Author: Rich Meister
I’m a comic book nerd. It’s not something I’m shy about, nor in the year 2021 is it an unusual thing. That’s why I get to write a review for a Guardians of the Galaxy video game without having to go into elicit detail about who the fuck Groot is. That’s weird, but it's also kind of amazing.
On the subject of the modern popularity of comic book characters with the success of Insomniac’s Spider-man and their Wolverine adaption on the horizon we might be gearing towards a reality where Marvel games come out every year just like MCU films. I know that might sound like a bad idea, but if they’re all more like Eidos-Montreal’s Guardians of the Galaxy and less like Crystal Dynamic’s Avengers, then it might be an exciting prospect.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy(PC, PS4, PS5 [reviewed], Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S)
Developer: Eidos-Montreal
Publisher: Square Enix
Released: October 26, 2021
MSRP: $59.99
Guardians of the Galaxy comes to us from Deus Ex developer Eidos-Montreal, and stars the ragtag group of heroes most audiences are now familiar with thanks to the success of James Gunn’s films. While this take on Peter Quill, aka Star Lord, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot shares a lot of DNA with Gunn’s versions of the characters, they immediately establish enough difference to not make them feel like some store brand knock off.
It’ll be easy to pinpoint some significant similarities to Chris Pratt’s version of the player character Peter Quill mostly in his garb and love of classic 80s rock. Still, the game’s early hours give Jon Mclaren’s take on the character time to find his footing. Much like Insomniac’s take on Spider-man, they forgo origin stories and through you right into a more established world. You do get the occasional flashback to Peter’s life on earth, but these are hardly the focus of the narrative at large and are more of a road to understanding Quill’s motivations.
While you only assume direct control of Peter, the other members of the Guardian’s team get fleshed out just as thoroughly through the roughly twelve-hour game. Gamora, Drax, and even Groot all come with their baggage and tear-jerking past that you’re given bits of pieces of while the Guardians travel across the galaxy.
When diving into a Marvel game, I’m only expecting some quippy dialogue and a serviceable plot to get you on to the next big action sequence. Still, the best part of Guardian’s of the Galaxy is the phenomenal writing in a shocking surprise. The big story is just that, big. It’s a huge dumb comic story bringing fringe Marvel characters like Lady Hellbender and even Fin fang Foom into the mix. If you’re a lifelong comic book nerd like me, there’s an easter egg to enjoy every step of the way, but the character moments are where it really shines.
Every member of the Guardians crew and even supporting characters like Mantis and Cosmo are charming as hell, and watching them interact, both playing off each other in hectic combat situations and having deeper scripted conversations, is a sight to behold. Little moments like every team member reacting to me closing the fridge door aboard the Milano (a running gag throughout the story) make them feel like real people. I’m not embarrassed to say there are a handful of moments that brought me close to tears.
Gameplay feels like a hybrid between Mass Effect and faster-paced action games like Devil May Cry. You take direct control of Star Lord and issue commands to the other members of your team. Your dual pistols fire quickly, and mobility with Quill’s jet boots is key to dodging quicker enemies on the battlefield. While you have a normal melee attack Drax and Gamora are your real ticket to dealing up close damage via their action commands. Rocket’s many weapons make for reasonable crowd control, and Groot is built as more of an all arounder, even getting a heal late in the game.
Aside from a standard health readout, enemies also have a stagger meter that briefly stuns them and allows you to deal greater damage.
Each crew member has a skill tree consisting of four attacks, and you’ll have to feed each skill points earned from combat to unlock the new attacks, except for the fourth and final super attack that is unlocked via story progression. The trees are small, and you won’t have to worry about being picky. I completed all five characters kits long before credits rolled.
The killer soundtrack of 80s rock that Guardians as a brand has come to be known for is just as good as the movies but finds its way cleverly into combat. While fighting, you charge up a huddle meter that is probably most easily compared to the Persona series’ all-out attack. Quill calls the team in for a pep talk, and you choose a response based on what the team is saying. If you adequately encourage them, you might get some health back or an extra temporary buff to attack, but regardless of your response, the music kicks into high gear. While the normal score is still pretty great, I have to admit fighting Nova troopers to Motley Crew’s Kickstart my Heart is way cooler.
There are even tracks from a new fictional Starlord band; in this universe, Quill’s famous alias is based on an 80s hair metal band that, despite being written in 2021, fits the era’s tone pretty well.
A streamer mode removes all the licensed tracks, but if you ask me, removing Billy Idol from this game kills the whole tone.
Aside from combat, you’re navigating relatively linear environments that tackle all corners of the Marvel universe, from the alleyways of Knowhere to the dim halls of Nova Corps HQ. Quill is pretty mobile using his jet boots to get around, just like in combat but will have to rely on the rest of the crew to navigate some obstacles. Groot can grow bridges in certain areas, while Drax might be able to rip a wall open or have Rocket hack it.
Quill’s unique Spartoid dual pistols also unlock elemental attacks as you progress that can be used to exploit enemy weaknesses and stagger them more quickly but are also often used for light puzzle solving.
Combat isn’t the only place Guardians is drawing clear inspiration from Mass Effect. In between story chapters, the crew finds themselves back on the Milano, where you can use the downtime to get to know them. You can chat about their personal lives, past missions, or even some of the collectibles you found in previous chapters. The dialogue trees have less variety than your standard Bioware game, but how you talk can change people’s opinions of you. While the way it changes how the game unfolds is small, it still feels effective in those quiet moments of character building.
Unfortunately, Disney and Marvel are a bit more precious about their IP than Bioware, so I don’t think you’ll be able to romance Groot or any other of the crew for that matter anytime soon.
Visually Guardian’s has the look you would expect of any big Triple-A release. Great looking character models, especially for the main crew, and a solid performance in fidelity mode on PS5. I did encounter a brief glitch where I fell through the map and had to load my last save, but a little jank can hopefully be ironed out soon, and Guardians comes equipped with a countdown since your last autosave in the pause menu, a feature all games should have.
It’s worth noting that the accessibility options in Guardians are pretty remarkable. From control tweaking options to tweaking almost every aspect of the difficulty. These options are becoming more standard in games across the board but it’s still nice to see it here.
In the collectibles department aside from objects you can collect that make for points of discussion aboard the ship there are a variety of unlockable costumes as you would expect from most comic book games. My favorite has to be the Nova-themed suits.
Verdict: Guardians of the Galaxy is gaming junk food. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it can go toe to toe with modern Triple-A productions and presents an interesting take on characters the world has recently come to love while not feeling too beholden to its movie counterpart. The story is exciting, humorous, and sometimes heart-felt. It might be a bit repetitive at times and more linear than is expected of modern games but it is worth the time of comic book fans and newcomers alike.
Buy it
[This review is based on a retail build of the game purchased by the reviewer]