Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a criminally underrated title and if you are a comic book or superhero fan you should absolutely check it out. I'm hoping that this review can help bring a little more awareness to how awesome this game is.
I'll start off by saying that this game is really strong on nearly all fronts. No aspect was particularly weak, so overall this game feels pretty consistent, which is nice.
This is a fairly linear game, both in its story and level design. It's set up so that you're always working towards the main story, and the levels are designed so that you always know where you're supposed to go. However, I will say that there are a couple sections where you're allowed to roam free around a bigger area, which is nice. The other levels usually have a couple paths you can pursue in order to find collectibles and loot. I think that this design works great for the game and I didn't have a problem with it at all, if this game were open world or open zone (is that a thing), it wouldn't have worked out very well.
Now, let's get to the gameplay. The gameplay is pretty fun! Exploration and puzzle solving, while fairly easy, is still enjoyable due to how it incorporates both the player's abilities as well as the abilities of the other guardians. Each guardian has a unique "puzzle/exploration ability" that is utilized effectively. If there's a ledge you can't cross, Groot can grow a bridge. If there's vines you can't get through, Gamora can cut through them. If there's a small space you can't crawl into, Rocket can. If there's something heavy you need to lift, Drax is there for you. Often, you'll need to use multiple abilities in conjunction with each other (I think) to traverse an area.
The combat is fun as well. I disagree with the people who say that the game should have allowed you to play as all of the guardians, because it would have overly complicated things and honestly, Eidos-Montreal would have to create an entirely different kind of game. Solely playing as Star-Lord but being able to give orders to the other guardians both in exploration and in battle gives players the best of both worlds while not becoming overly complicated. Anyways, the combat is pretty fun. The gun play is nice, Star-Lord has a few gun forms that he can cycle through as well as his own set of abilities. The abilities for the guardians are also really fun, and comboing them with your own attacks or the attacks of other guardians is seamless. I appreciate the animations for the hand-to-hand combat as well. Not only does Star-Lord have a few unique melee combat animations, but he also has auto combo finishers with each guardian, and they're all cool to look at. While you're not actively using the abilities of the other guardians, they'll fight on their own, and there is a surprising amount of effort put into how they fight, even though the player won't always notice these details in a typical encounter. Additionally, you can also perform finishers on enemies when their stun bar is full and their health is low enough (to be honest I'm not sure of the exact criteria needed to perform a finisher, but it shows up pretty often). These finishers are really cool because each guardian will take turns attacking the enemy and the camera will temporarily go to slow-mo when the attack hits, it's just an awesome finisher. Finally, I want to mention the huddle up system because it is by far my favorite part of the combat. Star-Lord calls the guardians in and then the player has to choose between two dialogue options in order to give a successful motivational speech, and then a famous song from the 70s/80s will play while you're fighting, and that whole sequence feels very cinematic and really pumps you full of adrenaline. It's particularly effective when you're being overwhelmed and about to die, because it allows you to miraculously come back and win against all odds, it's just an awesome mechanic that is perfect for the Guardians of the Galaxy. If you play the game for extended periods of time, I can see how the combat may feel tiresome or repetitive, but I don't think it will happen for everyone. Overall, combat = fun.
Now, let's get into my favorite part of the game, its story and characters. I imagine that it was very tempting for the writers to just try to copy James Gunn's versions of these characters and just reskin the plots from one of the MCU movies. However, I was thoroughly surprised and impressed by how the story and the characters were handled. While the major characters are adapted from the Marvel comics, this is an entirely original story that feels like a distinct and fresh take on the Guardians of the Galaxy. Of course, their personalities are largely the same, but not in a way that feels like they're copying anything else. The guardians in this game will feel familiar to fans, but they also stand on their own as unique interpretations. I'm a big fan of James Gunn and adore the GOTG movies, but at times I liked this game's version more than the Gunn's, which is something I thought I'd never say. Their conversations feel genuine and are interesting to listen to, and the dialogue options for Peter are also creative. You really start to grow close to these characters as you play through the story and become invested in their bonds and the trials they go through.
This game is also pretty funny. Funny dialogue is one of the rarest occurrences in any video game, so this game deserves praise for sticking the landing on most of its humor. Not everything is a gut-buster, but it's good enough.
Besides the main guardians, the other characters are also well-written and fit well within the story. Most of the standouts don't show up until later into the story, so I won't spoil anything, but I think marvel fans will be pretty happy regarding which characters are included and how they're adapted. The new characters that they've added I thought were excellent as well. Lady Hellbender and Raker were two characters that I had never heard of before, but I very much enjoyed their presence within the story. I love that the game's villains were characters that most audiences have never heard of before, it made me more invested in the story because everything that was happening was something new.
Overall, the story is completely original and very compelling, and the characters are well-written and entertaining. Since the game is linear, the story and characters are always at the forefront of what's going on, so none of the impact or nuance is lost on the player.
I also could not accurately review this game if I did not acknowledge the absolutely incredible art direction on all fronts. The levels in this game are absolutely beautiful and are just brimming with creativity. Each area has a lot of vibrant colors on display that just make the game a joy to look at and explore. The art direction breathes a lot of life into the world and makes the game more memorable as a whole. I also am in love with the character design. Not only are their personalities unique, but they all have a new look to them Even though there are other outfits you can discover for each guardian, I want to acknowledge how full of personality Eidos-Montreal's original outfits for them are. The character design is just really good.
The soundtrack is also very memorable due to the several 70s/80s songs that they include.
I also want to say that this game has my absolute favorite version of the Milano (the guardian's ship). You're able to explore the interior of the ship several times throughout the game and I love the attention to detail and how lived in the ship feels. I love that they condition of the ship also reflects the state that the guardians are in. It's hilarious how they're locked out or unable to access a lot of the cooler functions of their ship because they're broke. I really like that you're able to explore each character's room as well.
Now, I know what you're thinking: "Hey, you've only said good things about this game, why is it only four stars?" And that is a valid question. Well, I guess I would say that as much as I like the dialogue, it can be a bit much sometimes (the use of flark is a bit excessive and loses its luster early on in the game). I also wasn't the biggest fan of one of the later chapters where you're in a cave, that one dragged on way too long and the gimmick that the dialogue was based around got kind of old. There's also a couple characters that I wasn't a huge fan of, but they definitely had their moments at some point in the game. Also, there is a certain fan-favorite character in Gunn's movies that is absent from this game, though there is a good reason. My problem with this is that many fans will likely be unhappy with the reason for their absence, and I actually think that the reason is very interesting and has a lot of narrative potential, it's never expanded on and kind of left a bad taste in my mouth because it felt like a plot point that should have been resolved. Hopefully it does if this game gets a sequel. Regardless, these are more or less minor complaints. I'd like to rate this game higher but my I know in my heart that it's not higher than four stars, at least for me, but I still absolutely recommend this game and it deserves your attention.
Overall, this game is really fun and a blast to play, it's what Marvel's Avengers should have been. Even if you're not necessarily a Marvel fan, I'd still recommend you play this game because there is a lot to love.
I'll start off by saying that this game is really strong on nearly all fronts. No aspect was particularly weak, so overall this game feels pretty consistent, which is nice.
This is a fairly linear game, both in its story and level design. It's set up so that you're always working towards the main story, and the levels are designed so that you always know where you're supposed to go. However, I will say that there are a couple sections where you're allowed to roam free around a bigger area, which is nice. The other levels usually have a couple paths you can pursue in order to find collectibles and loot. I think that this design works great for the game and I didn't have a problem with it at all, if this game were open world or open zone (is that a thing), it wouldn't have worked out very well.
Now, let's get to the gameplay. The gameplay is pretty fun! Exploration and puzzle solving, while fairly easy, is still enjoyable due to how it incorporates both the player's abilities as well as the abilities of the other guardians. Each guardian has a unique "puzzle/exploration ability" that is utilized effectively. If there's a ledge you can't cross, Groot can grow a bridge. If there's vines you can't get through, Gamora can cut through them. If there's a small space you can't crawl into, Rocket can. If there's something heavy you need to lift, Drax is there for you. Often, you'll need to use multiple abilities in conjunction with each other (I think) to traverse an area.
The combat is fun as well. I disagree with the people who say that the game should have allowed you to play as all of the guardians, because it would have overly complicated things and honestly, Eidos-Montreal would have to create an entirely different kind of game. Solely playing as Star-Lord but being able to give orders to the other guardians both in exploration and in battle gives players the best of both worlds while not becoming overly complicated. Anyways, the combat is pretty fun. The gun play is nice, Star-Lord has a few gun forms that he can cycle through as well as his own set of abilities. The abilities for the guardians are also really fun, and comboing them with your own attacks or the attacks of other guardians is seamless. I appreciate the animations for the hand-to-hand combat as well. Not only does Star-Lord have a few unique melee combat animations, but he also has auto combo finishers with each guardian, and they're all cool to look at. While you're not actively using the abilities of the other guardians, they'll fight on their own, and there is a surprising amount of effort put into how they fight, even though the player won't always notice these details in a typical encounter. Additionally, you can also perform finishers on enemies when their stun bar is full and their health is low enough (to be honest I'm not sure of the exact criteria needed to perform a finisher, but it shows up pretty often). These finishers are really cool because each guardian will take turns attacking the enemy and the camera will temporarily go to slow-mo when the attack hits, it's just an awesome finisher. Finally, I want to mention the huddle up system because it is by far my favorite part of the combat. Star-Lord calls the guardians in and then the player has to choose between two dialogue options in order to give a successful motivational speech, and then a famous song from the 70s/80s will play while you're fighting, and that whole sequence feels very cinematic and really pumps you full of adrenaline. It's particularly effective when you're being overwhelmed and about to die, because it allows you to miraculously come back and win against all odds, it's just an awesome mechanic that is perfect for the Guardians of the Galaxy. If you play the game for extended periods of time, I can see how the combat may feel tiresome or repetitive, but I don't think it will happen for everyone. Overall, combat = fun.
Now, let's get into my favorite part of the game, its story and characters. I imagine that it was very tempting for the writers to just try to copy James Gunn's versions of these characters and just reskin the plots from one of the MCU movies. However, I was thoroughly surprised and impressed by how the story and the characters were handled. While the major characters are adapted from the Marvel comics, this is an entirely original story that feels like a distinct and fresh take on the Guardians of the Galaxy. Of course, their personalities are largely the same, but not in a way that feels like they're copying anything else. The guardians in this game will feel familiar to fans, but they also stand on their own as unique interpretations. I'm a big fan of James Gunn and adore the GOTG movies, but at times I liked this game's version more than the Gunn's, which is something I thought I'd never say. Their conversations feel genuine and are interesting to listen to, and the dialogue options for Peter are also creative. You really start to grow close to these characters as you play through the story and become invested in their bonds and the trials they go through.
This game is also pretty funny. Funny dialogue is one of the rarest occurrences in any video game, so this game deserves praise for sticking the landing on most of its humor. Not everything is a gut-buster, but it's good enough.
Besides the main guardians, the other characters are also well-written and fit well within the story. Most of the standouts don't show up until later into the story, so I won't spoil anything, but I think marvel fans will be pretty happy regarding which characters are included and how they're adapted. The new characters that they've added I thought were excellent as well. Lady Hellbender and Raker were two characters that I had never heard of before, but I very much enjoyed their presence within the story. I love that the game's villains were characters that most audiences have never heard of before, it made me more invested in the story because everything that was happening was something new.
Overall, the story is completely original and very compelling, and the characters are well-written and entertaining. Since the game is linear, the story and characters are always at the forefront of what's going on, so none of the impact or nuance is lost on the player.
I also could not accurately review this game if I did not acknowledge the absolutely incredible art direction on all fronts. The levels in this game are absolutely beautiful and are just brimming with creativity. Each area has a lot of vibrant colors on display that just make the game a joy to look at and explore. The art direction breathes a lot of life into the world and makes the game more memorable as a whole. I also am in love with the character design. Not only are their personalities unique, but they all have a new look to them Even though there are other outfits you can discover for each guardian, I want to acknowledge how full of personality Eidos-Montreal's original outfits for them are. The character design is just really good.
The soundtrack is also very memorable due to the several 70s/80s songs that they include.
I also want to say that this game has my absolute favorite version of the Milano (the guardian's ship). You're able to explore the interior of the ship several times throughout the game and I love the attention to detail and how lived in the ship feels. I love that they condition of the ship also reflects the state that the guardians are in. It's hilarious how they're locked out or unable to access a lot of the cooler functions of their ship because they're broke. I really like that you're able to explore each character's room as well.
Now, I know what you're thinking: "Hey, you've only said good things about this game, why is it only four stars?" And that is a valid question. Well, I guess I would say that as much as I like the dialogue, it can be a bit much sometimes (the use of flark is a bit excessive and loses its luster early on in the game). I also wasn't the biggest fan of one of the later chapters where you're in a cave, that one dragged on way too long and the gimmick that the dialogue was based around got kind of old. There's also a couple characters that I wasn't a huge fan of, but they definitely had their moments at some point in the game. Also, there is a certain fan-favorite character in Gunn's movies that is absent from this game, though there is a good reason. My problem with this is that many fans will likely be unhappy with the reason for their absence, and I actually think that the reason is very interesting and has a lot of narrative potential, it's never expanded on and kind of left a bad taste in my mouth because it felt like a plot point that should have been resolved. Hopefully it does if this game gets a sequel. Regardless, these are more or less minor complaints. I'd like to rate this game higher but my I know in my heart that it's not higher than four stars, at least for me, but I still absolutely recommend this game and it deserves your attention.
Overall, this game is really fun and a blast to play, it's what Marvel's Avengers should have been. Even if you're not necessarily a Marvel fan, I'd still recommend you play this game because there is a lot to love.