Towards the latter-half of Telltale Games' original run, they were churning out so many titles in such a relatively short span of time that it wouldn't be surprising to hear that many people missed that they even made a Guardians of the Galaxy game, for instance.

Well, they did, and for the most part, it's real good stuff! Not quite peak Telltale, but they without a doubt captured the Guardians spirit and vibes immaculately.

The story takes some time to get going and get engaging, only really kicking into gear by episode 3 of the 5, but once it does, it delivers a narrative that's equal parts emotional and fun in that trademark Guardians way.

The fun in question is thanks to both some decent comedic writing and solid character writing throughout, as well as the 80s needledrops you've come to expect from the modern, post-Gunn Guardians. This particular iteration also gets extra hipster bonus points from me for going for rather unorthodox song choices ("This Town Ain't Big Enough For the Both of Us" by Sparks, "Shambala" by Three Dog Night, etc), which were always delightful to hear and elevated every scene they were featured in.

While I haven't played all of the Telltale series, so perhaps its unfair to pin this on Guardians specifically, it does feel like the entry in their catalogue of titles that's the most like an interactive movie with the least amount of gameplay involved, outside of quick-time events. There are next-to-no puzzles and no real 'adventure game' stuff in there, like interacting with an inventory, for instance.

Though perhaps at this point, especially with how many titles they were churning out, games by Telltale were more of a 'come for the story, stay for the story' type of deal more than anything else. Not to imply that they're bad—far from it, in my opinion—but one should be aware of what they're getting themselves into.

However, to counter myself, the bulk of the player's input in this, as with all Telltale titles, comes from the choice and consequences they hand you at least once per episode. It is the Telltale trademark after all. While in the case of Guardians, it doesn't really come into play until episode 3, once it does, the game really comes into its own.

From here, there's a push-and-pull in regards to your relationship with each Guardian as well as your role as leader. This is made all the more effective by some excellent vocal performances, particularly Scott Porter as Peter Quill and Emily O'Brien as Gamora. The whole cast is great though and they bring depth to an already charming cast of wacky characters.

All in all, while it certainly isn't the best thing that Telltale has put out over the years, at least where gameplay is concerned, it's a great tribute to the Guardians as characters and the franchise with all the wit, charm and fun that comes with them.

7.5/10