-player experience instead of co-op, Guardians of the Galaxy has you controlling Star-Lord throughout, but you are going to be calling on your teammates constantly. Whether you’re in battle or trying to solve an environmental puzzle, each team member has something that they specialize in. Groot can bridge gaps with his branches and tie enemies down during the battle. Drax can lift heavy objects and deliver tank-like attacks to those enemies. Gamora can cut through obstacles and enemies alike. And Rocket, well, he’s a little guy, so he can fit into small places, but he’s also the team’s explosives expert and provides the biggest punch during skirmishes. As for Peter, he’s more than quips and rocket boots. Quill’s blasters have a variety of environmental abilities that allow him to do a bit of everything.
Whether it’s the films or the game, you can’t about Guardians of the Galaxy without talking about the soundtrack as well. The music plays such a vital role in the experience that it’s basically a character in its own right. The game utilizes it incredibly. While you’ll have the likes of Pat Benatar and Billy Idol playing while you’re chilling on the Milano between missions, the best use of it comes once you and your fellow Guardians huddle up. During a battle, once you and your teammates have worked up a nice flow, you will have the option to huddle your squad and deliver a rallying speech. Drax, Gamora, Rocket, and even Groot will either vocalize their concerns about the fight or express their excitement, and it’s up to you to either keep them focused or to motivate them. Pull that off successfully and your team will be powered up and cause more damage. Delivering an intergalactic ass-beating and superkicking enemies while A-Ha’s “Take on Me” plays is something that you will need to see to believe.
It all adds up to be a game that is far better than it has any right to be. For as heartbroken as I was that developer Eidos Montreal wasn’t working on a new Deus Ex game, I’m very happy that this is what we got instead. It’s so rare for me to reach the end credits in a game or a movie and immediately jump back into it, but that’s what I did with Guardians of the Galaxy.
