Guardians of the Galaxy - Review

Introduction

The year 2021 wasn't a particularly big year in gaming. There were some major releases like the new Resident Evil game and Hitman 3 but overall there were not that many highly anticipated games. On the other hand, 2022 is stacking up to be a year full of big releases. Horizon Forbidden West, God of War Ragnarök, Saints Row and Dying Light 2. Just to name a few.

For people who follow popular culture and movies, Guardians of the Galaxy are probably familiar. This gang of misfits have two blockbuster movies have also appeared in one of the biggest movies of all time, The Avengers Endgame.

Just like movies based on games, video games based on movies (or comic books) have not always worked out so well. However, there are notable exceptions, specifically the Batman Arkham games and Spider-Man. You can now add Guardians of the Galaxy to that list.

Characters and Story

Guardians of the Galaxy works because of its excellent cast of characters and their chemistry. They don't get along and they are a dysfunctional bunch, but they seem to find common ground when it really matters. 

The story is stand alone from the movies but I really recommend playing Telltales Guardians of the Galaxy if you get the chance. Particularly Rocket's back story gets a lot of screen time in that game and helps understanding his character. Besides that, it is a fantastic game.

The first two thirds of the game are great but once you get to the last third it starts to lose some of its appeal. By then you're mostly just fighting waves of enemies one after another. It could have been done better in my opinion.

And although I like the bantering between the characters, sometimes it's a bit much and you just wish everyone would shut up for a second.

Gameplay

In the game you step in to the jet boots of Peter "Star-Lord" Quill. Your main weapon is your signature laser blasters but during combat you can (and should) make use of your team mates different abilities. This is done by holding down a button and instructing who should do what to whom. It might seem confusing at first but you get used to it. The combat is generally very fast paced and will get your heart pumping.

Besides combat there is exploration and traversal. With the help of your team mates and their different skills you explore planets, ships and space stations. This is actually one of the most fun parts because unexpected things tend to happen and hearing your team react to theses situations is sometimes hilarious.

Although I was not a big fan of the combat I guess it was more suitable for this game than some kind of stealth/duck and cover gameplay that I usually prefer. 

Artstyle and Music

I am a big fan of the artstyle of the game. It's flashy and it's vibrant with a lot of bright colors. Characters, although not based on their movie counter parts, have a nice and unique look that works. In the game you can find new outfits for them that make them look more like they do in the movies or something totally else. The music mainly consists of 80's rock and pop and I guess you can never go wrong with that. 

Verdict

While not as good as the Arkham Batman series nor Spider-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy is solid super (anti)hero game adaptation. It's a game with a lot of heart but still a bit shallow. It also suffers a bit from repetition in the third act. It's not perfect but still worth the ride.