Square Enix's upcoming Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy action RPG will reintroduce players to the team of characters they may have already come to know from the MCU film series - Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Drax the Destroyer - albeit with new designs, inspiration pulled from the comics, and a few other personality tweaks. Here's what fans of Guardians of the Galaxy should know about its characters before heading into the game.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy was first leaked in 2017, although it wasn't officially confirmed until E3 2021, which also revealed the first look at its gameplay and design. The Guardians of the Galaxy game will be a single-player experience centered around Star-Lord, with the rest of the team being controlled by AI. Each will have unique responses to player decisions and even combat will be a group effort, helping to emphasize the importance and individuality of its iconic characters.
It was likewise revealed that the Guardians of the Galaxy game will be set in its own original universe rather than tying into other games or the Marvel films, something that could help to explain why the game's characters don't look exactly like those seen in the MCU series. An armor-wearing Groot and the fact that the game's version of Rocket Raccoon sports a beard are further evidence of this, but there are a couple of other changes to be aware of as well.
How Star-Lord And Gamora Change In The GOTG Game
Firstly, it's been noted that the backstories and even personalities of each character on the Guardians of the Galaxy team will be inspired by a mix of the GotG comics and films rather than taking inspiration strictly from one or the other. This also seems to explain the decisions behind Gamora's design in particular, as developers noted that her design shows her willingness and ability to strike at any given moment, positioning her as the "most dangerous woman in the galaxy." The E3 trailer also revealed that she collects figurines, perhaps hinting that she has a softer side. It's unknown at the moment, however, whether she and Star-Lord will have any romantic interest in one another as they do in the MCU films.
Developers on Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy's official Twitter account additionally explained Drax's character design, stating that his tattoos detail his life's story and the architecture of his home planet. Star-Lord, though bearing relatively similar features to those seen on Chris Pratt in the Guardians of the Galaxy film series, also comes with a few unique design choices. For one, he's an 80s kid rather than a 70s kid, something that seems like it will influence the game's soundtrack and other musical design choices moving forward. It's likely that more differences from the film series won't be seen until additional game footage is revealed, though, and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy's October release date draws closer.