Deus Ex developer Eidos Montreal’s original take on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a strong response to fan backlash publisher Square Enix received over Marvel’s Avengers as it delivers a classic single-player adventure with Marvel’s favorite misfits.
Eidos Montreal’s Guardians game was rumored for quite some time and when it was finally revealed at this past E3, it boasted a style and attitude reminiscent of James Gunn’s movies but wasn’t a carbon copy. Yes, it’s got a killer 80s soundtrack and hilarious team banter that evokes the vibes of the MCU, but Eidos Montreal puts their own spin on Guardians through its story and storytelling expanding on the Guardians universe even further than the MCU. Rather than be a typical comic book origin story, Guardians of the Galaxy introduces fans to a Guardians team that’s already got some history together and in the galaxy. Set some time after the Guardians first banded together to help save the galaxy and kill the Mad Titan Thanos, the Guardians now find themselves drifting through space trying to make a name for themselves.
In terms of the overall story, it’s pretty standard for what most would expect from a Guardians storyline. Although the group is trying to make a quick buck and pay off their Nova Corps fine, they quickly find themselves caught up in a widespread conspiracy led by the Universal Church of Truth’s Grand Unifier Raker (voiced by Andreas Apergis) that forces them to try and save the galaxy. There are some unexpected beats of the powerful Lady Hellbender (voiced by Sarah Levesque) sending bounty hunters to kill the Guardians after a deal gone wrong and Peter dealing with some possible parental issues that add in some touching emotion. It’s fun to meet characters like Cosmo the Space Dog (voiced by Alex Ivanovici) and the Nova Corps who haven’t been all that involved in the Guardians films. There’s a genuinely amazing surprise boss fight that’s teased early on and then returns in the most hyped-up fashion possible. The Guardians once again saving the galaxy expands on the lore of the Marvel cosmos in the right ways but isn’t structured in the most ambitious or modern way.
The expectation, going in, was that the game would be structured more like Ratchet and Clank where players would be able to hop between different planets freely. This would’ve allowed for more freeing exploration that lets players experience side missions and smaller focused storylines at their own leisure. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, as players are locked into a linear, chapter-based story that doesn’t take full advantage of expanding on its lore outside of the Guardians. Players can check out part of The Collector’s Emporium for some awesome references and that bios on prominent players in the Guardians universe can be uncovered on a Nova Corps computer, but it’s such a limited experience. Compared to the Batman Arkham games, Insomniac’s Spider-Man, and even Marvel’s Ultimate Alliance, Guardians of the Galaxy feels so archaic in its overall structure and misses a grand opportunity to let players really explore the Marvel cosmos with little limitations.
However, Guardians overcomes the missed opportunities in its narrative structure with the dialogue and action choices that players can make as team leader Peter Quill/Star-Lord (voiced by Jon McLaren). Initially hearing the idea that players would only be able to play as Star-Lord was a bit of a bummer given that there are so many games that let you play as multiple heroes nowadays. Oddly enough though, it ends up being one of the best things about Guardians as the game’s choice system and gameplay mechanics are excellently built around making you feel like you’re leading the Guardians.
As players go on different missions as Star-Lord, dialogue choices will pop up in the middle of conversation or cutscenes that allow players to change the course of the narrative. The dialogue choices here aren’t life or death like in Until Dawn or Telltale games, they can play an interesting role in guiding relationship arcs and how you’re as a leader. Players can get on their teammates’ good sides if they play their cards right and keep everyone’s opinions in mind but could just as easily become the punching bag if the wrong thing is said. While certain decisions just sort of steer conversation or give reassurance, others can cause noticeable changes in how the story unfolds. Things like choosing Rocket (voiced by Alex Weiner) or Groot (voiced by Robert Montcalm) to pretend to be a valuable monster for Lady Hellbender and choosing whether to spend your money in Knowhere or on your Nova Corps fine can end up playing a bigger role in how things unfold. The choices definitely make the story a little more personalized, but the effect that choices play in making you a real leader are way more interesting.
Like Telltale games, if players glance into the top right corner after big interactions, they can see the effect of their choices that could help or hurt them down the line. You might see that a certain choice has rubbed someone the wrong way or that you effectively made them more trusting of you. Players might find that they’ll be able to score certain key items or get out of hairy situations easier by making more thought-out choices. It’s also great that making choices goes past lines of dialogue as the idea of keeping track of your funds on Knowhere and whether or not to engage in certain battles makes for a story that’s constantly engaging players in unique ways. Eidios Montreal really deserves some props for their ambitious style of choice and how they’ve implemented it so well in elevating Star-Lord as a leader. On paper, solely playing as Star-Lord can seem like a drag, but the way choices influence your stature as a leader makes it a blast and brings out some amazing team banter.
Guardians of the Galaxy might be one of the funniest comic book games of all time, right alongside High Moon Studios’ Deadpool, as the in-game banter is endless hilarity. Whether you’re on the run from Hellbender or just chilling on the Milano, jokes and digs are constantly being thrown around the team, mostly directed at Star-Lord. The conversations are super organic with how they stem from certain actions players make like veering off the main path and closing that pesky refrigerator door on the Milano that always manages to open. There are great running jokes throughout about Peter’s toothbrush being used, his bad ideas, and him reuniting with an old flame. The best moments though are when Peter is forced to improvise causing him to bring out his inner rock god to get out of tight situations and if players can make the right choices, they can get the group to come together for a song led by Drax (voiced by Jason Cavalier) that will fill your heart with glee and leave you in stitches.
Even for its pretty standard story, Guardians of the Galaxy manages to have some real heart to it the growth and connections players will have with each Guardian. There are plenty of great one-on -one opportunities for players to have when checking in with the other Guardians and getting to know them a little better. Players that like to explore will also be rewarded in finding small relics that connect to the Guardians’ past and allow for some lore to be touched on through conversations on the Milano. Part of me does wish that lore could be explored through more engaging means other than conversations, but it is very touching to hear Gamora (voiced by Kimberly-Sue Murray) talk about how her doll obsession is connected to her traumatic upbringing under Thanos and learn more about Groot’s species. More explorative players can also find some really awesome costumes for the Guardians to wear making going off the beaten path more rewarding. Also, yes, you can make the Guardians look like their MCU counterparts.
The leadership elements are also felt throughout the combat as players have certain options that allow them to command and motivate the Guardians in the heat of battle. While in the middle of a tough fight players can actually open up a quick menu that singles another Guardian out and allows them to give them a command to target a specific area or enemies. Each Guardian has their own set of moves that range from Groot ensnaring a group of enemies with his roots to Drax bringing out his inner Bautista with some WWE styled moves that drastically knocks down enemy health. Rocket can even bring out a crazy powerful turret that keeps even the most tanky enemies honest. The ability to deliver all these commands in combat is incredibly satisfying with how easy it is to dish out commands and provide real results. Players can also earn more abilities for the Guardians through level progression making you have a real arsenal under your belt.
Eidos Montreal adds extra layers to the combat with some of the RPG elements that they likely gained inspiration from another Square Enix franchise. There are definitely some modern Final Fantasy elements brought into Guardians of the Galaxy with how enemies can be staggered, and Star-Lord’s guns can have elemental abilities that work against certain enemies in combat. These elements give the gameplay more depth and there’s definitely some Final Fantasy XV DNA with how certain team interactions can occur in combat through well-timed attacks. There’s one element to both the team-based gameplay and Star-Lord’s position as a leader that harnesses the best elements of Guardians.
Upon filling up a meter, players can initiate a “Huddle Up” maneuver that brings everyone together to deliver a motivating speech to pump up the team. It’s a little too easy to figure out the right things to say since the dialogue before the choice pretty much choreographs what to pick, but it’s satisfying nevertheless with the reward that it gives you. Not only is cool-down on team attacks minimized for a short duration, but all your attacks are now scored by a killer list of 80s tracks. The song variety is solid and while I do wish you could pick your tracks somehow, the surprise of getting something like “Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley or “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” by Wham is feeling like no other. It’s fun to play Star-Lord in general as his mobility lets him swiftly jet around the field and his dual guns launch a flurry of shots at enemies but going solo isn’t what Guardians is about and Eidos Montreal has built a great combat system that emphasizes and values teamwork in very satisfying ways.
Guardians of the Galaxy isn’t exactly the most polished or mind-blowing Marvel game out there, but it’s an incredibly fun adventure that allows people to really immerse themselves in the Guardians’ world and is a beloved adaptation that acts as a reminder of why people have come to love these charming band of Marvel misfits.
