A new promotional video for Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy sees various streamers getting "rickrolled," with singer Rick Astley himself joining in on the fun. The recently-released sci-fi superhero title, developed by Eidos-Montreal, seeks to capture the spirit of the team's live-action films while also embracing the characters' comic book roots. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy's 80's soundtrack helps to inform the backstory of protagonist Star-Lord while also playing a role in combat.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy finds a balance between the titular team's comic book origins and the live-action adaptions seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While most of the team's backstories will be recognizable to casual fans, an abundance of additional lore is presented to players through text. For example, the death of Peter Quill's mother and his abduction into space will be familiar to fans of James Gunn's films. However, Drax's personality and backstory is quite different from Dave Bautista's rendition of the alien warrior, with Eidos-Montreal granting the hero more gravitas and depth. Reviews of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy have praised this adaptation for capturing the group's usual tone while also delivering an emotional narrative.
In a video posted to Twitter, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy teams up with Rick Astley to rickroll unsuspecting streamers. The singer/songwriter's hit "Never Gonna Give You Up" is infamous as a meme online, but it was also a best-selling debut single for the artist back in 1987. This earned the song a place in the Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, and streamers like Dr Lupo and Paladin Amber found this out the hard way. The action title's Huddle mechanic lets Star-Lord give the other Guardians a pep-talk during battle, with an 80's hit blasting over his walkman afterwards. While choosing an effective speech will power up the team, failing to do so can result in an embarrassing rickroll.
While Eidos-Montreal's Marvel title features a bunch of rock hits from the decade, Guardians of the Galaxy features more Easter eggs from the 1980s as well. The nostalgic paraphernalia adds to Peter Quill's backstory, as the outer space outlaw was taken from his home during that time period. His childhood bedroom perfectly emulates the 80's by including several pieces of real-world imagery, such as an issue of Rolling Stone magazine, a poster for the 1982 sci-fi action flick Tron and a TV guide listing for the show Knight Rider. Quill's room on the Guardians' spaceship, The Milano, maintains this 80's bedroom aesthetic with various posters.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy pays homage to the 1980's through various references and an entire playlist of rock hits. Reaching fame during that bygone era, Rick Astley has maintained his brand recognition into the modern day thanks to both the undeniable style and memetic nature of "Never Gonna Give You Up." By collaborating with the star to advertise Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, developer Eidos-Montreal demonstrates both a reverence for the 80's and a keen understanding of internet culture.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC.