Guardians of the Galaxy (PS5) Review

Would make a great third Guardians movie

by Rik Henderson
MSRP: £59.99
9
AVForumsSCORE
OUT OF
10

Guardians of the Galaxy (PS5) Review

Guardians of the Galaxy is a rip-roaring action adventure with superb voice acting, great storytelling and combat that, when it works, feels intuitive and great fun. Hopefully, this now sets the blueprint for Square Enix’s handling of Marvel superheroes going forward, and is just the start of the Guardians’ gaming forays going forward.

The Good

  • Great script and voice acting
  • Lengthy single-player campaign
  • Beautiful to look at
  • As funny and witty as the movies and comic books

The Bad

  • Combat can get confusing at times
  • No multiplayer or co-op
  • Once it’s over, it’s over

Overview

Square Enix had mixed reactions to its first big Marvel-licensed game, The Avengers, so there was some trepidation when we heard it had secured the rights to Guardians of the Galaxy too. However, any fears we had over it were allayed as soon as it booted up and we saw it was as far removed from its stablemate as could be.

While both are based on popular superhero teams that have experienced huge success in movies and print, the po-faced, worthy nature of Captain America, et al, is replaced with comedic wit and genuine laughs. While the gameplay itself swaps from an online, often multiplayer model to an unashamed single-player-only campaign.

Both do share one thing in common: they each feature reimagined versions of their heroic casts, and they are both primarily story-driven action games. But the comparison ends there. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is set free by not having to rely on decent internet connectivity or the ability of a co-op player. It tells a story to you and you alone – and rather well, we might add.

Guardians of the Galaxy

The game is largely an interactive, supremely animated movie punctuated with intense combat segments. You take control of Peter Quill (Star-Lord), and are mostly surrounded by the other modern Guardians, as per the movie – Drax, Gamora, Rocket Racoon and Groot. Also like the films, the game is peppered with banter, arguments and general back and forth chit chat that must have taken an age for the voice cast to record.

Some of this you can influence, with optional responses and triggers – such as when you pick up an object – but mostly it is a constant in the background. That includes during combat, which is as full of dialogue as it is gunfire.

... it’s also refreshing to get a purely single-player game these days.

Fights are often and frenzied. While you are primarily in Quill’s shoes, and wielding his dual guns, you also effectively control the other members of the team. During a bout, you can bring up action wheels for both your own special moves and the rest of the crew’s – thereby sending them to specific enemies to inflict more damage than when the AI is calling the shots.

This can lead to chaos at times, with your own blasting interspersed with well-timed orders to others. But, it’s a great way to present a squad-based game without needing extra players, either online or on the couch next to you. It would have been nice to perhaps have the option, although it’s also refreshing to get a purely single-player game these days. Especially one that’s so much fun, lengthy and looks so good.

Graphics

Undoubtedly, the star turn for Guardians of the Galaxy are its graphics. It is a stunning game, with real invention in its sci-fi settings and a colour palette that makes the entire game ping. Different planets exhibit different art styles, but the whole thing is a visual treat.

... 30fps isn’t that jarring

There are a couple of different graphics modes on PS5 and Xbox Series X for you to choose between: performance and quality. The quality mode targets native 4K and is superb. You get a rich, detailed presentation with crisp characters and backgrounds. Indeed, it’s one of the best-looking games we’ve seen so far in this new console generation. However, it runs at a locked 30 frames per second, so combat isn’t quite as smooth as the alternative.

Guardians of the Galaxy

Performance mode targets 60fps but comes at a resolution cost – it runs at 1080p on both of the next-gen flagships. We’ve also noticed that, as well as a softening of the overall picture, certain background assets don’t seem particularly well drawn, so we suspect there are additional caveats to hitting that frame rate.

It’s buttery smooth though, so definitely enhances combat. But, our own choice is the full fat 4K option as 30fps isn’t that jarring, is consistent, as far as we can tell, and we prefer the sharpness afforded.

... the whole thing is a visual treat

Of course, should you own a top-end gaming PC, you can choose whichever graphical flourishes you fancy. At the time of writing, ray tracing wasn’t working on the console version of the game, so that’s something else that could make it look even better down the line.

It’s also worth noting that the Xbox Series S doesn’t have a performance mode. They game is just in 1080p 30fps, while we haven’t seen it running on Xbox One or PS4 to see what sacrifices have been made for the legacy machines.

Audio

When it comes to audio, Guardians if the Galaxy is as cinematic as they come and has the system options to match. On PS5, for example, you can not only choose your speaker type – from TV or soundbar up to “studio reference” – you can alter the directional settings to match a surround setup.

... the game is peppered with banter, arguments and general back and forth

This includes the choice from mono up to a 7.1 configuration, plus the ability to adjust the angle of each speaker individually.

Guardians of the Galaxy

This is coming into gaming more with this latest generation and we heartedly approve. Plus, when you have a soundtrack this cool – full of 80s rock and pop classics – it’s great that Square Enix wants us to hear it at its best, through kit we’ve invested in.

Conclusion

Guardians of the Galaxy (PS5) Review

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a rare game these days. Unapologetically designed for solo play, it harks back to the former glory days of gaming. However, it also has the graphics, options and ambition of a modern-day masterpiece.

We do lament at least the option of another player taking control of one of other Guardians in co-op, but we haven’t necessarily needed it to have a rollicking good time.

... the graphics, options and ambition of a modern-day masterpiece

The multi-hour campaign is full of twists and turns, with plenty of laughs along the way and some real stand out moments. In fact, if this was the third in the Guardians movie series, we’d be very happy. There are also Easter eggs galore and the odd knowing nod to other games along the way.

What GOTG gets most right though is that it is fun with a capital F, from its beginning to the end. We hope this is just the start and a new blueprint for Square Enix’s handling of Marvel properties going forward.

Highly Recommended

Scores

Gameplay

.
.
8

Graphics

10

Audio

10

Longevity

.
.
.
7

Overall

.
9

Click here

The games console used in this review was kindly supplied by our gaming partner Smyths Toys Gaming, the No.1 choice for next-gen Gaming


9
AVForumsSCORE
OUT OF
10

Our Review Ethos

Read about our review ethos and the meaning of our review badges.

To comment on what you've read here, click the Discussion tab and post a reply.

Related Content

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PS5) Review
  • By Mohammad Hamid
  • Published
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (PS5) Review
  • By Mohammad Hamid
  • Published
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (PS5) Review
  • By Mohammad Hamid
  • Published
Lies of P (PS5) Review
  • By Mohammad Hamid
  • Published
Hogwart's Legacy (PS5) Review
  • By Rik Henderson
  • Published

Latest Headlines

Sony PS5 Pro set for a late 2024 launch?
  • By Ian Collen
  • Published
Final launches wired VR500 Gaming Earphones
  • By Ian Collen
  • Published
Samsung announces new Odyssey OLED gaming monitors
  • By Ian Collen
  • Published
Back
Top Bottom