Star Wars games are a dime a dozen, but their style and overall quality can vary widely, in part because the IP has been licensed to so many different developers. There is a big difference in something like Respawns Star Wars Jedi soulslikes and Ubisoft's open world Star Wars Outlawsin other words. This is positive and negative, because variety is always good, but the “soul” of Star Wars can be difficult to capture with so many different chefs.
That's why it was so surprising and refreshing when Square Enix 2021 released Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxyan original story in the Marvel universe that has seriousness Star Wars vibes. A narrative action-adventure with light RPG elements, the game is a tightly crafted experience from start to finish, distilling the dysfunctional charm of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy cast without feeling derivative. Of course it isn't Star Warsbut the high-flying adventure in space, the camaraderie of the main crew and the explosive pace of its meticulously crafted levels and setpieces make it just as good a Star Wars experience like any other.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy tells a charming, awesome story
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy underperformed at launch, which could have been the result of a number of factors, but one historical detail cannot be overlooked: it was released just a year after Marvel's Avengers' flop. Because Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers were both published by Square Enix, and since they both feature an ensemble cast, many assumed it would offer the same underwhelming GaaS antics as its predecessor.
Square Enix may also have scaled back its marketing efforts too Guardians of the Galaxy after the widely publicized failure Avengers.
But Guardians of the Galaxy surprised the crowd: it landed as an unexpectedly charming and polished single-player game, with a great story, lovable characters and unique, visually appealing levels. It follows the head Guardians of the Galaxy crew – Peter Quill, Groot, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora and Drax the Destroyer – as they enter into conflict with the cult-like Universal Church of Truth. It also features other iconic Marvel characters, such as Adam Warlock, Mantis and Lady Hellbender.
The Guardians of the Galaxy the game is quite similar Guardians of the Galaxy movies in any way: funny, disarming and filled to the brim with awesome (and probably expensive) licensed 80s rock and metal music. The story is rich in themes of found families and underdogs, making it easy to root for the heroes as they make their way through all manner of bizarre and flamboyant alien planets. It is through these places, varied and memorable as they are, that Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy appeals to fans of Star Wars' tall tales of adventure.
Guardians of the Galaxy squeezes all the juice out of its intragalactic premise
One of the most common pitfalls of action-adventure games set in space — and Star Wars Video games are no exception to this – is an unwillingness to fully embrace the strangeness of the environment. When a story features several different alien races, fictional economic or political systems, and unlikely technologies like warp drives, it should come across as appropriately bombastic and off-beat.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order or Star Wars: The Force Unleashedwhile good in many ways, you feel bogged down by either realistic or cruel storytelling elements. They can lose the sense of wonder that should be pervasive in a complicated intergalactic environment. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy expertly avoids such mundanity by being comically expressive, colorful and, by extension, uniquely appealing. Whether you're exploring the neon-lit streets of Nowhere, plotting with Cosmo the Spacedog, or making your way through the collapsing wreckage of the Quarantine Zone, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is sufficiently outlandish and startling—just what one Star Wars-as space adventures should be.
Is Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy worth playing today?
Despite its many strengths, Guardians of the Galaxy has some flaws. Perhaps the biggest knock is its combat, which is repetitive and shallow. It doesn't help that the game lacks both enemy variety and interesting enemy design. Also, the game may come across as a little too quaint for some, depending on what they expect from a triple-A RPG. Guardians of the Galaxys campaign is only about 12 hours long, and RPG style choices don't have a significant impact on the story. Additionally, there are very few interwoven gameplay systems, resulting in a lack of depth.
But for many players, it is precisely these aspects that do Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy such a breath of fresh air. It's not trying to be The Greatest Space Game Ever Made, it's just trying to entertain. In this way, Guardians of the Galaxy is more than the sum of its parts and offers a compelling, fun and intense experience that surpasses many Star Wars game.
