Platform: Xbox Series X
Wrapping up this game right as the promotional trailers and images for the movie Supergirl were dropping colored my experience a bit. The movie looks like a cheap knockoff of James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. It's clear that the powers that be just told Gunn to give them GotG in the DC universe, and it's not going well.
But you know what did go well? Playing this game. It's a little gem that fits right alongside other solid licensed video games like RoboCop and Indiana Jones, and you can get it for a song these days.
As always, I use a 10-Topic, 10-Point System to guide my thoughts. This keeps me from painting an entire game with a single broad brush, like saying "I hated the side missions" and leaving it at that.
Let's jump in!
1. STORY – 7
I always like starting with the "story" in a video game like this, but more often than not, I end up disappointed. Developing a coherent narrative that spans dozens of hours while managing characters with branching dialogue seems like an impossible task. However, there is a powerful story inside this game that does extremely well from a creative standpoint.
Early on, there is a notable moment when the team has to walk a long distance across a bridge. It's masterfully done through both the visuals and the script. Taking a risk like that in an "action" game is a massive gamble, but it works phenomenally well. I immediately thought to myself that I was in for an incredible experience, what a hidden gem to find at a thrift store for $4!
That moment carried the game for the next several chapters, only for the narrative to fizzle out later. The second half of the story deals with a space faith and a magical rock. While intriguing, it becomes a bit convoluted, an affliction many video games suffer from. After Chapter 8, things fall somewhat flat. That said, Chapters 1 through 8? That part is a masterpiece 10.
2. OBJECTIVES – 9
On my first playthrough, it was a bit confusing to wrap my head around what the game was trying to achieve. I'm not a massive GotG comic book fan, but I’ve read a few issues, watched two of the movies, and enjoyed the Christmas Special, so I wasn't completely in the dark. Once I got a handle on what I was supposed to be doing regarding the weapon system and organizing my teammates, I restarted the game, and everything clicked.
Once you grasp the loop, the Objectives (the things you are supposed to do) become much clearer and more enjoyable. It's a linear game, but it features plenty of puzzles and items to search for. It's fun and keeps you moving forward. I eventually fell in love with the combat encounters because of all the different ways to approach them. Being able to order your team around is a mechanic I love, and options are aplenty here.
That said, I did eventually turn down the enemy health via the difficulty sliders. Otherwise, battles started to take forever, which felt completely unnecessary. It made me feel like there was a game-length quota Eidos was trying to hit.
3. IN-GAME ART / DESIGN – 9
Fantastic! Well, 90% of the time. Again, toward the end, the environments started to feel unfinished or at least lacked the polish of the first half of the game. However, the character designs, environments, and objects were all as good as can be. The ship was absolute perfection; it felt like a real, lived-in place instead of an endless labyrinth of rooms and floors.
For the most part, the game is bright, colorful, and a visual joy to play. I also loved the chaotic nature of the combat. I could really feel the presence of Shadow of the Tomb Raider in the overall execution of the artwork, which makes sense given that I thoroughly enjoyed all three Tomb Raider games Eidos worked on.
4. MUSIC AND SOUND – 10
The score and the licensed pop soundtrack are excellent. It certainly helps to have the cinematic identity of the movies to pull from, and the choice of pop music makes for a great time.
Admittedly, I've often thought the entertainment industry should let some of these 70s, 80s, and 90s tracks "retire" for a while because they are so played out. Maybe it's different for younger generations, but as someone who grew up with these songs, I usually feel like they should be put in the bottom drawer for a while. However, it's incredibly neat that Steve Szczepkowski (the game's Senior Audio Director) and musician Yohann Boudreault wrote actual, original rock tracks for this game's fictional band. A perfect 10.
5. GAMEPLAY – 9
The gameplay works incredibly well in tandem with what I mentioned in the "Objectives" section. The big hook for this franchise is the team-as-a-family dynamic. You can write that into a movie script easily enough, but replicating it through mechanics in a video game is much more difficult. They nailed it here.
Directing your team to success, helping them out of a bind, and using their unique skills to solve puzzles are all accomplished seamlessly through the gameplay and your perspective as Peter Quill. I loved the agency I had as a player. There is a surprising amount of depth to the combat for an action-adventure title. As mentioned before, they just overcooked how much damage enemies can take. My recommendation is to turn enemy health down and leave the rest of the difficulty sliders alone. Do that, and it's a joy!
6. EMOTIONAL IMPACT – 8
I was genuinely taken aback by how bold this game was regarding the plotline of Quill potentially having a child out in the universe. I suppose a younger version of me wouldn't have been hit as hard by it, but having a 10-year-old myself now, it really resonated.
Outside of that, the game tackles the concept of "faith" pretty heavily. It presents a version of "heaven" that simply traps you in the happiest moments of your past before ultimately absorbing you. It made me wonder if the thematic point was that nostalgia can kill you, which is a fascinatingly bold thesis considering how heavily the Guardians franchise relies on nostalgia. It's almost subversive to effectively say: this core trait of your main character needs to be examined and destroyed. I'm not sure the corporate IP owners loved that, but I certainly did.
7. LONGEVITY – 8
This is easily a game I will revisit down the road, likely after we are all a bit burned out on James Gunn-style tropes in cinema. Licensed games of yesteryear tend to be the ones people actively seek out as time passes. They become wonderful little time capsules.
8. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE – 5
Probably not much. It seems it sold decently but failed to meet Square Enix's lofty corporate projections. Not long after its release, Square Enix's western studios were parted out to the Embracer Group. It's a shame, because there is real magic to be found here. Perhaps if it hadn't launched onto Game Pass so quickly, its commercial legacy would be different.
9. X-FACTOR – 7
Despite a noticeable drop-off in the final acts (I'd rather not talk about the millennial writing for Mantis, which contributes) and the mildly annoying fact that the game fakes you out with several false endings, it is a thoroughly fun ride. Just tone down the bullet-sponge enemies when you start, and you'll have a blast.
10. PROMOTIONAL ART AND DESIGN – 8
I think it's great! I own a physical copy, and a great piece of box art gets you halfway there right from the start. The cover is vibrant, fun, and looks excellent on a shelf. Again, it benefits beautifully from having a rich visual history to draw upon.
-----------------------
TOTAL SCORE: 80/100
----------------------