Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy is an adaptation of the Marvel IP series launched by Square Enix, which has also launched Marvel's Avengers before that, and in a sense it can be compared with this game. Both are original adventure stories, or parallel universe stories, in the form of games, so they have a natural appeal to Marvel fans. However, the form of this work has been improved compared with the previous one, showing a more close to the style of the original work. If you're interested in this, please follow my perspective to find out.
Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy 丨Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy
Developer: Eidos-Montréal
Publisher: Square Enix
Release date: October 26, 2021
Distribution platform: PS5丨 PS4, XSX | XSS, Xbox One, PC, Switch (Cloud Gaming Edition)
Attributes: Action-adventure
※This experience is based on the PS5 version
Like the reunion, it took me a long time to adjust to the new faces of a group of protagonists. This feeling is somewhat contradictory, after all, the movie image is deeply rooted in people's hearts, and the game that adopts a realistic style suddenly changes its face, just like "your favorite role suddenly changes actors", which is somewhat difficult to accept. Of course, this mainly refers to Star-Lord, Camorra and Drax, and theoretically Groot and rockets have also had a facelift, but for reasons that are well known, it is not too much to call... Anyway, with this freshness in mind, I started the game.
What needs to be mentioned first is that this work is different from the previous "task system" form of the complex, which is a serious single-protagonist and linear process work. The whole story operates star lord alone, and the main story is also driven by his "single core". But even so, the details of the process are not static, you can have some subtle effects through a variety of choices, such as the second chapter after the Legion issued a huge fine, everyone discusses how to make money, Drax thinks that Groot should be sold, Kamora thinks that the Rocket should be sold, and in the end it is up to you to decide who to sell (amount... ), and the parts that are expanded after that are different.
However, this choice is not a pure "branch" in the game, but more like some story eggs. For example, if you always bully rockets, then you will be rejected when you want him to help you open the way (you please be smart); you always talk to Groot, then later without you to operate, it will also take the initiative to help you build bridges; or when you help someone or a certain force at a certain node (in the form of a series of dialogue options), then in the later battles they may appear in some form. All of these subtle changes are prompted in the upper right corner when they have an effect to inform you that you have entered some kind of "branch".
The performance and atmosphere are arguably the biggest selling points of this game, and they are also the most satisfying to me. The portrayal of the five protagonists does not have the stereotypes I feared before, but has made many interesting extensions based on the inheritance of the original human design. Rockets are in place all the time, Drax's teasing, Kamora's serious stubbornness, Groot's physical performance... There is also star-lord's own irritability and, to some extent, the nonsense that you decide, both immerse me in a cheerful atmosphere and can't stop. It can be said that no matter how the plot develops, under the background of excellent script and performance effects, this work is a "Guardians of the Galaxy" comedy at all. There are a lot of passages that make me laugh, and what's more, you can also change into various costumes for the character (a considerable number) to enhance the laughter, such as the part where the rocket was sold, I changed him into a suit and sunglasses, and then the process let me pat my thigh.
Speaking of atmosphere, there's another situation that makes me cry and laugh, and arguably something I've never encountered in other games, which is "too rich lines." Oh, my God! From start to finish, more than fifteen hours of the process, I can't remember a total of a few seconds that no one was nagging in the ear, this old four (Groot just ... By the second half of the year I was numb to their nagging, too lazy to choose the options for the praise. And to be honest, their nagging does not distinguish between occasions, and sometimes I am worried that I can't find a clue to pass, thinking whether we should say something serious? It still didn't, making me want to rush into the screen and beat people.
In terms of story, Wedge's accidental arrest involves the Guardians of the Galaxy in a conspiracy that can captorize the universe, and this conspiracy has some connection with Star-Lord himself, so it must be resolved by him. The story rhythm of the entire game is quite tight, during which various planets or space stations are explored, and some fragmentary flashback clips are used to counterpoint the theme. There will be egg-style familiar faces, bridges, and props that appear either against me, a design that is friendly to fans of the Marvel series, and new entrants can also strengthen their impressions through the library.
The strict anti-spoiler clause in the confidentiality agreement made me think for a long time about how to introduce the twists and highlights of the story, but I gave up. One is that there is a difference between the two and the other is that no matter what, you know that there is such a premise - the game is based on the "Guardians of the Galaxy in a Parallel Universe", and the story is also a "Guardians of the Galaxy story". The process is thrilling, but there is no shortage of dog blood, like a Disney float with "Red Sorghum Model Team"... Just get it.
Anyway, I think it tells an interesting story. Compared with the lessons of "reunion", it also has a more professional and formal style in the linear process and the portrayal of the protagonist's image, just like watching a long movie.
Well, the above is about the atmosphere and the story. Next nagging a little heavy.
This game can only operate one person in battle, so when it comes to fighting, it becomes a pure "one belt four". The setting in the game is this: whenever a war starts, five people go together (with the exception of a few special scenes), and at this time, Star Lord not only has to fight with the water gun himself, but also directs other teammates to use skills. You can press L1, X/△/O/□ select the corresponding teammate at any time, and press X/△/O/□ activate the corresponding skill. Most of these skills are big moves that have to be used, with a lot of damage or hard straight effects. For example, Groot can bind enemies, Kamora's single backstab damage is extremely high, rocket various AOE grenades, etc., each character has four skills, and the characters do not share CDs, and it is not impossible to use them in turn.
Although the effect of teammate skills is powerful, it is only one of the "must-use attack methods". In addition, L2 lock + R2 shooting - this needless to say, must be used; up and down left and right (select attribute bullets) + R1 launch, the effect is powerful, must be used; L3 + X /△/O/□, Star Lord's own four skills, I don't know why it is designed as L3, the operation is awkward, but it is also a must use; of course, how can I forget the ultimate move of L1 + R1, frankly this is the setting that makes me the most speechless, after opening everyone runs to you, each person says a line, and then you choose a praise, Choose the right full go, shield full + remake CD, choose the wrong one yourself to go on a rampage. This link cannot be skipped, the performance must be watched, and a toss is half a minute. If the first few uses are quite fresh, the back is purely delayed.
In short, in addition to melee attacks, the above several attack methods in the game are very high status, almost parallel, although the application scenario is exquisite, but the simple choice is too much, resulting in a rough sense of confusion in the operation logic.
What's even worse is that this feeling runs from beginning to end. Because there is no serious growth system in this game, there is not much room for expansion in skill layout and operation. The number of points obtained by upgrading can be used to unlock character skills, but there are only three fixed skills, and there is no high or low, but only the size of the damage range or the length of the hard and straight; although the parts picked up on the road can strengthen the passive ability of the Star Lord, the list is full of life-saving or innocuous things; only the attribute bullets are more special, which are unlocked with the process, but their use is also relatively single, fresh at first sight, and the more boring they are used, the more boring they are.
If the design of this combat system is not ideal in itself, then the repetition of enemy types and the large number of battles make this situation even worse. The enemy shape is similar, the attack method is even more so, in addition to the brave "jelly", the reckless man, that is, the kind of biubiubiu creeps, in the later stage, these monsters will enhance the richness of various attributes, but it belongs to the "treatment of the symptoms and not the root cause". The few boss battles and vehicle battles are distinctive, but more often than not, you spend time in the former's hodgepodge of repetitive combat modes.
In fact, in the later stages of the fight, I don't understand, choosing this "consistent" experience, it is reasonable to say that either the process must be reduced, or the frequency of battles must be reduced, but in fact, there is none. Its process is very long and the battles are extremely numerous, especially the last few levels are simply two steps and one start, which makes this repetition to the extreme, which is really boring.
This situation is also reflected in the exploration. The game is not an open scene, so the freedom of the scene is not high; due to the thinness of the growth system, even the collection becomes indifferent, and you pry open the door of the hidden room, which is nothing more than upgrading passive mechanical parts or character skins (preferably the latter).
In addition, most of the puzzles set up in the exploration session rely on the strengths of each of the five characters. For example, Star-Lord's mask can analyze the strangeness of the environment (which is the basis for almost all puzzles), Camorra cuts the rattan that stands in the way, Groot builds a bridge, rocket drills holes to play with computers, Drax lifts heavy objects as steps, and so on. Which character you need to appear, press L1 to select the target location. There are no particularly complex puzzles in the process, and when Star-Lord opens the mask, all clues related to the main line are revealed in prominent colors. There is no logical obstacle to the puzzle that requires the use of brains, such as a scene that requires you to "connect the line" and find and rotate the valves on the pipe, which is also an old routine, it is not difficult, and I have not even seen a more complex puzzle than it. In addition, frequent QTE, sliding, drilling, and veneer walking are not mentioned (God knows why these bridge sections are so many!). ）。 The whole process is spent in everyone's turn to perform the game - still the previous sentence, the first sight is fresh, and the later is more boring because there are no new mechanisms or impressive puzzles.
Finally, there are some bugs, although I am not sure if it is the official version, or the problem that the non-Chinese version will exist, but it is better to point it out here, it is too frequent... Chinese subtitle overrun is a compound problem, subtitles are too long will be inserted directly to the outside of the screen; many of the "dialogue selection" in the Chinese options will have subtitle overlap problems; icons and prompts appear and do not disappear - this is obviously a very weak bug, but I encountered more than three times, of which the "title" that prompted the beginning of the third act, I played with it for half an hour, thinking that the game was designed this way (after all, guardians of the galaxy), after reading the file; and after falling, there are infinite drops, this must also be twice, read the file. There are also some bugs that are harmless, but may appear on 9GAG soon. For example, I was supposed to go to Camorra's room to talk to her, and as we talked, Drax came in, blocked between the two of us, and saw nothing on the screen except his pectoral muscles (I'm sure the plot has nothing to do with him, I don't know why)....
A9VG Experience Summary
The characteristics of this work are very distinct, it has a big face, and there are matching performance effects and character portrayals, especially the latter, which can be said to be the biggest highlight; and the shortcomings are also more prominent, almost no growth system and rough operation logic make the combat experience become waveless, from beginning to end is a homogeneous refreshing feeling, it is easy to make people tired.
A9VG rating for Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy: 7.5/10, the full rating is as follows: