I’ve become a big fan of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and of Telltale’s brand of adventure games, and when the two were mashed together in an announcement for a new game it was worth salivating over. With an eclectic cast of characters and an action-filled intergalactic plot, translating to a firmly paced game could be worrisome.
Thankfully the worries are alleviated, and Telltale has yet again crafted another great experience based on a comic book property.
The first episode in the series, Tangled Up In Blue, mixes elements of the films and comic books, providing an all-new story that takes place somewhere in between. True to Telltale form, narrative choices make up the majority of the interaction as scenes play out in front of us, but we’re treated to a surprising amount of action as well. The episode’s kick off scenes include explosions, vertical exploration, and more explosions, and — much like the films — a ton of comedic jabbering amongst the dysfunctional crew. While the comedy isn’t quite on par with the films, it’s certainly delivered well with expert voice acting.
Though it’s not like the films, it comes ever so close in giving us that experience.
What’s more, the episode lets us control all of the Guardians at different points, forging bonds and using giant guns as needed. As I play, my choices tend to be more on the “good guy” tip (I’m really bad at playing bad guys) so my decisions are more divisive with my crew than I thought they’d be. At least I get to experience everything among some truly juicy and nice set pieces.
As a first episode, Tangled Up in Blue sets up a big enough push going forward. We’re introduced right away to a titanic enemy, and our choices carry enough weight to keep us wondering how our team will react in the end. There are some pacing ups and downs, but it’s a solid first foray for the space team.
This Hot Take was based on retail Steam code sent to SideQuesting by the publisher. The full review will take place once all episodes are released.
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