WhenMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxywas first shown off at E3 2021, the reaction was mixed. Some thought its exposure during theSquare Enixevent was too long. It was like too much of a good thing. Since Square Enix also publishedMarvel’s Avengers, gamers were also hesitant on trusting that this would be a good game.
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Marvel’s Avengersdoes have its fans but the reviews weren’t the smash hit Square Enix orMarvelwere probably hoping for. However,Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxylooks like it is surprising a lot of players out there because the reviews are pretty high on the aggregate websites. It’s not a mind-blower as it does have issues but all in all, it looks like a pleasant surprise for 2021. Let’s go through what the game does and doesn’t do right.
10Best: Looks Amazing
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyis a sharp-looking game on the new consoles. Everything is so colorful and vibrant. It captures the film look rather well. Getting used to the remodeled characters and voices may take time, but it’s an easy hurdle to jump over after a few hours.
After that, these new designs may even become the new favorites, especially withGamora’s new look. It would be great if she got her own stealth/assassin game.
9Worst: Star-Lord Only Combat
Peter isn’t the most existing character of the group in terms of combat. His blaster combos do get better as players unlock more abilities for him such as the freeze ray. Even after building up his arsenal, there might still be a disconnect for players.
Other characters, likeGamora or Drax, look more fun with their fast melee moves. It would have been nice if players could have switched between characters in battle instead.
8Best: Legitimately Funny
The trailers for this game may have come out as too strong with the jokes but rest assured the humor inMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyis spot on. There are definitely some groaner lines in the game like in the ads, but overall it’s hard not to literally laugh out loud.
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The dynamic between all five of the titular Guardians of the Galaxy is well-thought-out. They honestly feel like a real band of friends as opposed to other games with team-based scenarios.Even Groot hassome good lines.
7Worst: Great Chatter, But It Overlaps
Thechatter between Peterand his team is great, but there is a downside. There is almost too much dialogue in the game. The problem is that that lines can very easily overlap each other because it seems like not enough space was planned out while running around.
The chatter is almost non-stop which, again, is great but it’s not good when lines keep getting cut out. Some games tend to add in ways for characters to repeat themselves if things get interrupted, but that’s not the case forMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
6Best: Great Difficulty Options
The difficulty options in this game, pardon the pun, are out of this world. Not only are there preset modes such as Easy and Hard, but nearly everything about the experience can be tweaked beyond that and at any time. For example, damage done can be increased.
The cooldowns between abilities can be adjusted. There is even an option for players to auto-win quick-time events. 2021 really has been a brilliant year for accessible options andMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyis further proof of that.
5Worst: Limited Save Slots
The game autosaves quite frequently which is nice and it allows for manual saves as well. However, players can only manually save in three slots. That does not seem like enough in a massive RPG like this. Saving manually is also imprecise.
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When we players do save everything they have gathered in terms of items and collectibles will be saved. However, progressin the storymay take them back a bit. It’s a very odd system and would have been nice if manual saves actually saved on the spot.
4Best: Pop Culture References
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyis chock full of pop culture references like the films. It’s kind of amazing really. The budget must have been huge on this one to get everything in here and it goes beyondDisneyand Square Enix stuff too.
For example, in a flashback, Peter is given aPac-Manthemed cake. That’s not the only video game reference either. Finding them all is like a fun game within the game.
3Worst: Very Linear
If players were hoping this was going to be a big sprawling space RPG akin toMass Effectthen they will be disappointed. It’s a very linear game. Thankfully, the linear paths thatMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxywill take players through are well-executed.
It’s still a shame considering there isn’t much in terms of side quests. There is alwayshope the sequel, if there is one, can be a bit more open with a better quest system.
2Best: The Music
Along with the pop culture references,Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyhas an outstanding soundtrack. The original score is nice, but the licensed tracks are far better. The soundtrack may even be better and broader than the twoGuardians of the Galaxyfilms combined.
Having music play as a theme in battle when times are tough was a great idea to really motivate players. The title screen also deserves a special shoutout for being fun to watch with random songs playing in the background as demos.
1Worst: No Map
TechnicallyMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxydoesn’t need a map because most levels are, again, linear. That doesn’t mean there aren’t side paths to take in order to find collectibles. Having a map in the menu, or a mini-map would have made navigating a little easier.
As it stands now players shouldn’t get that confused and turned around if they are paying attention. Missing a map in a AAA game like this is still a bit odd.Rocket should beable to create an in-game reason for Peter getting one.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxywas released on Jul 20, 2025, and is available onPC,PS4,PS5,Switch,Xbox One, andXbox Series X.
