Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy has arrived to give Marvel fans a new take on the iconic team of cosmic characters while also providing an action RPG. Opting for a purely single-player experience, Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy mixes third-person shooting, character-driven dialogue choices, and squad-based commands for one of the most exciting game releases in recent history.

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As a result, the game throws a lot at the player from beginning to end, and not every trick is told through hints and tutorials. So, every player deserves a few tips to help them on their journey to slay monsters and save the universe from cosmic threats while keeping the Guardians from killing each other.

Star-Lord Is The Only Playable Character

The Guardians gathered together on the bridge of the Milano in Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy

Despite being made by the same studios, Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy takes a very different approach from Marvel's Avengers. Star-Lord is the one and only playable character and it proves to be for the best, whereas Marvel's Avengers has many characters to choose from.

Like Commander Shepard in Mass Effect, everything is told through Star-Lord's perspective, and from this point of view, it allows the player to personally get to know the Guardians by interacting with them. This also gives a hands-on telling of Peter's origin story which is very different than what is shown in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Don't Expect The MCU Version

The Guardians in shackles lined up for questioning in Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy

There are elements taken from the cinematic portrayals of these characters, particularly Star-Lord's love for music and Drax's overly serious demeanor that tends to result in laughs. However, those expecting a 1:1 adaptation of those versions will be surprised by how different this game takes things.

From Star-Lord being a prince of Spartax to the War that the Guardians were once part of, Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy presents a new take on the cosmic Marvel universe while taking from both the films and comics alike.

Streamers Beware

Star-Lord holding up his walkman in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

If a gamer just plays the game normally, they will enjoy the massive selection of classic songs on Star-Lord's playlist. However, those wanting to either stream the game or make walkthrough videos will run into the problem of copyright since those songs do play throughout the story and even during combat.

There is a solution: a streaming mode that turns off all copyrighted music. Unfortunately, certain segments won't have the same impact without the songs, but Square Enix and Eidos were smart. There is an entire album of songs by the in-universe band Star-Lord whom Peter nicknames himself after and they are all well-orchestrated rock songs.

Search Every Nook And Cranny

Guardians of the Galaxy Dazzler Poster

As a whole, Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy is a linear single-player experience. However, the planets and environments all have branches and secret areas; exploring can result in finding much more crafting components to upgrade Star-Lord while providing more fun in the already stellar worlds.

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The biggest bonus is the Guardian chests that when opened gift the player with an alternate skin for a Guardian. These skins are all well-designed and feature styles from the comics and movies alike. On top of all that, simply interacting with certain items can allow for character and story development.

Talk To The Guardians

Star-Lord speaking with the Guardians on the Milano in Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy

Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy takes inspiration from many games, including Square Enix and Eidos' very own Deus Ex series. Like in those games, Star-Lord can talk to many people and the dialogue trees do have an impact on the story.

It is beneficial to take the time and speak to Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot whenever the opportunity is given. Even the simple choice of letting someone like Gamora or Rocket vent can lead to fixing a problem. This can allow the player to become more attached to these Guardians by listening to their troubles, their past, or even something humorous, such as Gamora collecting figurines.

The Visor Helps

Star-Lord scanning the environment in his visor mode in Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy

In the beginning chapter, a hint is given that Star-Lord's helmet visor can be helpful. That is actually downplaying it since the visor has many uses, especially when upgraded down the line. Star-Lord can scan pieces of the environment, see in the dark, find collectibles easier, and more.

With upgrades, the visor can become helpful in combat. For example, scanning enemies in mid-battle can give information that can completely help turn a fight in the Guardians' favor. The visor can also assist in exploring those aforementioned secret areas and chests.

Think Like A Leader

The team assemble in Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy

There is a reason why the other Guardians are not playable: the game wants the player to embody the role of a leader of a ragtag team. Whether it is rallying the team during a mid-combat huddle, picking the Guardians' attacks, or talking to the Guardians on the Milano, the game shows that being a leader is hard.

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Both Peter Quill and the player have to learn from mistakes, ponder their choices carefully, and try their hardest to keep the team from falling apart. Both story and combat push the player to be the best leader for the Guardians.

Upgrade And Maintain The Guardians

Gamora's ability upgrade screen in Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy

It is very easy to want to focus purely on Star-Lord's upgrades since he is the only playable character. However, Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy can get difficult, and like with RPG parties in classic games, the player cannot face armies of monsters and other cosmic Marvel villains by themselves.

Upgrading the other Guardians' abilities should be a priority, allowing the player to command the other Guardians to use their abilities in high-threat combat situations. Also, the other Guardians are not invincible and can go down in battle or become incapacitated; this means the player should make it a priority to keep the Guardians alive and in the fight.

Don't Fight Blindly

Star-Lord wielding his Element Guns in Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy

At first, Star-Lord's combat seems relatively simple: rush around, avoid getting hit, and shoot every enemy with the blaster. However, as the game progresses, the more the enemies become smarter, faster, stronger, and more complex with different weaknesses and fight patterns.

Simply holding down the trigger at the enemies will not work. Star-Lord has multiple abilities, he can swap to different elemental ammo types on his signature Marvel weapons: the Element Guns, and he can use melee. Each enemy requires the player to think on their feet, dodge, and change tactics, leading to fights that can leave them feeling winded.

Combo Attacks Are Very Important

Star-Lord, Drax, and Gamora battling Nova Corps together in Marvel's Guardians Of The Galaxy

Much like Star-Lord's attacks, simply siccing the Guardians out like attack dogs can only do so much damage. It pays off to study and master the different Guardians' abilities and create combo attacks with them in battle.

If used properly, multiple specific Guardians' abilities can stack upon each other to not only provide a large amount of damage, but also deal out damage to many enemies at once. Not only does it look dynamic, but it is rather satisfying to pull off.

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