Guardians of the Galaxy took the world by storm when James Gunn released the film in 2014. Few years later Marvel made a deal with Square Enix to produce two games based on Avengers and Guardians. Only the strongest survived the onslaught Guardians is one of the best Marvel games in a while. I argue it’s on par with Spider Man exclusive to PS5. As of now Square Enix sold their gaming division to Embracer Group for $300 million. I’m unaware what the future holds for franchises like Tomb Raider although it seems like Kingdom Hearts 4 is still set to be released in the coming years.
If you watched the first two movies it has that same feeling but even better. The characters are great, everyone has their own quirk that makes each of them contribute to the team. Gamora gives training lessons, Drax holds his ground with sentiment and prides in the face of danger. Star Lord looks out for everyone even when don’t want his help. Rocket and Groot do what they do best being themselves. If one of them had a bad day Star Lord brings the tunes. Along the journey Rocket upgrades your gear and you unlock outfits for your team like Gamora’s outfit from the first movie or Rocket’s Nova Corp uniform. My favorite is Star Lord’s Team Lord space suit which reminds me of his appearance in Avengers Earth Mightiest Heroes. One of the best moments comes from Knowhere after the Guardians crossed paths with a cult. Everyone does their own thing Star Lord finds Drax staring into the cosmos. They reflect on their families respectively how it shaped them into what they are now. Peter was taken from his mother at a young age due to his heritage while Drax was on the hunt for Thanos, killing him in the process. Peter gives him wise words of encouragement telling him they have each other’s back brother in arms. Before Peter leaves to find answers Drax tells him that he hopes his mom went to heaven.
When enemies get tough they get tougher. Guardians saw some battles throughout the MCU Infinity Saga in the span of 4 films. Ronan the Accuser. Nebula. The Sovereign. Ego. And Thanos. At the core, it’s all about second chances and learning what it means to be a family. At the start Peter with Rocket and Groot hire Drax and Gamora for their first official gig as bounty hunters. They have to set bombs on an unknown planet just to capture a beast on the contract. And they get a ton of credits if they make it out with their lives. Seemed like an easy gig at first then someone opened Pandora’s box setting the stage for our band of heroes and villains. And there’s a Llama on the ship.
They fight against a cult seeking annihilation but to every movie about superheroes there’s always a mastermind behind the scenes up to no good. Magnus is a villain related to one of the infinity stones. The soul stone is the most deadly of the six. Led to beloved characters from past MCU movies to the grave leaving Thanos destroying heroes career also leaving them in the dust. Magus manipulates the entire galaxy throughout the game with false promises gaining enough power to turn into Super Mario and take over the whole galaxy. The only way to stop him is finding his twin brother Adam Warlock and sending him back to the soul stone from whence he came. And just leave it on his brother’s forehead and call it a day.
Overall, Guardians of The Galaxy is a blast and I thank Xbox Game Pass for releasing it on their service along with their upgraded controller which makes taking pictures much easier. In the wake of Marvel’s Avengers reception, Guardians is a joy to unfold with tunes from the 80s and Easter eggs in the Marvel Universe and the Multiverse. I want them to make a Fantastic Four game if their new owners have that in mind. But for now enjoy Guardians of The Galaxy and catch you on the flip side.
