Square Enix has finally lifted the lid on Eidos Montreal’s (Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Shadow of the Tomb Raider) long-awaited new project in partnership with Marvel Entertainment and we can now reveal that it is, as many had suspected, Guardians of the Galaxy.
We were lucky enough to get an early look at the game ahead of its reveal today at Square Enix’s E3 2021 presentation, as well as chat with the game’s Senior Narrative Director, Mary DeMarle and Senior Producer, Olivier Proulx. You can read our in-depth take on what we saw and heard right here, but we also wanted to ensure we highlighted one of our biggest takeaways from that conversation.
From the moment that those first frames of the game’s announcement trailer play and viewers realise what’s ahead, there are very likely two immediate responses. The first being “Damn, Star-Lord is a beefcake” followed very closely by “This looks like another Marvel’s Avengers“. Both entirely valid observations, but while the former is undeniable the latter couldn’t be further from the truth. During our chat it became very clear that the studio wants to distance themselves from Crystal Dynamics’ title, not because they see the connection as a negative one but because they’re eager to drive home the fact that this is a very different product.
Where Marvel’s Avengers spun its fan-favourite characters and concepts into a multiplayer-focused, live service game supported by rolling content releases and cosmetic microtransactions, Guardians of the Galaxy takes a more traditional tact. This is a wholly single-player action-adventure game with just one playable character in the form of Peter Quill that takes players across a semi-linear original narrative. When I asked DeMarle and Proulx whether the team had plans to support this further with downloadable content or expansions, the answer was pretty clear-cut.
“That’s it, we’re really focused on launching the full Guardians experience at launch, so we don’t have DLCs planned at this moment,” answers Proulx.
DeMarle expands in clear terms in a presentation following our chat, “There isn’t gonna be any DLC for this game, there isn’t going to be any microtransactions. And that’s because for us it’s very important that on day one, when players get this game, they can have access to everything there is about this game, and to experience it. So right off the bat they can get all of the costumes or outfits that are available, they can find all the abilities as they progress through the game, it’s all there.”
A strong statement, albeit one that I still feel is a tad strange to have to highlight as a notable feature in the modern market, but here we are. I’m keen to get my hands on the game to experience what Eidos Montreal has been cooking up for myself, but I’m encouraged by the studio’s commitment to their values and Marvel’s evident support of those.
Guardians of the Galaxy comes to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC on October 26, 2021.
Kieron's been gaming ever since he could first speak the words "Blast Processing" and hasn't lost his love for platformers and JRPGs since. A connoisseur of avant-garde indie experiences and underground cult classics, Kieron is a devout worshipper at the churches of Double Fine and Annapurna Interactive, to drop just a couple of names.
