Square Enix lifted the lid on Guardians of the Galaxy, their new single player third-person adventure based upon the group of Marvel superheroes, at their E3 2021 showcase. It looks sick and easily stands out as one of the most impressive titles shown off at the show – just look at the trailers below to see how good it looks:
We’re super hyped to play the game already… want to know why? If the trailer wasn’t enough to get you excited, you can check out our five reasons to be hyped for Guardians of the Galaxy down below:
– It’s a single player experience
There are a lot of titles released these days that focus heavily on multiplayer, even IF there is a single-player component involved. Personally, I’m not too crazy about multiplayer titles, so it’s great to see that Guardians of the Galaxy is single player-focused, with an engaging narrative and fantastic set pieces taking a front seat. The gameplay and presentation actually reminded me of Jedi: Fallen Order a little bit; that was one of the best single player-focused titles I’ve played over the last few years, so it can only be a good thing.
And let’s be honest, we can get our multiplayer superhero fix from Square Enix’s other release Marvel’s Avengers, so it’s not as if Guardians of the Galaxy NEEDED a multiplayer component. I know my favourite missions from Marvel’s Avengers were the ones that could only be played in single player and that were full to the brim with cinematic set pieces, so having more of that sort of thing here will be great.
‘But the Guardians of the Galaxy are a team, how can you take advantage of them all if it’s single player?’, I hear you ask. Well, as seen in the gameplay trailer, players will be able to call on the help of Gamora, Drax, Groot and Rocket with some simple buttons presses, with their abilities used in synchronicity with Star Lord’s. It’s a really neat idea that allows the game to focus heavily on teamwork, but with just one player dictating all of the action.
– The decisions you make will have an impact on how events play out
One of the coolest things unveiled in Guardians of the Galaxy’s trailer was that players would make choices that affect how events play out and how the other characters view Star Lord. It could be something as simple as allowing Drax to throw Rocket across a huge gap (which will seriously piss Rocket off) or deciding whether to ‘sell’ Groot or Rocket to a monster collector. Rocket is really getting the short end of the stick in the game, isn’t he?
These choices will then change both how your allies see you as well as how you will progress through levels. We didn’t get to see this in too much depth in the gameplay trailer, but it ensures that there will be more replayability and unpredictability to each player’s playthrough. I know it will give me an incentive to play through more than once to see all of the different possibilities, which is always a plus in a single player title. It’s going to be a bit of a balancing act keeping everyone happy, but that’s what team leaders have got to do…
It is probably worth noting that it has been confirmed that there will only be one ending to the game, so your decisions won’t affect the narrative TOO much. I actually prefer this though; I’ve already made drastic decisions as the team in Telltale Games’ take on Marvels ragtag group of heroes, so making choices that don’t have TOO huge of a repercussion (but that are still fun and affect the gameplay) is a bit of a relief.
– It’s an original Guardians of the Galaxy universe
Whilst I wouldn’t have minded seeing a Guardians of the Galaxy game set in the MCU or using a pre-existing comic book storyline, it’s nice to see that Eidos Montreal have creative freedom in how they want to shape the story. It means players can expect the unexpected, whether they are a die-hard fan of the movies, an avid reader of the comics, or simply a newbie that has a basic idea of what to expect from the unlikely troupe of heroes.
The developers have already said we’ll see both some familiar and unfamiliar faces, so I’m intrigued to see just how deep into the fifty-years of Guardians of the Galaxy lore the team will go when putting together the story. Either way, I’m excited to see what the narrative will bring, with Star Lord and company’s journey sure to be a spectacular one…
– It’s going to have a banging 80s soundtrack (that actually ties into the gameplay)
Come on, if there’s ONE thing you associate with Guardians of the Galaxy, it’s a banging 80s soundtrack. Oh, and a talking raccoon… and a giant tree that only mutters three words… but yeah, it’s mainly the soundtrack.
It has already been confirmed that there will be thirty classic songs from the 80s that include the likes of Rick Astley, Kiss, Wham and Joan Jett, so the catchy beats will be pumping from across a wide range of genres. However, it’s the way that the songs themselves tie into gameplay that is most impressive, with the ‘Huddle’ feature allowing players to improve their efficiency in battle to the beat of a catchy 80s song… well… provided Star Lord can pump the team up with a pep talk, that is. It sounds strange, sure, but it’s befitting of the Guardians of the Galaxy universe and sounds like it’ll make for a really cool feature in-game.
– It is coming out this year!
Given everything that has happened in the world over the last year, it’s no surprise to see that a lot of video games have either been delayed or just aren’t releasing until 2022 and beyond. It makes sense given the circumstances that developers have found themselves in, so it’s hard to complain too much. Still, it would be nice to see more big titles hit by the end of the year, right?
Well, Guardians of the Galaxy has a confirmed October 26th release date, so it’s due to hit PC and consoles before the end of the year… yay! Sure, there’s always the possibility it could be delayed, but what we’ve seen in gameplay videos looks final so far. Either way, it’s shaping up to be one of the titles I’m most excited for right now, so the fact that it’s releasing in 2021 is even sweeter.
Guardians of the Galaxy is coming to the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC on October 26th 2021. Find out more on the official website through this link.
