Guardians of the Galaxy advertises itself as a character-action adventure game, but there's not where its strength lies. What GotG really is, is a stellar narrative experience with some combat peppered in between.

Starting with the negative, which unfortunately is the action. Don't get me wrong, for a game that has you fighting off swarms of enemies while juggling your four companions as well as your own abilities, it does quite well. All members of the team carry their weight and I frequently used their powers. Problem is that in general it feels very clunky, and really when the combat is this fast paced you want it to snap a little better. I think with a few tweaks a prospective sequel could really nail it, but it falls short this time around.

But again, the combat isn't what you're here for, it's the stunning narrative. Leading the guardians together through their quests and getting to know each otf them along the way. The best parts of the game are when you're walking with the team, making observations about the world around you, choosing the right things to say. These little moments are remembered throughout, so something you may have said earlier will come back in full force later in the game. Team members will really appreciate what Star Lord may do for them.

It's a thing that narrative games don't do often, they focus a lot on the bigger picture. Which is fine, but when your branching narrative focuses on the snowball of littler choices (do I throw Rocket across? Do I pay off the fine? Do I just choose to shut up at this moment?), then the characters really start to feel alive. You get to know their quirks and personalities, and suddenly the Guardians feel much more like YOUR team.

Don't go into Guardians of the Galaxy expecting an action romp, because really the combat begins to wear thin by the third act. The story on the other hand? That'll keep you hooked long past the credits.