Peter Quill is a fuckboi. Thought I’d get that out of the way early. The protagonist of Guardians of the Galaxy, both in the duo of films and upcoming RPG from Square Enix and Eidos Montreal, has cemented himself as a charming, obnoxious and carefree protagonist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, largely thanks to a performance from Chris Pratt that leans into his playful personality and willingness to cause chaos. I mean, if he hadn’t thrown a hissy fit at Thanos for murdering Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War, I don’t think the snap would have happened, so half of the universe being wiped out entirely is on him.
I’ve never liked Star-Lord, and this gaming rendition of the comic book B-listers turned Hollywood A-listers seems keen to rehabilitate Star-Lord from Pratt’s heavy handed portrayal, painting the hero as a fun and charismatic lead who has already established loving relationships with the likes of Groot, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, and Gamora - so all we need to do is step into his shoes and get a feel for them.
Having recently spent a couple of hours with the game as part of a hands-on preview, I was able to see how Star-Lord works as a playable character in an RPG that wants you to be constantly making decisions. These can have a lasting effect on the narrative or be small nuggets of optional dialogue, but all of them help create a vision of Star-Lord that is entirely unique. It isn’t just the jackass from the films anymore, it’s a rebel without a cause of my own making.
The preview opens aboard the Milano, as Peter peers around the cockpit from a first-person perspective. As expected, the crew are bickering, friendly banter echoing throughout the metallic bridge as a sudden call erupts onto the intercom. It’s the Nova Corp, demanding the Guardians head over to a nearby space station and pay a fine that has been placed on their heads. Peter and friends would normally ignore such a call to justice, but today they’re feeling generous, so off they pop through a couple of solar systems until they arrive at their destination. However, before I step into the preview’s main attraction, I’m given free reign to explore the ship on my own terms. It’s liberating, with a single shot of this vessel expressing more imagination than several hours of Marvel’s Avengers.
I immediately start sprinting around, gaining an understanding of my surroundings before I start dipping into rooms and relishing in it all like the nosy fuckboi I am. My first stop is Gamora’s room - because of course - and I quickly realise that I’m able to pick up objects and interact with them, using the control stick to tilt them around and identify points of interest. Narration from Quill provides valuable context, although this casual snoopery is interrupted as Gamora bursts through the door, asking why I’ve been raiding her room like it belongs to me. But given our friendship, she brushes it aside as we descend into a deep conversation. We talk about her history with Thanos, and how she betrayed her sister and joined the resistance once she realised the evils her adoptive father was capable of.
It’s a sweet exchange, and one lined with humour and tragedy as I’m given the option to pry further into Gamora’s past or step away to avoid bringing up old wounds. I can already sense a friendship between these two, like they’ve been through so much that I’ll never get a chance to see. I should note that this preview takes place five or so hours into the game, but it’s safe to assume the Guardians of the Galaxy have been together for years at this point, Eidos Montreal deciding to avoid an origin story because these characters are already so iconic. Much like we don’t need to see Uncle Ben die with each new Spider-Man, we don’t need to see Peter Quill abducted from Earth to become a galactic loser. We can instead choose to read between the lines, painting our own interpretations of these characters that are defined from what came before. So I did, continuing my journey through the ship as I entered my own room, Rocket, and even Drax’s as I toyed with nik-naks and had chats with all of my respective crew members.
I love how Peter is such an abrasive asshole to some of his friends, unafraid to speak his mind knowing that all of these people will look up to him anyway. His carefree perspective is valuable because he’s able to look past the doom and gloom of the situation and perk people up as they keep moving forward. This is made especially clear during combat when you can gather all of your party members into a ‘huddle’ which can dish out compliments and barks of encouragement alongside valuable stat buffs that can immediately turn the tide of battle. Yes, it’s cringey - Guardians always has been - but Eidos Montreal leans into how these heroes are a bunch of losers simply trying to find their way in the universe. In that respect, this game already nails why Guardians of the Galaxy is so special; it's about a ragtag group of idiots who bond together due to their shared status as outcasts. Misery loves company I suppose, and Star-Lord stands at the centre of it all.
He’s the sole playable character in the game, with other heroes only being controlled through commands in battle. You can upgrade them too, equipping distinct abilities and cosmetics that make this crew your own. It’s an RPG from the team behind Deus Ex, so as expected, there’s a decent amount of depth surrounding its mechanical systems and narrative foundations that make Guardians of the Galaxy so engaging. Well - at least from the couple of hours I’ve played thus far.
I hope the full game allows me to continue building Star-Lord into a hero that reflects my own personality, maybe even tapping into his bisexuality, while still bearing some of the obnoxious hallmarks that make his cinematic equivalent so beloved. Player agency hinges on his development, so it’s an important element that needs to be perfect for the game to shine. I have high hopes, which is more than I could have expected going in.