As this year's E3 approaches, as does the rumours, and one of them is a Guardians of the Galaxy game produced by Square Enix - I am apprehensive to get excited, however..
Twitter famous, Jeff Grubb, from GamesBeat, in a livestream, reconfirmed the existence of a Guardians of the Galaxy game by Square Enix. The thing is, its existence was mentioned around the time Marvel's Avengers released, but wasn't really discussed much. However, due to Marvel's Avengers being the colossal flop it was, the state of the Guardians of the Galaxy game was uncertain. However, Jeff Grubb reaffirmed it was, as well as Square Enix confirming Eidos Montreal will have a world premiere in their Square Enix Presents at E3. It seems pretty clear to me this is most likely going to happen, and at E3.
Why I Am Being Apprehensive..
Guardians of the Galaxy as a property is one near and dear to me. As a big Marvel fan, who's favourite Marvel movie was Guardians of the Galaxy for a while until Infinity War. A game based on that would be truly awesome, and if done right, could have the potential be a game among my most anticipated games, and one of the best games of the year it comes out. However, this is Square Enix. Last year, Marvel's Avengers, the aforementioned colossal flop, released. There is a reason why it flopped.
Square Enix made an Avengers into a game-as-a-service, along the lines of Destiny, where there was a single-player campaign, but it was short and the game would keep on adding new missions and "raids". It was online, and there was also microtransactions. This business model is very divisive as people don't like to pay full price for an unfinished game that has a lot of in-game purchases. Others like the model as it always keeps you coming back for new content, which is nice especially if you enjoy the game. Personally, I would have preferred a purely single-player experience. I have heard that the main campaign is pretty decent, but way too short and you were literally not allowed to replay it until recently. Additionally, the roadmap and updates for Avengers haven't been great either. I believe so far it's been Kate Bishop and Hawkeye, with very little difference and variety in the areas, characters and enemies. While I haven't personally played this game, I've heard that after the main campaign, the game gets really boring with complete lack of any interesting new aspects. Some even say that the main campaign is pretty lacking in variety too.
The upcoming Wakanda expansion has the potential to spice things up, but overall it seems that Square Enix gave Crystal Dynamics an order to make a live service game, and Crystal Dynamics weren't experienced with that type of game but had to make it anyway, and that is honestly really stupid. If you want to make a live service game, get people who are confident with that. Or you could play to Crystal Dynamics' strengths and make a single-player game. Now, with Eidos Montreal, I worry that Square might have made Eidos make a live service game, and the last thing we need is a GOTG live service game. For that reason, I will remain apprehensive, until I see it isn't the same.
However, a few things keep my cautiously optimistic, and hopeful it doesn't go the same as Marvel's Avengers..
Points That Feed My False Hope..
Firstly, their Avengers game seriously flopped. I don't just mean it didn't reach its best potential - it did so badly that it ended up costing Square Enix more than what they got back. It didn't make a good profit. And it's definitely not because Marvel doesn't sell, because Marvel DOES - it shows Square that people did not like Avengers and what it stood for. I'm hoping that Square learned from that. I doubt that they would risk losing on their profit for Guardians of the Galaxy, and given the very clear hate for Avengers, they would've delayed GOTG or pulled the plug - but they didn't. This makes me hopeful that maybe, just maybe, they are confident it won't be the same. I think there's one other point I have, with the fact Eidos Montreal are leading this game, where Crystal Dynamics headed Avengers. For all we know, that could be due to the fact the game is aiming to be a different type of game than Avengers - or if it is, then at least better as Eidos would be hypothetically more confident.
I honestly feel like I'm grasping at straws here..
What Would I Like To See In The Ideal GOTG Game?
Putting all of that aside, I'd like to go over what I'd like to see in this game, if it ended up being the ideal version that I would be insanely hyped for.
Firstly, it must be single-player. I wouldn't mind new versions of the Guardians, as long as they keep to the spirit of the characters as they're known, and don't look like weird cosplayers. More like Spider-Man PS4, where they made a new incarnation of Peter Parker that actually felt like a new take on that same character.
I'd also like for the game to have tons of variety in the locations. Given it's set in space, there are endless possibilities for where we can go. GOTG has never been like Star Wars where they go to multiple new planets each film, instead they're more constantly on a ship, ready for adventure.
I don't know how realistic it would be for there to be single-player and allow you to choose which Guardian you play as. If you could, I'd assume the playable characters would be Star-Lord, Gamora, Rocket, Groot and Drax. I think that Star-Lord would be the main playable character, and maybe even the only one. I'd take even playing as the others for specific sections, but I'd just love the ability to play as each of them.
In my mind, I feel GOTG lends itself to a more linear structure than, say, Ghost of Tsushima. Honestly, a nicely contained story doesn't have to be open world, like God of War (2018), and I think especially for GOTG, it doesn't need to be fully open. I'd say, maybe more akin to Jedi: Fallen Order, with a linear story, but the areas being free to move around.
Side quests at Knowhere or by the Ravagers, would really help make the game feel more busy within the open areas, and would also make sense within the Guardians' characters, as they are out always looking for an adventure, like mercenaries.
I'd like for Adam Warlock to be included in the game in some capacity, ideally as a boss, then maybe eventually as a member of the team - maybe even playable? I don't really care for how he's incorporated, I'd just like to see him. As well as Yondu too. And why not also include Thanos, more as a teaser if they're not ready for him yet.
My most unrealistic wish would have to be the soundtrack. I think it would be really cool if the game includes 70s/80s music - in cutscenes, but also during specifics bits of gameplay. Like the final boss, a huge wave of enemies, etc. I think James Gunn really injected a certain energy into the Guardians which I don't want to be rid of, and I think more games should use real music. Likely, won't happen though.
Going into E3, I will remain cautious, but a Guardians of the Galaxy game has a ridiculous amount of potential, and I really hope it turns out good, but I'm not confident enough to bet on it. We'll just have to see.
Thanks for reading.
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