Review of Guardians of the Galaxy

Introduction

This game is the best proof that marketing is extremely important for any project. Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the biggest surprises of 2021. Not only is it a good game, but it also provides an incredibly fun experience that made me wish it never ended. Despite the fact that no significant marketing campaign was done for it, this poor marketing made me, along with many others, forget that a game by this name was even coming out this year.

From the moment the game was revealed, despite the fact that the game looked technically bad, that wasn’t the only reason I was worried. First, it’s a game from Square Enix, the creators of Marvel’s Avengers, one of the worst superhero games. This made me think the game was just going to use the Marvel name to make money without putting much effort into developing the game.

Secondly, the insistence on releasing the game this year with such weak marketing and amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected game development, made me think it would be a huge flop. But all of that turned out to be completely wrong.

Story and World

First of all, you don’t need to have read the comics or watched the Guardians of the Galaxy movies because the game offers a brand new original story, and it’s done so well that I can confidently say this is the best adaptation of Guardians of the Galaxy. Yes, the game’s story is better than the movies. Even though you only play as one of the five team members, Peter Quill, also known as Star-Lord, each character gets their own moment, making them feel as if they’re the main character of the game.

The game’s story takes place in space with a team of bounty hunters who are still new to each other, and their leader is Peter, the game’s protagonist. They start their journey by searching for a legendary monster to hunt, but the story takes a huge turn, and a problem arises, leading the team to embark on their true journey, where their relationships with each other deepen. The best part of the story is the team’s relationships, which evolve as you progress through the game.

If you know the Guardians of the Galaxy characters, you’ll know they have a great sense of humor, and that’s present here too. There were many moments where I laughed out loud. You have Peter, the cool guy who loves everyone; Drax, the serious one who never gets the jokes; Rocket, the always angry one; Gamora, Thanos’ daughter, the mysterious one; and Groot, the tree who only says “I am Groot.”

The different personalities, their pasts, and their evolving relationships are the best part of the game. The characters never stop talking, but it all adds depth. Even during comedic moments, it feels real, not forced. Their comments are dynamic; for example, if you walk the wrong way, they’ll warn you and make fun of you, or during battles, they’ll speak in a way that feels like your friends playing with you. There are also many serious and emotional moments.

Like most superhero games, the heroes unite to fight the villain trying to harm the entire world. The story in this game follows the same idea, but it’s done very well. The Guardians’ journey is designed to show you each character’s motivation and why they do what they do. They all interact with each other in a shared journey. Additionally, there are collectibles throughout the game that explain everything happening in the world.

In short, the game provides an original new story for Guardians of the Galaxy with a very well-crafted plot. The only downside is that you need to know English well to understand all the dialogue, as the Arabic translation is awful. Some sentences aren’t translated, the translation is delayed, sometimes glitches happen, and the translation is often wrong. Honestly, it’s the worst part of the game.

Gameplay

The thing I liked the most about the game is that it didn’t try to copy other games. For example, if we talk about the most famous superhero game, it would definitely be the Batman Arkham series, and many superhero games after that have tried to copy it, like Sony’s Spider-Man. But here, things are different. I was surprised when I found out the game was linear and not open-world. It also relies on team management gameplay mixed with crazy action in a Crowd Control style.

At first, I was disappointed when I learned that I would only be playing as Star-Lord, and I wanted to play as each character: slice with Gamora’s sword, smash with Drax’s strength, blow things up with Rocket’s bombs, or destroy with Groot’s branches. But the game made up for this by letting them fight alongside you, with the computer controlling them. There’s no online mode here, but you can still control them by telling them when and where to use their special abilities. When these abilities are used correctly, it’s incredibly fun and can really turn the battle in your favor.

You play as Star-Lord, equipped with powerful pistols to shoot enemies, and over time, you unlock abilities like electricity or ice. Your pistol abilities combined with the other characters’ powers make for a great combo system that makes combat easier and faster. For example, Groot can trap multiple enemies in one spot, then you can have Rocket throw bombs at them, dealing damage to everyone, and then have Drax deal the final blow.

Or you may find an enemy with weak armor against ice, and you hit them with your ice shots, then have Gamora finish them off with a sword strike. Also, Star-Lord has a skill tree to make him stronger, aside from weapon upgrades. The skill tree is small, and you can unlock everything in one playthrough.

The game also presents simple puzzles using your friends’ abilities, such as Rocket building a bridge, Drax lifting boxes for you to climb, or Gamora helping you jump. But honestly, the puzzles were too easy, and over time, they became repetitive, which made me feel bored. However, this wasn’t the only flaw. Before each combat mission, there’s a bit of time where you’re just walking around, doing nothing, just listening to the Guardians talk. It felt like a Rockstar or Naughty Dog game, and I think they could have cut this part out, as it felt unnecessary and dragged the pace.

The game also tries to break the linearity by offering stages with different designs, such as flying your Milano spaceship, engaging in combat with it, or racing with Rocket. These moments are cool but unfortunately, they aren’t frequent enough.

One of the best things about the game is the variety of enemies, which forces you to carefully use your abilities in the right way. Especially on higher difficulty levels, which we recommend, the game offers tough challenges. But at the same time, the game won’t stop you as long as you manage your team well and use their abilities and yours at the right time. Unfortunately, the fun doesn’t last forever, as in the final third of the game, the enemies don’t change much; they’re the same ones you’ve been fighting. However, the skill meter system, similar to Devil May Cry, kept me from caring too much about the repetition and focused on defeating them in a way that earned me a high score.

The last thing I’ll mention about gameplay is the dialogue system, which was really well done. It’s not as deep as RPG games, nor is it too simple, but it’s very fitting. There are decisions you make that affect the immediate and long-term future. Some choices change the layout of a stage. The story doesn’t change drastically, but for example, you could end a confrontation with dialogue, or a stage might become easier depending on your choices. Also, on the Milano ship, the team members are doing things to make them feel like real people. You can talk to them and improve your relationship with them before each battle.

Technical Performance

The graphics in this game are amazing—advertisements for the game really undersold it. The details, lighting, and artistic direction are incredible. Although most of the stages present industrial environments, each one feels different because it’s on a different planet. You’ll see landscapes and designs that really make you feel like you’re in a unique and beautiful place.

The lip-syncing and facial animations were excellent and helped immerse me further. The voice acting team did an outstanding job, and with all this beauty, the cinematography is also fantastic, offering a wide variety of choices.

And everything is great, but the music and sound in the game are another level. The game includes a selection of ’70s songs like rock, pop, and metal, all of which are amazing and get you pumped during battles. There’s also original music for the game, which is fantastic. The best part is you can play the full playlist of all the game’s songs on your Milano ship and enjoy them.

Final Verdict

Guardians of the Galaxy was my biggest surprise this year. The marketing and promotion by Square Enix really hurt the game, because it’s truly enjoyable and must be played, whether you’re a fan of superheroes or not.

Final Rating 8/10