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Gotta hand it to Eidos, I was very, VERY pleasantly surprised by this game.
Screeching and clawing it's way from the debris and rubble left in the wake of Marvel's Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy trades in the kitschy, overwhelming Games as a Service model for a more laser focused, narrative driven single player experience that mostly pays off.
Hands down, the strongest part of this game is the story. Equal parts heart wrenching and heartfelt, and supplemented by thoughtful performances from little known talent that are adeptly brought to life by stellar animation and art direction all add to the strengths that this game's narrative boasts. Rocket is really fucking annoying and only gets bearable by the end. I'd say the most endearing part about this game is just how much player choice there is and how much it truly does contribute to this feeling of being a fast talking, gun slinging space renegade when more often than not you have to talk your way out of cinematic situations rather than watch a cutscene where everything happens for you.
While playing, I think I realized that the fabled "AAA Guardians of the Galaxy videogame" fantasy I had always had was fulfilled perfectly by this game, and that's not a particularly amazing feat, because I am not a professional game designer.
Combat is a bit too sandbaggy, certain enemies have far too much health and ability cooldowns are excruciatingly long so more often than not you just kind of end up strafing and shooting at the same guy for like two minutes. Frankly, I'd recommend playing on Hard if you want the most fulfilling experience with this game, as you're never really endangered enough to waste a Huddle on a particular-- OH and the Huddle Mechanic
I could talk about the Huddle Mechanic all damn day, but ultimately I think my thoughts on it mostly boil down to this: It takes too long to charge up for a short buff, half of the dialogue in the huddle itself is really really cheesy, and it's a tossup as to whether or not you get a really cool song or a dud from the licensed soundtrack once it's all over, but godDAMN if it isn't a remarkably ambitious and cool idea, if the game gets a sequel I'd love to see it refined just a tad.
Overall, this game dips in the middle with a lot of shooting galleries that kind of get frustrating, but the excellent writing and character on display here make every second of this game worth it.
Solid 8/10
Gotta hand it to Eidos, I was very, VERY pleasantly surprised by this game.
Screeching and clawing it's way from the debris and rubble left in the wake of Marvel's Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy trades in the kitschy, overwhelming Games as a Service model for a more laser focused, narrative driven single player experience that mostly pays off.
Hands down, the strongest part of this game is the story. Equal parts heart wrenching and heartfelt, and supplemented by thoughtful performances from little known talent that are adeptly brought to life by stellar animation and art direction all add to the strengths that this game's narrative boasts. Rocket is really fucking annoying and only gets bearable by the end. I'd say the most endearing part about this game is just how much player choice there is and how much it truly does contribute to this feeling of being a fast talking, gun slinging space renegade when more often than not you have to talk your way out of cinematic situations rather than watch a cutscene where everything happens for you.
While playing, I think I realized that the fabled "AAA Guardians of the Galaxy videogame" fantasy I had always had was fulfilled perfectly by this game, and that's not a particularly amazing feat, because I am not a professional game designer.
Combat is a bit too sandbaggy, certain enemies have far too much health and ability cooldowns are excruciatingly long so more often than not you just kind of end up strafing and shooting at the same guy for like two minutes. Frankly, I'd recommend playing on Hard if you want the most fulfilling experience with this game, as you're never really endangered enough to waste a Huddle on a particular-- OH and the Huddle Mechanic
I could talk about the Huddle Mechanic all damn day, but ultimately I think my thoughts on it mostly boil down to this: It takes too long to charge up for a short buff, half of the dialogue in the huddle itself is really really cheesy, and it's a tossup as to whether or not you get a really cool song or a dud from the licensed soundtrack once it's all over, but godDAMN if it isn't a remarkably ambitious and cool idea, if the game gets a sequel I'd love to see it refined just a tad.
Overall, this game dips in the middle with a lot of shooting galleries that kind of get frustrating, but the excellent writing and character on display here make every second of this game worth it.
Solid 8/10