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GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (XONE)
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Publisher: Square Enix.
Developer: Eidos Montreal. Released: Ocotber 2021. Genre: Action/Adventure. Other versions: XSX; PS5; PS4; SWI; PC. Posted 7th September 2022. By Shane Battams © 2022 |
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It’s quite surreal to see how far the Guardians of the Galaxy property has come since its inception. From relatively obscure comic book to mega film franchise, it’s unsurprising to now see the space-faring heroes make the jump to the gaming realm. But like a difficult space warp, the journey here proved perilous for Square Enix who suffered something of a blow with the disappointing reception to Avengers. This is a very different beast, eschewing the ‘Games as a Service’ model for a single-player only, story-driven adventure. While a few technical woes and moments of frustration rear their heads, Eidos Montreal delivers what is otherwise a funny, narratively engrossing and exciting adventure that should please fans no-end.
Rather than start with an origin story, Guardians sees you guiding the offbeat team after formation, as they look to get a big score. With debris from a galactic war stored in a Quarantine Zone, the Guardians attempt to capture a rare monster for Lady Hellbender. That plan goes awry, and little do the team know that a seemingly small action will have dire consequences. The storytelling here is simply excellent, offering a new tale that captures the essence of the source material. Each character is brought to life with excellent voice acting and polished animations that convey emotions extremely well. Comedic chops deftly mix with heartfelt, genuine moments including the exploration of Peter’s bond with his mother, each of the member’s traumatic past and how they push through these issues. As well as being one of the funniest games in recent memory, it’s also one of the more emotionally resonant. Even side characters, such as Mantis, have depth and personality, which proves endearing and compelling.
Guardians of the Galaxy looks excellent and is filled with nice touches that fans will appreciate
Guardians of the Galaxy sees you travelling between multiple planets while directly controlling Star-Lord and letting you order the rest of the team. One of the most striking parts of this one is the deep-dive into alien, oddball planets. The Quarantine Zone is a great example, as ruined platforms are held aloft by unsettling purple resin. Knowhere, a market planet of sorts, is bustling with uncanny life and interactive moments including a karaoke scene. Then there’s Seknarf Nine, the first planet you visit, with repulsive fungal platforms and creepy wildlife brought to life through muted colours and tinged with constant rainfall. The variety of locales you explore feel distinct and interesting; a looking glass into the weirder side of Marvel’s history. The only shame is the level design, which is admittedly quite straightforward. While occasional offshoot paths house collectibles and scrap to upgrade Peter’s equipment, the rigid path can feel like a missed opportunity.
But when the time for shooting starts, combat holds up very well and offers a decent challenge. Peter Quill comes equipped with his trademark Quad Blasters, and a sturdy lock-on and camera system ensure blasting aliens is good fun. But being part of a team, giving orders also plays a huge role. Each character can be directed to assist both in combat and to solve certain puzzles, such as Gamora’s agility allowing her to serve as an anchor to throw Peter to a higher ledge. As you defeat enemies, experience is earned with a bonus given for a higher combo multiplier. These can then be spent on unlocking abilities for the team, with powerful attacks and buffs offering strategies as you earn more. Team AI is really competent, balanced to mostly stay alive while not doing all the work. It helps that the cavalcade of creepy foes you fight often require unique strategies, such as gelatinous cubes, tentacled feline abominations and a few of the more infamous bosses from Marvel lore.
But when the time for shooting starts, combat holds up very well and offers a decent challenge. Peter Quill comes equipped with his trademark Quad Blasters, and a sturdy lock-on and camera system ensure blasting aliens is good fun. But being part of a team, giving orders also plays a huge role. Each character can be directed to assist both in combat and to solve certain puzzles, such as Gamora’s agility allowing her to serve as an anchor to throw Peter to a higher ledge. As you defeat enemies, experience is earned with a bonus given for a higher combo multiplier. These can then be spent on unlocking abilities for the team, with powerful attacks and buffs offering strategies as you earn more. Team AI is really competent, balanced to mostly stay alive while not doing all the work. It helps that the cavalcade of creepy foes you fight often require unique strategies, such as gelatinous cubes, tentacled feline abominations and a few of the more infamous bosses from Marvel lore.
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Guardians of the Galaxy has a few noticeable frustrations which, while not game-breaking, do put a dent in its otherwise-shiny exterior. When combat gels it can be an immense amount of fun, but a few specific enemy types tip the game from challenging to frustrating, such as foes who can repeatedly stun lock you. The overwhelming number of foes can be a headache to take on after one of these cheaper goons gets a lock on you. This is all on the default setting and to be fair, an extensive suite of customisation options can alleviate this. It’s also worth noting that the Xbox One does suffer from some technical woes. Lengthy load times between restarts, issues with pop-in and slowdown during chaotic fights and some noticeable sound bugs that lead to dialogue cutting in and out all are a shame and can take you out of the experience.
While these problems are a shame, Eidos Montreal still have crafted an attractive game which features a plethora of stunning moments. The myriad planets and locales you travel to are vast, colourful and peculiar, which leads to excitement as you wait to see what weirdness gets thrown your way next. Character models are often ace, especially the main cast and excellent little details like fur, hair and subtler character-specific animations. The audio side doesn’t disappoint, as you’d expect. The licensed soundtrack is stellar, with classics from the likes of Tears for Fears, Iron Maiden and Billy Idol. The original composition is top-notch too, whether it’s the excellent orchestral accompaniment during gameplay or the rad original band Star-Lord, made up of Eidos Montreal staffers.
While these problems are a shame, Eidos Montreal still have crafted an attractive game which features a plethora of stunning moments. The myriad planets and locales you travel to are vast, colourful and peculiar, which leads to excitement as you wait to see what weirdness gets thrown your way next. Character models are often ace, especially the main cast and excellent little details like fur, hair and subtler character-specific animations. The audio side doesn’t disappoint, as you’d expect. The licensed soundtrack is stellar, with classics from the likes of Tears for Fears, Iron Maiden and Billy Idol. The original composition is top-notch too, whether it’s the excellent orchestral accompaniment during gameplay or the rad original band Star-Lord, made up of Eidos Montreal staffers.
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It’s surprising how lengthy Guardians of the Galaxy is, with the campaign taking over twenty hours to polish off. This might seem a touch long, but pacing is spot on with shooting and action broken up by exploration, puzzles and even space combat in the Milano. A new game plus option allows you to carry over certain upgrades and collectibles, and this is handy as several moments in the story offer a few branching choices which affect later missions. A dialogue option allows you to sometimes alter the course of the story, including a heist plan which drastically changes depending on who you opt to use as bait and debates which can change the difficulty of later missions. These certainly offer incentives for a return visit.
Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the best Marvel games of recent times, offering a fully featured, exciting adventure with a group of flawed yet charismatic heroes. Anchored by strong combat, absorbing alien worlds and an emotionally resonant narrative, it proves a compelling quest until the end. Some noticeable technical blemishes and balancing issues can prove irritating, but these are minor troubles amid what is an otherwise great game. Fans of the comics or films should find plenty to love here and even if you aren’t familiar with the misadventures of this group, the strengths may just be enough to make you a true believer.
Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the best Marvel games of recent times, offering a fully featured, exciting adventure with a group of flawed yet charismatic heroes. Anchored by strong combat, absorbing alien worlds and an emotionally resonant narrative, it proves a compelling quest until the end. Some noticeable technical blemishes and balancing issues can prove irritating, but these are minor troubles amid what is an otherwise great game. Fans of the comics or films should find plenty to love here and even if you aren’t familiar with the misadventures of this group, the strengths may just be enough to make you a true believer.
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VERDICT
"Anchored by strong combat, absorbing alien worlds and an emotionally resonant narrative, Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the strongest Marvel games in recent years, despite some blemishes." OVERALL: 8/10 |
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