Guardians of the Galaxy (GotG) is a surprisingly special game. Most tie-in games--whether novel, movie, whatever--suck. It's really that simple. I actually read a few GotG comics back in the day and could hardly believe it when James Gunn managed to make a successful MCU film with those characters. To me that was Marvel basically demonstrating they could make anything good, which after years of DC screw-ups was a true shocker. But enough about all that.

The GotG game is an odd beast. I'm inclined to say it's almost a genre unto itself: a third-person AI-team action game or something. It would be easy enough to call it a "third-person shooter" because we've had plenty of those, but it's just not. Yes the camera is in third person, and yes there is a good bunch of shooting, but if that's what you're doing you're playing it wrong. The game would be a fairly mediocre shooter, but you'll have a lot more fun focusing on all the ways you can use your team in combat instead.

One of your better tools to help them is surely through using Peter Quill's element guns, either with their normal fire modes or via one of the four elements, but the biggest chunk of the fun to be had is in using your teammates. Pin them in place with Groot, or knock them all off balance with Drax, then blow them all up with Rocket, slaughter the biggest foe with Gamora, provide spiked-root enemas for all, or just enjoy watching Rocket jump into a mech and gun down everything with gleeful malice.

It took a while for the game to click with me. I loved the amazing environments and sense of wonder and exploration immediately, but for a long time I kept approaching it as a shooter and using my teammates only occasionally. That was a mistake. Abilities recharge more quickly than I realized, have more syngergies than I recognized, and are far more fun overall. It was only when I leaned into Peter Quill being a fully-engaged leader, calling the shots from start to finish in a fight, that it all came together beautifully.

I think the "huddle up" mechanic is uniquely emblematic of the game. When available, you can call everybody into an honest-to-goodness team huddle in the middle of combat, listen to what they say, and then give them exactly the kind of inspirational pep talk they need. The damage bonuses and defensive buff are helpful, but it's really the randomly selected 80s soundtrack tune playing in the background that makes this absolutely hilarious to use. Like I found myself fighting arguably the biggest, baddest monster in all Marvel lore to the tune of "Don't Worry, Be Happy", which had me laughing so hard I was in tears.

Yes, the game has a few quirks and bugs. There were a couple times I had to restart from the previous checkpoint because one of the guardians had disappeared or something similarly wonky. And I sure wish it was easier to skip certain cut scenes as they can drag on a bit and slow things down at times. But I'm very glad I invested the time to finish GotG and enjoy it for what it is. The moment to moment dialogue in particular is stellar and suits the characters beautifully. And the story arcs you forge genuinely make a difference in the way the team comes together over time, from a fractious pack of malcontents at the outset to a laughing, joking, team of dear friends by the end.

If you like the GotG comics or movies at all, and are willing to put some time into learning the team aspects, then this game is a blast.