Marvel’s Avengers proved to be surprisingly divisive; a strong story and excellent performances were a highlight, though aimless free-roam levels and a Destiny-style approach to online play proved to be a tad too overambitious even for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Guardians of the Galaxy scales things back a little, putting you in control of only one character - Star-Lord - and keeping the focus on a linear single-player mission that proves to be a high-octane, story-driven blockbuster experience that does this team justice.
While you spend the game in control of Peter Quill, an exciting combat mechanic means that you’ll be able to unleash Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot on the cosmic goons you cross paths with, and mastering this system is extremely rewarding. Once that happens, you’ll be blasting through aliens with Star-Lord’s Element Guns, all while commanding Drax to pound them into dust, Gamora to slice them down to size, and for Groot to hold them in place as Rocket bombs them into oblivion. It’s a satisfying, joyous approach to a shoot 'em up like this, and helps make up for any repetitiveness in terms of the types of villains you square off with. There are a lot of lookalike baddies, but while that can be a detriment to some games, you’ll be having too much fun to care here...especially when the action on screen is playing out to hits like Rick Astley’s "Never Gonna Give You Up" and Billy Idol’s "White Wedding."
Guardians of the Galaxy’s soundtrack is sheer perfection, and whether it’s in the thick of the action or on the Milano, it’s always fun to hear these tunes accompanying what’s happening on screen (the original music by fictional band "Star-Lord" is also a pleasant surprise).
The story is emotional and very character-driven; there are times when there’s a little too much talking (leaving you anxious to return to the action), though we did enjoy being able to interact with the rest of the team on the ship and throughout levels. The banter as the crew explore their surroundings is superb, though it’s the fact that certain dialogue choices (and there are quite a few) have an impact on the story and how things play out later on that make Guardians of the Galaxy a game worth replaying multiple times. Cutscenes do run long and the gaps between action becomes a chore on a handful of occasions, but exploration is fun and rewarding, especially if you're on the hunt for alternate costumes. Overall, the deep dive into these characters is appreciated.
Visually, Guardians of the Galaxy looks phenomenal on the PlayStation 5. Some surroundings run the risk of falling into generic territory, but the character models and explosive action enhance that and ensure they never distract. Most do look very good, and there’s a lot of detail and small additions you’ll delight in. Yes, it’s a shame there’s never really a moment that will leave you in awe of the landscape in front of you, but the game certainly makes good use of newer generation consoles and the planets you explore feel suitably alien and weird.
The highlight in that respect is the time you're given to explore Knowhere; there, you can gamble, get ripped off, and even explore The Collector's museum. It's incredible. A handful of space battles nicely shake things up, while a solid mixture of Marvel Cinematic Universe and comic book influences ensure there’s something here for everyone to love (and trust us when we say there are some awesome, deep cut Easter Eggs). The entire voice cast is terrific, but it’s Alex Weiner’s take on Rocket that really steals the show. Jon McLaren, meanwhile, is fantastic as Star-Lord.
Guardians of the Galaxy delivers everything a Marvel fan could want from a game featuring the iconic team, and a rockin' soundtrack, soulful story, and amped up gameplay ensure this action-packed cosmic caper is worth experiencing.