Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy was more than well-received by critics and fans, but recent comments from its publisher, Square Enix, about lackluster sales figures has thrown the possibility of a sequel into doubt. Coming off of 2018's Shadow of the Tomb Raider, developer Eidos-Montréal was handed the keys to a comic franchise that has seen a significant boost in popularity thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It seemed almost a forgone conclusion that there would be a sequel to GOTG after its enthusiastic reception, a highlight of which was winning Best Narrative at The Game Awards 2021. Despite Square Enix's trepidations surrounding GOTG's sales, it's a game that more than deserves a sequel.
In recent years, Square Enix has tried to cash in on the lucrative Marvel branding twice - first with Marvel's Avengers in 2020, and then Guardians of the Galaxy a year later. Avengers was developed by Crystal Dynamics, the studio responsible for the first two games in the new Tomb Raider series, but received a tepid response from players and critics alike, mostly for adopting an aggressive live service model. GOTG, on the other hand, is a dedicated single-player experience with a refreshing lack of micro-transactions. Players primarily control Star-Lord, but Guardians of the Galaxy's Marvel heroes' special abilities are used at the player's discretion both in and out of combat.
Despite an enjoyable romp through the galaxy, the games industry is still largely beholden to sales numbers, which could ultimately determine whether or not GOTG gets a proper follow-up. There hasn't been any official word from Square Enix or Eidos-Montréal either way just yet. There are certainly criticism to be made about the game, especially in regards to the combat, but on the whole, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is more than deserving of a sequel where gameplay iterations can improve any lacking aspects. Luckily, on the Square Enix sales call where Guardians of the Galaxy's disappointing game sales were discussed, the publisher seemed hopeful that figures will improve over time. GOTG had a lot of satisfying character development with a grand story to match, and it would be a shame to see it go to waste without a sequel.
Marvel's GOTG 2 Can Spotlight Other Characters
Guardians of the Galaxy's award-winning narrative does an admirable job juggling its ensemble cast, but is still centered mainly on Peter Quill, alias Star-Lord. The player character bias is expected, especially in a story-driven game like GOTG, but there's a lot of room for a sequel to spotlight other characters. Each of the Guardians goes through a character arc of their own, but they are frequently sidelined because of the player being in Star-Lord's point of view. Flashbacks to Quill's childhood and the worry over Nikki being his daughter make him the unequivocal main character of the game. A lot of the narrative surrounding the other Guardians focuses on them overcoming personal doubts to better work as a team, and with that baseline development out of the way, a sequel could really dig into their characters.
Marvel's GOTG sets up playable Adam Warlock, but the four other members of the ragtag team are primed for their own stories, especially Gamora and Drax. The overarching villain of the MCU's first three phases, Thanos, was mentioned multiple times in the game. In the alternate timeline of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, Drax is supposedly the killer of the Mad Titan, but the slayer himself is not so confident about that eventuality. Similarly, Gamora is Thanos' adoptive daughter, and her fledgling, protective relationship with Nikki stems from her own experiences. The game takes place in a separate timeline from the MCU, but an odyssey to stop Thanos might help drum up excitement for a second game. GOTG hinted at Thanos returning in a sequel, and it might be just the narrative gimmick needed to kickstart more interest in the games.
Aside from the main conflict, Guardians of the Galaxy set up plenty of opportunities for peripheral arcs. With Ko-Rel gone, Nikki has seemingly become a member of the Guardians, which provides plenty of room to build on GOTG. Much of the first game was spent pondering the possibilities of Nikki being Star-Lord's daughter, and while he may not be her biological father, he now appears at least partially responsible for raising her. Especially with Rocket's position of having just recently trusted the rest of the team with his fears, a GOTG sequel could greatly expand on Nikki grappling with the loss of her mother and the emergence of her powers. This could compellingly run parallel to a more in depth look at Rocket's story.
Marvel's GOTG 2 Can Iterate On The First's Gameplay
If GOTG's Mass Effect 1-like final battle is any indication of where a sequel is intended to go, Nikki will need to be brought into the fold for gameplay purposes. Unfortunately, the special abilities of Guardians four other members fit perfectly on the face buttons of a gamepad. GOTG 2 could conceivably write Nikki out of the main gameplay loop, keeping her a tertiary character, but her newfound powers could be a boon to the gameplay that took a backseat to the narrative in the first game. With the game's combat giving players moderate control over all five Guardians, it was interesting conceptually, but frequently turned tedious as enemy health bars grew and newly unlocked abilities only slightly differed from others.
Especially if Adam Warlock returns in any significant capacity alongside Nikki, the Marvel's GOTG formula might need an overhaul. Playing with combinations of attacks was already interesting, but it wasn't a very deep system and felt as though it could lean further into the team synergies aspect. Guardians of the Galaxy's narrative is so good but the combat is repetitive in comparison, with bullet sponge enemies that don't satisfyingly reward the player for figuring out the best way to dispatch them. If a GOTG 2 really wanted to shake things up, it could put players in control of a different character, but that feels like a gamble Square Enix isn't keen on making. The gameplay's story-telling aspects just need to be grafted onto a new narrative, but smaller components - like the few instances where players could freely fly the Milano - could be given more depth in order to supply a Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy sequel with more depth.