I was a bit apprehensive at first given the complete letdown that Marvel’s Avengers brought to the gaming community. While I have been dying for a new comic-based, superhero adventure, a big part of me really thought that Guardians of the Galaxy would be a flop. I have honestly never been so wrong and have not been more obsessed since the Arkham Knight trilogy and the Marvel’s Spiderman games. Guardian’s of the Galaxy is one of the best action-adventure games to release this year and a huge success for Square Enix and Eidos Montreal. For Marvel fans or gamers that want a Deus Ex meets an almost Mass Effect-like combat, this is the game for you.

A Tale That’s Exactly What You Would Expect…

This visually stunning adventure follows Peter Quill, A.K.A. Star-Lord, who leads the Guardians on random deadly adventures to, of course, get them all out of debt. Along the way, you learn bit by bit about what happened to Peter with random flashbacks of his past. Of course, on the random escapades of the team trying to become heroes for hire, they stumble upon something a little more sinister and galaxy threatening. While it’s a gig that does not necessarily pay, it’s definitely something forced upon them.

While the story feels authentic enough, the developers did a fantastic job capturing the team’s personality and interactions with each other. The spot-on depictions of the Guardians kept me constantly engaged in the story, especially the banter between Peter and Rocket, or even Gamora and Drax. To add to the immersive feel, this game provides dialogue choices proven to be game-changing just like Mass Effect and Deus Ex. While it’s not as severe as the two games, it certainly has a cause-and-effect outcome. Some decisions can be as little as what fine you may have to pay or how a character acts towards you, others can be the difference between a full-out gunfight or stealth missions. The best part is that any decision you make is handled in a way that suits these mentally unstable heroes that we all love.

Friends With Benefits

The combat has a similar feel to Mass Effect or Dragon Age even, giving you the ability to give commands to the guardians to execute. You control only Peter but can use your team to use special abilities or interact with objects in combat or to simply get around. The best part about the abilities the team uses is that each one has an effect with purpose, making strategy essential for higher difficulties. While the combat seems a bit dumbed down, the harder the difficulty, the harder the fights. For example, Drax’s abilities lead him to stagger the enemy and if enough damage has been dealt it will prompt a finisher. Groot on the other hand acts as a bind rooting enemies to the ground so they can’t move. Gamora does the highest damage which helps to finish enemies off while Rocket of course causes massive AOE damage.

Another great part of the game is that not only does the team get a list of abilities to unlock, but Peter also gets upgrades for his guns and element damage. You get a choice between freezing your enemies, burning them, or even electrocuting their shields away. In addition to the gun upgrades like active reload which increases damage, you get more of a mix up which helps since you’re stuck with just playing as Peter. While I do think the game would have benefitted by cycling between characters like Dragon Age in an almost turn-based style, the combat is still enjoyable and the banter between characters helps. Especially when triggering the huddle feature which can go one of two ways, you either motivate your team and deal massive damage with a good pep talk or sound like an idiot and piss them off more.

A Fire Soundtrack and Verdict

While Guardians of the Galaxy was by no means perfect, it is one of the best superhero action-adventure games I have ever played. The soundtrack was amazing filled with classic rock hits that motivate combat and immerse players into the story. The upgrade system was great aside from the fact it was a bit basic. I loved the team chemistry and felt that this game was a fantastic comic book adaption. There were a few bugs, but nothing that kills the game like a lot of Ubisoft titles. While combat could have had a bit more spice, this game shows that linear games are just as powerful as open-world titles. If anything, I commend what Square did by making a superhero game that had no open qualities whatsoever.

DVS Score: 9/10