When Square Enix revealed its Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy game back in June of 2021, it welcomed fans of the series into an entirely original universe, complete with unique interpretations of the team's iconic characters and a soundtrack that deviates significantly from that featured in the Guardians of the Galaxy film franchise. In particular, the game's songs are almost instantly recognizable as hits from the 1980s, which comes in stark contrast to the '70s tunes featured in the films. There are a few explanations behind this decision, but the most obvious revolves around the game's individual identity.
The characters in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy aren't quite the same ones that have been seen on movie screens. Particularly, they draw inspiration from both the films and the original comics, aided by a few original design choices to help set the game's characters apart. Gamora, for example, comes with a backstory that deviates largely from that featured in the MCU, and Peter Quill is more of an '80s child than a '70s one. His music choices reflect that.
As much as the game may be trying to take on a more individual approach, though, it's apparent that music will still be a large centerpiece of the gameplay experience, just as it's a key part of the Guardians' presence in the MCU. A recent developer insight video revealed that players will be able to queue up music in combat, even implementing a unique gameplay mechanic that revolves around doing so. As stated by developers, music is "infused into the DNA of the game," and so the particular musical inclusions featured in Guardians of the Galaxy are important to note.
Why The GOTG Game Uses '80s Music & Not '70s
In addition to the game's original orchestrated score, the soundtrack included in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy will feature a mix of rock and pop hits from the '80s, thus far including music from the likes of KISS, Rick Astley, and Iron Maiden. More are likely to be revealed closer to the game's October release date. The reasoning behind this choice - aside from wanting the game to serve as a standalone experience - is largely due to Star-Lord's characterization and backstory. He serves as the player character within the game, and players make decisions and dialogue choices through him despite involvement from other members of the team. As such, it stands to reason that much of the gameplay experience will revolve around him, and the musical elements seem to confirm that.
Steve Szczepkowski, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy's Senior Audio Director, said that reason the team gravitated towards the '80s, in particular, is also in part because the decade is "rich and it's a lot more familiar for our audience than the 70s". Not only will the licensed music reflect that decade, then, but many of the other experiences in the game will as well. Szczepkowski also confirms that the music was designed to organically fit in with gameplay, in most cases, meaning that players of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy will hopefully be treated to an in-game concert that isn't too immersion-breaking at the same time.