Guardians of the Galaxy Unveil Before Our Eyes
A couple of weeks ago we had the chance to preview the upcoming match of Eidos Montreal, Guardians of the Galaxy. After this demo, which lasted about 90 minutes, we also had the opportunity to chat with creative director Jean-François Dugas and producer Olivier Proulx who answered our questions without language.
Like the demo of tales of resurrectionGuardians of the Galaxy takes place during an advanced chapter. Part of the team made us watch some videos about the controls and the universe so we still knew how to manage the bottom line.
But first of all, why Guardians of the Galaxy? Knowing that these heroes are now associated with the actors of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana and Dave Bautista in the collective imagination. The Creative Director explains: “We chose this franchise motivated by Marvel Games and our Studio Director David Anfossi. The Marvel Games entity wants to take inspiration from and replicate the success of the MCU in the video game space. Regarding Guardians of the Galaxy itself, it is a self-imposed choice. We had some chances but these champions spoke to us: little cowboys, rock ‘n’ roll, which suits us well.”
He then adds, “Marvel Games also wanted original creativity and in no way based on the movies.” For his part, Olivier Proulx specified that “what we wanted to do with Guardians of the Galaxy was to offer a very narrative adventure based on interactions between characters who each have a strong personality.”
primitive reaction
So here we are in Milan, the famous ship of the gang that serves as a hub between missions in the words of Jean-François Dugas: “Milan is like a character in itself, the fifth member of the team if we can. Inside, we will be able to interact not only with other guards and choose the answers that It will have an impact on the rest of the game, but also the various elements that may or may not lead to further conversations.”
We were actually able to verify this in-game when Peter grabbed a broken compiler and tried to have a conversation with Groot without a rocket. If we do not pay attention to this object in the group, we miss a touching scene. This is to show how much storytelling occupies an important place in the game.
After getting around the ship and chatting with the characters, but also discovering a purple llama (?!?) that ate cables, I find myself on a mission to pay a fine to Nova Corps for some crime. Peter’s idea doesn’t appeal to Rocket who lets her know when he gets the chance, which is, in my opinion, stands out for the Montreal game. The dialogues the characters have are all important, whether they happen during the exploration phase or during the battles.. Each word has its purpose and allows us to learn more about each member, like a bit Final Fantasy XIII for example.
play detective
From what I saw in the trailers and demos, apart from the fights, there is an equally important stage in the game: the investigation. Upon arriving at the Nova Corps base, we find it deserted with no one willing to pay us for the greatest pleasure of Rocket who does not hesitate to say so. But the guards investigate and soon find themselves wrestling with soldiers possessed by who knows magic (for now).
But before the clashes, the heroes must make their way through the orbital station, an opportunity for us to discover the various possible interactions. For example, a Rocket with its small size can pass through air ducts and open a door or hack an electronic lock. To do this, simply hold down the shoulder button and select the desired letter. Easy as pie.
walking stick
The other heart of the Montreal game is baston, Combats, la castagne. In short, when you have to destroy enemies. Well, the demo isn’t in the lace! I had a bit of a hard time, because we’re cast at the deep end without a badge and it’s deep! Basically, we deal with Peter Quill directly. The latter can use its blasters to shoot at enemies, but also use the melee combo.
If we only control StarLord, we can still ask our comrades to attack this or that enemy using the same manipulation as during the exploration phase. Once again, everyone will have their specialty: Gamora is very agile and can hit enemies from high platforms, Drax does a lot of damage, Groot can immobilize enemies for a few moments and finally Rocket can send…missiles and cause huge explosions.
In the demo, we had to face different types of enemies all requiring specific strategies. If we could just dash into the crowd against lambdas soldiers, it would be completely different when we find ourselves facing grenades that not only do more damage, but are also equipped with a shield. Then we find out that we can destroy their protection and hit them in the back where they are not protected. It’s more interesting and tactical than you think.
AAA was developed in the midst of a pandemic
But the best thing about having this video game version of Guardians of the Galaxy is that the evolution is partly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The developers consider themselves lucky as Olivier Proulx tells us: “When the pandemic hit and containment began in March 2020, we already had an alpha version of the game. Features and that we could go through the adventure to the other. Of course the finishing touches were missing but we were lucky. We didn’t have to coordinate Developing the basic mechanics. But I wouldn’t say it was fun. We had to adapt like all of our colleagues.”
In addition, we note that the game was announced relatively late considering that it will be released in October. Jean-Francois Dugas explains to us: “We chose to advertise the game a bit at the last minute to implement a focused and intense marketing campaign within a short period of time. It allows us to move forward faster and stay in the minds of the players for longer.”