{"id":60877,"date":"2021-06-15T17:37:20","date_gmt":"2021-06-15T15:37:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.joypad.ch\/?p=60877"},"modified":"2021-06-15T17:41:25","modified_gmt":"2021-06-15T15:41:25","slug":"guardians-of-the-galaxy-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.joypad.ch\/en\/anteprima-guardians-galaxy\/","title":{"rendered":"Preview: Guardians of the Galaxy"},"content":{"rendered":"

After Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Eidos Montreal is now dedicating itself to one of the most popular comic book series in the Marvel universe. We were able to get an in-depth look at Star-Lord's adventure in preview. Is a great title awaiting us, or do the first impressions disappoint? Find out below.<\/p>\n

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There are quite a few single-player games that, at the same time, try to tease multiplayer fans with that forbidden fruit called online co-op. Often, it works well, but just as often, these games make compromises, making only one of the two components truly fun. In Guardians of the Galaxy, compromises in this regard won't be necessary, because Eidos Montreal's new action-adventure is exclusively single-player, following the story from Star-Lord's perspective. The story should be the center of the gameplay experience despite all the third-person action, in which Peter Quill's companions, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot, will play an important role. We were able to form our first impressions of the atmosphere, humor, and action in a long presentation by the developers, witnessing gameplay sequences. In this preview, we'll reveal why we can't wait for its release at the end of October, even though we're not entirely convinced yet.<\/p>\n

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Comedic cartoonist<\/strong><\/h2>\n

During the presentation of Guardians of the Galaxy, Eidos Montreal repeatedly emphasized that the entire game is designed around the story and characters, and not just the action with Star-Lord and his four companions as a backdrop. This will also be evident in the game's cutscenes and dialogues, where we will see Drax and Rocket regularly bicker with each other with witty remarks. Humor, at least this is what the gameplay scenes seen so far suggest, could become a particularly central point, similar to the movies, and could support the adventure even during sections that are perhaps weaker in terms of narrative or gameplay. To give an example: in one scene of the game, the Guardians land on a space station and are greeted by guards who mistakenly call them \u201cGardeners of the Galaxy.\u201d Peter will immediately realize who he has to thank for this mistake and will complain to Rocket, who in turn will point out that he had Groot fill out the travel forms... The humor is present and, at least in English, it works.<\/p>\n

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Based on the comics<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For Guardians of the Galaxy, Eidos Montreal has stated that they are not adapting the films or the animated series, even though both have served in part as a source of inspiration. Instead, they want to create something independent, drawing primarily from the comics. This is likely one of the reasons why there are some similarities to the films, as they too are ultimately based on the comics. For example, in terms of Peter Quill's 80s style with the \u2019Space Invaders\u201c pin on his jacket, or his partially childish and naive disposition. But they still consciously distinguish themselves from the films, as Peter and Gamora, for example, have their own original designs and facial features and do not look like clones of Chris Pratt or Zoe Saldana at all. The similarity to the actors would likely have also incurred additional costs, and it is not surprising that they did not go down that route.<\/p>\n

Eidos Montreal hasn't revealed too many details about the story itself yet. What is clear is that it will take place shortly after a major galactic war and a bet among the Guardians of the Galaxy will trigger a chain reaction that will ultimately threaten the existence of the entire galaxy. The developers promise encounters with allies and antagonists familiar to fans. Among other things, it's certain that Mantis and the space dog Cosmo will appear. However, whether Gamora's nemesis, Thanos, will also be there, we don't know yet...<\/p>\n

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Regardless of whether the story will be good or if it will serve more to hold everything together somehow, there will be no shortage of multiple choices. These will be made, as often happens, during interactive dialogues. The player will embody Peter Quill while Groot, Gamora, and company are mostly by our side and act largely independently, although it's possible to give them orders in battles and thus directly control the use of their special abilities. This decision-based system immediately brings to mind Telltale Games\u201c adaptation from a few years ago. Because even though, according to the creators, decisions are made in Eidos Montreal's game that influence the course of the plot and will lead us to alternative situations or even particular sections of the game, the story remains the same at its core and won't change too much. A wise decision from our point of view. Because if Telltale Games or Quantic Dream teach us anything, it's that in the vast majority of cases, only one ending is truly satisfactory. It would therefore be foolish to allow oneself to offer a (particularly) boring ending due to \u201dwrong\u201c choices. Incidentally, as revealed to us by Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Dugas, Senior Creative Director at Eidos Montreal, the decision-making system is not so much inspired by Telltale's episodic adventures, but primarily by the indie graphic adventure Oxenfree. In it, Dugas stated, the characters \u201dinteract with each other very naturally.\u201c Oxenfree showed them how to achieve \u201dthis complex goal\" with the many character interactions in Guardians of the Galaxy, he said.<\/p>\n

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In any case, the adventure always begins the same way and will always culminate in an identical ending, but it will allow for the selection of some branching paths along the way, potentially making you feel more a part of the action. Whether this choice will work out well or not in Guardians of the Galaxy is something we can't yet evaluate. Some of the choices, however, suggest that there is hope in this regard. For example, the Guardians of the Galaxy, short on cash, will decide to sell one of their own to Lady Hellbender (pretending) to pay off a debt. The Guardians choose democratically by majority vote, and it's up to the player to decide whether it should be Rocket or Groot. A later scene shows that the game will also give you the opportunity to revisit a decision already made. Because even if Star-Lord chooses Rocket at the beginning, we can still put Groot in a cage and take him to Lady Hellbender's fortress. Thus, certain decisions might also lean more towards the illusion of choice, which, however, works quite well in Telltale games or those by David Cage, and rarely leads to you feeling deceived about your actual influence, because in the end, a lot of things converge in the direction chosen by the developers.<\/p>\n

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Another thing that reminded us of Telltale Games\u201c adventures were the \u201dX will remember that\" overlays, which Dugas says were modeled after. For example, the five Guardians end up facing an abyss with a retracted bridge that can only be activated from the other side. Therefore, Drax decides without further ado to simply throw the smallest member of the team across. In this case, we don't believe such an action can be prevented by a dialogue decision. But it might make a difference if we tell Drax not to do it. It remains to be seen how exactly these or other similar decisions will play out. It's very likely that later on we'll travel with only some of the Guardians, and an angry Rocket will insist on taking an alternative route with one of the other companions. But this is pure speculation for now. In any case, Dugas promises that all player decisions will be tracked and will accordingly affect progression.<\/p>\n

Regarding the game's level structure, we can essentially only speculate at this point, although one can assume a rather linear adventure in this area too, as Dugas confirmed to us in response to our question. However, there will also be plenty of more contained exploration opportunities in the sometimes particularly linear, sometimes more open environments, in which we can find different types of loot such as components for the perk system or collectibles. Unlocking characters' personal stories is also one of the other exploration opportunities. What exactly is hidden behind all this, we don't know. But at some point in the gameplay scenes, Gamora was seen in the background with a comic book over her head. Perhaps a dialogue where she talks about her memories of this place or similar events? Side quests in the true sense of the word, however, do not seem to exist in Guardians of the Galaxy. This or other content, by the way, will not be added after launch in the form of DLC. The game is scheduled for a full release on October 26, 2021. All alternative costumes, abilities, and other aspects should therefore already be included and can be unlocked without further investment. No microtransactions, in short.<\/p>\n

A powerful quintet<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It goes without saying that a game based on the Guardians of the Galaxy wouldn\u2019t work without action and combat. In this third-person adventure, we\u2019ll control Star-Lord exclusively, but we\u2019ll often (or perhaps always) be traveling with several other members of the motley crew. Rocket, Groot, and the other two act largely on their own, but you can give them orders in battle, which apparently mainly involve using their special abilities. Gamora\u2019s special abilities include various sword attacks that can deal massive damage or stun enemies. Drax, on the other hand, can perform a sort of charge that knocks enemies aside or can jump onto the backs of enemies moving on all fours to knock them down and make them more vulnerable to follow-up attacks from the others. Groot can be commanded to attack from beneath the ground, using his arms like tentacles to hold enemies in place while dealing damage. And Rocket, of course, loves to handle explosives, and can detonate a large bomb right on top of an enemy, for example. These special maneuvers are limited by a cooldown time, while the AI autonomously performs standard attacks\u2014just how effective the AI teammates are on their own isn\u2019t really assessable yet. Star-Lord himself has various special abilities. He can, for example, freeze opponents in a block of ice, trigger a shockwave, or\u2014as befits the game\u2019s mood\u2014pull out his Walkman and, spurred on by \u201980s music, strike with greater ferocity. Apparently, the music also motivates the other Guardians to finish off the opponent in a final-sequence-style attack. Speaking of music: the developers promise a generous selection of licensed tracks from Star-Lord\u2019s decade. Among others, individual artists and bands such as Pat Benatar, Iron Maiden, and KISS are mentioned. Among the tracks we heard in the presentation was Bonnie Tyler\u2019s 1984 hit \u2019Holding Out for a Hero.\u201c Just how much the \u201d80s have made a comeback in recent years is clearly demonstrated by shows like \u201cStranger Things\u201d or revivals of \u201c80s series such as \u201dSaber Rider and the Star Sheriffs\u201d or \u201cThe A-Team.\u201d But back to the Guardians\u2019 combat: in addition to the aforementioned special moves and others, Star-Lord apparently has a fairly extensive repertoire of standard attacks and moves. Good old Peter relies primarily on his quad blaster to fire targeted shots or to use it in close combat to deliver powerful blows to opponents. You can also use the jets at any time to fire from an elevated position, as well as to perform quick evasive maneuvers. It\u2019s also possible to use the jets to move away from the enemy while lying on your back and continue firing with the blasters. We don\u2019t yet know what the combat feels like. However, it looks fun and reminds us of a mix of games like Batman: Arkham Knight and a third-person take on Borderlands 3.<\/p>\n

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The presentation was very dense, and despite it lasting just over 30 minutes, we found ourselves wondering how much we managed to write down and when we lost track. Certainly, there are still many unanswered questions about Guardians of the Galaxy, especially since we haven't been able to play it ourselves yet (and we would have really liked to!). What exactly are the battles like? Is the humor good throughout the game as in the gameplay scenes we saw, or not? How big is the scope of the decisions, or how much can they contribute to immersion regardless of their actual scope?<\/p>\n

To summarize, our impressions of the graphics, humor, and combat so far are positive, and we're eager to get our hands on the game. After the promising impressions from the presentation, but also thanks to the quality of Shadow of the Tomb Raider and the overall successful Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. But let's not forget the slightly disappointing Thief either; excessive early praise would be as out of place as a wave of fears and uncertainties. In any case, we look forward to further impressions of Guardians of the Galaxy, and we're leaving with positive impressions of a game that has potential. Hoping it doesn't jump on the online co-op bandwagon just for the sake of it, but focuses on a good single-player story and a rich experience. For now, we're intrigued.<\/p>\n