Guardians of the Galaxy Game Review: I have excellent news for you if, like me, you played Marvel’s Avengers video game from Square Enix and thought, “I wish this had simply focused on the single-player campaign instead of all this game-as-a-service crap.” Square Enix-published Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy have arrived to save the day.
It is another piece of evidence that linear, single-player campaigns are still relevant today because there are no microtransactions, no multiplayer, and a substantial story.
Although its easy-level design and simple yet amusing fighting won’t exactly reinvent the genre, Guardians of the Galaxy still manages to have a lot of good old-fashioned fun thanks to its strong foundation and a massive amount of personality.
You play as Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord, for the whole roughly 18-hour campaign despite being named after the squad. I found that to be a surprise decision, but it turns out to be one that works really well for the narrative being told. The primary plot is essentially what you’d expect from a cosmic comic book adventure—the Guardians are trying to pay off debt, learn how to cooperate, and perhaps save the galaxy—but it’s framed by much more intimate experiences for Peter.
The end result is a compelling narrative that successfully strikes a balance between its nonstop barrage of spectacle and humor and a few sincere emotional moments, for both Peter and the rest of the crew, including Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot.
Dialogue Choices
Although the plot of that game is also fully linear, the Deus Ex roots of its creator, Eidos Montreal, are unmistakable in the number of dialogue options available to you. There’s rarely a moment where the Guardians aren’t talking, which is welcome when the writing and performances are all as funny as they are.
You’re constantly given options for how Peter will react to different conversations, whether those are during important story moments or while walking around chatting with your teammates. The majority of these speech options are purely for fun role-playing in an otherwise well-paced plot, but some of them may have unintended consequences.
For instance, using the appropriate dialogue options to save a character at one time can cause them to later return to assist you. Another time, I made a decision that led to a straightforward stealth portion in the following level, only to learn after finishing the tale that the alternate choice would have changed the level’s entirety into a major shootout.
The core of this campaign will probably look very much the same for everyone, but these minor variations did give my playing a unique touch and made me more eager to try New Game Plus to see what else might have happened.
Abilities And Tricks
Although the plot of that game is also fully linear, the Deus Ex roots of its creator, Eidos Montreal, are unmistakable in the number of dialogue options available to you. There’s rarely a moment where the Guardians aren’t talking, which is welcome when the writing and performances are all as funny as they are.
You’re constantly given options for how Peter will react to different conversations, whether those are during important story moments or while walking around chatting with your teammates. The majority of these speech options are purely for fun role-playing in an otherwise well-paced plot, but some of them may have unintended consequences.
For instance, using the appropriate dialogue options to save a character at one time can cause them to later return to assist you. Another time, I made a decision that led to a straightforward stealth portion in the following level, only to learn after finishing the tale that the alternate choice would have changed the level’s entirety into a major shootout.
The core of this campaign will probably look very much the same for everyone, but these minor variations did give my playing a unique touch and made me more eager to try New Game Plus to see what else might have happened.
Nevertheless, throughout the entire game, the battle was always engaging. Part of it can be attributed to the adversary design, which is sufficiently diversified to force you to use various elemental attacks to exploit weaknesses or destroy shields, as well as larger enemies who can be stunned by specific skills.
Each of your comrades has a different role; Groot can bind targets, Rocket has the highest AOE, Drax focuses more on stagger, while Gamora typically deals significant damage. It’s fortunate that their abilities have an impact because, without them, you’ll be dealing with almost all of the damage; your teammates’ auto-attacks have a damage output comparable to that of an aggressive massage.
Interesting Banters
The banter also keeps fighting interesting throughout. Seriously, there is a ton of voiced speech in this game, and the interaction between each team member is both enjoyable and educational because you can watch how their relationships change as the plot progresses.
There were probably occasions when I heard the same phrase repeated far too frequently, but overall, the range of these barks is astounding. That meant fights that were excessively similar could yet acquire fresh appeal based on their setting or the dialogues that occur during them.
Even during the fight, dialogue options are available through a super move called The Huddle. When activated (which can be done accidentally by pressing L1 and R1 simultaneously), Peter brings everyone around to discuss the battle, and you then have to decide the pep talk response to give based on what they say in order to receive a bonus.
Additionally, throughout the buff, one of the many licensed ’80s songs from Guardians of the Galaxy will play, which, depending on the outcome, may either be thrilling or hilarious. One of the craziest ecstatic experiences I’ve had in a game this year was fighting a big alien squid boss as Wang Chung’s “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” was playing. Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” unexpectedly playing during a pivotal endgame encounter was also amusing.
Final Verdict
A humorous, action-packed adventure and some genuinely moving story moments are skillfully balanced in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and depending on the decisions you make, your individual game may take some unexpected turns.
The connections and banter between its characters, rather than the game’s very straightforward but continuously enjoyable gameplay and level design, keep everything interesting as they develop. Guardians of the Galaxy is yet another compelling illustration of how much fun a linear, no-frills single-player campaign can be, even though it won’t blow the planet up.
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