(game review) - Guardians of the Galaxy

Story

Save the Cheerleader, save the World. Not really. The story seemed a little convoluted at first but ultimately, it is about power and the abuse of.

Star-lord and gang find themselves in trouble and try to get out of it but stumble across a corrupt being who wants to take over the universe, in short. There are some storylines that are great and gives you some background on Peter, as well as Drax, Gamora and Rocket. The guardians are a group of people who have had a troubled past and this game highlights that pulling on your heartstrings.

Gameplay

The gameplay is simply great. Very linear, which does not allow for exploration of anywhere, but story and banter keeps the game moving along nicely. The dialogue is engaging and whilst there are a few moments where you can make a choice on how you answer or react to conversations, although I am not sure if these make a huge deal, but in some instances there are a few gameplay changes to some of the choices you make. An example, a decision you make early in the game, helps you later in the game, however I would need to play the game again to see if that choice really makes a difference or if it is purely cosmetic but delivered into the story in a way that makes it seem important. I mean, if I did not make the "correct" choice, would the game be more challenging? Also, there are some choices where if you do make the wrong choice, the game ends. No, seriously, roll credits. Since worlds are not just flat and linear in real life, it would also be nice if the worlds we enter were more open. I guess the worlds could not be too open due to the storytelling and structure of the plot, but maybe carrying out objectives to unlock areas within the world or complete puzzles/tasks would help with more exploration allowing more depth to the gameplay if the worlds we inhabit were more dense like, dare I say it, Anthem. Imagine the verticality of Anthem and each planet was the size of a GTA Map!

Graphics

Although I noticed a few glitches here and there with the facial animations, the graphics are amazing. The game reminds me of Mass Effect but just a lot better, considering it is current generation. The worlds, the creatures, the design of it all, excellent. I cannot stress the use of colours used in this game, so very vibrant and eye-catching. Also, speaking of design, the design of these characters are a cross between the comic iterations and the movie iteration, so while the designs do not fit your own head-cannon and from what you know/have seen from the MCU or comic book, this is another take... and it works. The design of the creatures, whether they are from the comics, I could not tell you, but a lot of the enemies you fight are weird and wacky but wonderfully designed.

Music/Sound 

The music, whilst not from the movies, does emote the same feelings you get when watching the movies. Some of the chosen songs were questionable, but ultimately goes hand in hand with the gameplay and general feel of the game and what they have delivered, especially when you go into a huddle and the music gives you a special ability for a short period of time. 

Controls

Whilst the controls are a little clunky being that you control Star-lord and can direct the other guardians to do specific moves when they are unlocked, I would say maybe, just maybe, they should have adopted a different way you can fight. However, with that said, it is not terrible and is more dexterity, flexibility and muscle memory which will help you with handling the controls and what you want to do at any one time whilst chaining combos with the team. The changing of combos reminds me of Devil May Cry and in a lot of cases, just as stylised, but this time, with four other characters. Seeing a combo carried out where the entire team chips in is sweet!

Playability

I played this game and I could not put the controller down because I really wanted to know what was going to happen next. The game is fun and with the great music, decent story and funny dialogue, this game, with all its special moves and enemy types, provides nothing but an enjoyable playthrough. I will say some of the death moments or choices that lead to instant death is unforgiving, but who wants an easy game? You can set the difficulty though.

Execution

In the end, the game is a blast to play. A decent and engaging story, good music, great visuals and design, great dialogue and whilst some choices do not seem important or if they really make a huge difference in the game, the game does let you feel connected to these characters where you feel obligated to make the "right" decision you feel for your teammates. The end boss was decent, but the after credits boss, wait, what? Yes, there is a boss after the boss. The team huddles are a little corny and odd to occure in the middle of fights, but strangely it works.