Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a genuinely fun, character-driven gameplay experience. The developers of Eidos-Montreal took the source material of these characters and universe and made it work in all the ways that it matters. Even at times making them more compelling then the version I first fell in love with when I experienced the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The devs ability to deliver the guardians constant chatter that can clash, support and cause irritation. They understand how this group is a mix of stupidity and spectacle.

To focus more on the narrative, the game navigates through what makes the guardians compelling by examining each member's loss and dissecting how that has shaped them. Those losses ranging from taken loved ones which morphs the trauma into defining fears. Which helps us the player understand the guardians use of coping mechanisms which manifest as humor and aggression. When those fears prop up it pushes the characters away from each other through emotional distance and dissonance. 

The combat is an intriguing aspect to me, as a combat junkie I found the combat to have an energetic and kinetic nature that felt satisfying. Being able to pilot Star-Lord and zip across the battle arenas chaining together jet-boosted movement with melee jump dashes and or even the backflipping dodge gave me that superhero flare. The combat fantasy of being a leader is sold well too with the ability to command four unique combat actions for your four other teammates. There’s a genuine flow state to be found in combat encounters once it clicks, which then amplifies the killer soundtrack in the background as you gun down hordes of enemies.