SOUL is perhaps one of the key factors of a great game. It’s what makes players feel when playing a video game, feeling the care that was taken by the dev team to make this product of enjoyment.
It was what The Avenger game was missing, amongst the other issues within the game, and when Eidos Montreal was tipped to do this another adaptation of the Guardians Of The Galaxy, people were worried it might be more of the same.
But they have pulled through with a game that’s not only charming but has beats of a good Action RPG that rivals their publisher in their own staple genre.
So, how good are The Guardians of The Galaxy? Very good, really.
Presentation
Might I just say that the game looks super colorful, no matter what planet or location. It highlights the nice color tones of each location and mission rather memorably, setting both mood and atmosphere of places.
And the facial animation. Oh boy does it give RDR 2 a run for its money. It looks so natural, even on an aging console like the PS4. It shows the work that Eidos has made to make this both cinematic and enjoyable whilst making it run smooth on all 6 different versions.
The music, like its movie counterparts, plays a role within the game as well. From being part of the escape music or just vibing on the main menu, the selection of 80s music slaps (that’s the current lingo right?). From classics like I Ran to I Need A Hero, it accompanies the game with the same flair as the movie’s mixtape playlist and I commend them for the incredible usage.
Story-side, it feels like your typical MCU flair but with some hints of both Deus Ex and weirdly Final Fantasy 15 (which isn’t the only comparisons for this), as the banter and exploration do fit the ragtag group led by our main protag, Peter Quill as he tries to lead the Guardians, to sometimes hilarious outcomes.
In fact, all the characters within the game are written so well that you can tell what their motives and goals are within the course of the game. it’s refreshing to play something that’s written as well as it plays.
Gameplay
For its action portion of the game, it feels solid and plays a lot like Final Fantasy 15 with the buddy combos doing damages and even doing an all-out attack in the form of Pep Talks, where you can choose a specific word to boost you and your crew will get a pep boost that can help you take down the many bosses that you will encounter.
GOTG also takes some cues from their Deus Ex routes with the many dialogue choices that you can take from the very good writing and even have ramifications with the story. And while it feels rather dated at times, Eidos Montreal has done a good job to make the 10-hour game quite spectacular and engaging as well.
Each team member also has their own special move that can be upgradable over the course of the game and can be combo-able with our own protag’s attacks, which looks good on screen. Though my only complaint is that the prompts sometimes don’t go towards the enemy that you are highlighted and your NPC companions might get downed as they do the moves. But it is a small nitpick in a solid combat system.
All in all, it is quite an interesting take of the Action RPG genre that Eidos has taken up from their usual First-Person RPG roots and that one Tomb Raider game back in 2018.
Content
Guardians of the Galaxy is a 6 to 10-hour romp of intergalactic shenanigans with a cast of characters getting to know each other better is what I would describe the game had I not have seen being a fan of the comic series.
The game itself feels like a big homage for both the cinematic universe versions and comic book roots, with them giving a bit more flare and lore building towards characters and even intergalactic groups that some might have not known if you have not delved into the comics.
Its length is just nice for this sort of single-player story but I do feel it’s kinda pricey at its 249MYR (60 USD) current retail price but I would recommend it if it’s 50% off, because that’s what I feel the game price is the balance between the game’s content and pricing.
Personal Enjoyment
It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a big-budgeted AAA action game (that doesn’t involve any buggy releases) and Guardians of The Galaxy fulfills those action game criteria to a perfect tune.
It’s up there with Insomniac’s Spider-Man series in terms of characters and action set-pieces but without the open-world and in its place is Eidos staple of curated style locations that you visit is a good stand-in for showing how huge the game’s universe is.
And although the finale of their own trilogy was brushed aside for this title, I hope with what they have learned with this game, it might make that game look and play better, if Square Enix ever approves of a final Deus Ex game.
Verdict
Marvel’s Guardians of The Galaxy is an action romp that manages to overshadow its low expectations with its incredible writing and cast doing what they do best, which is saving the world. It might need a sale or two first, but GOTG is a great single-player game, through and through.
Played on PS4 Slim, Review copy purchased by reviewer.
Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy
Marvel’s Guardians of The Galaxy is an action romp that manages to overshadow its low expectations with its incredible writing and cast doing what they do best, which is saving the world
- Presentation 9
- Gameplay 8.5
- Personal Enjoyment 9
- Content 8