This review contains spoilers
There is no understating how much Guardians of the Galaxy exceeds expectations. After the unmitigated disaster that was The Avengers game (which Eidos assisted with development), the promise of a Guardians of the Galaxy game where you only play as Peter Quill was a tepid offer. Add to that an abysmal marketing campaign that seemed to lack confidence most could be forgiven for thinking this was going to be another paper thin attempt to cash in on a known IP. Nonetheless, Eidos with the deck stacked against them developed the best comics adaptation in recent memory. From start to finish Guardians of the Galaxy is an unabashed space epic. It is at the same time a campy comic book romp and a deeply human story.
To get one major point out of the way early, the gameplay is weak. The best advice one could give is go into the custom difficulty and tinker to your preference. Making Peter stronger and more capable while amping up the team element makes the game better. There are waves and waves of grunts you will need to fight in the twenty hour runtime and it is best to make that bit manageable. Still, it can be a bit of a hit or miss. But when it hits and the 80’s music kicks in it is a whole lot of fun.
The fact is that Guardians of the Galaxy is a game defined nearly entirely by its writing and world rather than any specific game design choice. It is beautiful to look at and feels good enough to play, but there is no greater highlight than the character interactions. The core cast is infused with a humanity that is so earnest and heartfelt it is nearly overwhelming. This adaptation of the Guardians is the definitive one for me, and for others as well.
Peter, Rocket, Groot, Drax, and Gamora, both individually and as a team, undergo a compelling arc that challenges their archetypes. The found family trope is at the heart of the modern Guardians and is ever-present here. You can feel the tension among this team early on in the story. They haven’t been together long and are still trying to figure out how (or if) they fit together. Each member of the Guardians is still struggling with unprocessed grief and loss, and we find them in a time that it is make it or break it.
Peter’s grief in particular is one continually explored through the game. He hasn’t moved on from the loss of his mother, his home, and the years since have failed to create an environment where he can really heal. Enter the Universal Church of Truth as the main villainous faction and you have a compelling challenge to not only Peter but the other Guardians. As failures mount and the church grows stronger the Guardians struggle, but in that struggle, they find themselves. They open up to one another and let their grief flow over. They trust in one another and fuel that hope that together they can overcome.
But it isn’t just a game about grief. No, the game maintains a strong humor and hopeful tone throughout. For the Guardians of the Galaxy coming to terms with loss is just as much about letting others in as it is acknowledging that their past is past. That trust they build is also centered around uplifting one another to be better than their worst days. In gameplay the huddle mechanic brings that human element to even the most mindless shootie bits of the game. In the narrative it sees the team challenge God and win. They complete the heroes' journey as stronger people than they were before.
Guardians of the Galaxy is nearly everything that one could hope for in a story centered on these characters. It is beautiful, connecting, and heartfelt in a way that we may never see again. The only way Guardians matched The Avengers game is in poor sales, and with Eidos’ transfer to the shaky standing Embracer Group it is unlikely we will ever see this iteration of the team again. That is a shame, because this is everything the Guardians of the Galaxy should be and more.
To get one major point out of the way early, the gameplay is weak. The best advice one could give is go into the custom difficulty and tinker to your preference. Making Peter stronger and more capable while amping up the team element makes the game better. There are waves and waves of grunts you will need to fight in the twenty hour runtime and it is best to make that bit manageable. Still, it can be a bit of a hit or miss. But when it hits and the 80’s music kicks in it is a whole lot of fun.
The fact is that Guardians of the Galaxy is a game defined nearly entirely by its writing and world rather than any specific game design choice. It is beautiful to look at and feels good enough to play, but there is no greater highlight than the character interactions. The core cast is infused with a humanity that is so earnest and heartfelt it is nearly overwhelming. This adaptation of the Guardians is the definitive one for me, and for others as well.
Peter, Rocket, Groot, Drax, and Gamora, both individually and as a team, undergo a compelling arc that challenges their archetypes. The found family trope is at the heart of the modern Guardians and is ever-present here. You can feel the tension among this team early on in the story. They haven’t been together long and are still trying to figure out how (or if) they fit together. Each member of the Guardians is still struggling with unprocessed grief and loss, and we find them in a time that it is make it or break it.
Peter’s grief in particular is one continually explored through the game. He hasn’t moved on from the loss of his mother, his home, and the years since have failed to create an environment where he can really heal. Enter the Universal Church of Truth as the main villainous faction and you have a compelling challenge to not only Peter but the other Guardians. As failures mount and the church grows stronger the Guardians struggle, but in that struggle, they find themselves. They open up to one another and let their grief flow over. They trust in one another and fuel that hope that together they can overcome.
But it isn’t just a game about grief. No, the game maintains a strong humor and hopeful tone throughout. For the Guardians of the Galaxy coming to terms with loss is just as much about letting others in as it is acknowledging that their past is past. That trust they build is also centered around uplifting one another to be better than their worst days. In gameplay the huddle mechanic brings that human element to even the most mindless shootie bits of the game. In the narrative it sees the team challenge God and win. They complete the heroes' journey as stronger people than they were before.
Guardians of the Galaxy is nearly everything that one could hope for in a story centered on these characters. It is beautiful, connecting, and heartfelt in a way that we may never see again. The only way Guardians matched The Avengers game is in poor sales, and with Eidos’ transfer to the shaky standing Embracer Group it is unlikely we will ever see this iteration of the team again. That is a shame, because this is everything the Guardians of the Galaxy should be and more.