Star Lord and his crew are having a blast: PETER HOSKIN review Guardians Of The Galaxy & Mario Party Superstars










Guardians Of The Galaxy (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, £59.99)

Verdict: Space odyssey

Rating:

Have you ever bounced around in the hollowed-out skull of a huge celestial being?

I have. Or at least that’s what I did when I played as Peter Quill (who wished he was Star-Lord) during the Guardians Of The Galaxy video game.

This isn’t even the most outrageous thing my galactic misfits and me did. It was when the gun-toting racoon challenged my shooting skills and a counter in arcade-style appeared on screen. Did it happen when we all chopped up a huge space octopus in the fortress of a tyrant? Or was it later?

All this is to say that the game is brimming with creativity, colour, and a huge, cosmic spectacle. Its creators have done a better job than the Marvel Cinematic Universe translating the Guardians from comic-book pages to the screen.

Guardians Of The Galaxy stands out from the rest because it’s not just the widescreen hullabaloo. It’s the close-up drama. It’s the time you spend with your crewmates between intense combat against androids, aliens, and other cultists. The relationships that you make — or break — properly affect how the story progresses.

It’s not surprising that a game of this ambition has bugs. There are the odd facial animation and stuck conversation. These bugs will be fixed by future updates.

I’m still having a lot of fun with my, er blasters and my pals. Pew! Pew! I’m the racoon. 

Mario Party Superstars (Switch, £49.99)

Verdict: A well-deserved celebration

Rating:

Nintendo’s moustachioed plumber has been working hard in recent weeks. This is the new Mario Party game. Or, rather, it’s a newish Mario Party game. This is a collection old Mario Party games that have been updated for the Switch.

It’s great fun! You can race your friends around boardgame landscapes, then you can jostle for success in dozens fast-paced minigames.

Be quick! Keep your balance on a block made of ice! Dodge boulders Get a penalty

Just what you need to entertain yourself on a cold evening until the next Mario Game comes out.

Advertisement