If you’ve read our review, then you know I think Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a damn good time. If you’re not convinced, here’s 15 minutes of spoiler-free gameplay featuring Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Rocket, and Groot making a daring escape from the fortress of Lady Hellbender, the Monster Queen. Or at least it was to be a daring escape. As often happens with Marvel’s hapless cosmic heroes, the escape plan sort of rewrites itself in the middle of playing out, shortly after the team realizes it’s within striking distance of Lady Hellbender’s heavily guarded vault. With the threat of a lengthy prison sentence hanging over their heads should they fail to pay a fine owed to the Nova Corps for various transgressions, a slight detour is in order. In these 15 minutes of gameplay you’ll see Peter Quill shooting enemies with the ice power of his Element Gun, freezing in place and then shattering them with well-placed punches. You’ll see Peter issuing commands to his party members, combining moves like Groot’s crowd-rooting ability with Rocket’s carpet bombing for maximum alien-murdering efficiency. You’ll see Drax punch his way through the floor to help escape a deadly trap, and you’ll even get to see the game’s huddle mechanic in action as Peter inspires the team to fight harder with the help of Billy Idol’s “White Wedding.” Most importantly, you’ll be able to hear the constant banter between the Guardians of the Galaxy as they bicker their way through the halls of Hellbender’s fortress. The writing team at Eidos-Montréal really captured the spirit of the characters, and the fantastic voice acting brings it all together. Marvel’s most dysfunctional super team hasn’t been this much fun since the first live-action film. Stay tuned for more Guardians of the Galaxy as we continue to explore one of the most surprising games of the year.
