You remember the bitter taste left by Marvel’s Avengers, right? That live-service slog made everyone skeptical of anything with a Marvel logo that wasn't made by Insomniac. So, when Eidos-Montréal dropped Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, a lot of people just... stayed away. It felt like a gamble. But here we are in 2026, and honestly, the PS5 Guardians of the Galaxy experience has aged like a fine space-wine.
It’s a miracle of single-player design. Seriously.
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While modern gaming is currently obsessed with "quadruple-A" open worlds and endless battle passes, Peter Quill’s awkward adventure remains refreshingly focused. It’s linear. It’s loud. It’s got a heart that most modern RPGs would kill for. If you’ve just picked up a PS5 Pro or you’re digging through your PS Plus Extra catalog, you might be wondering if it’s actually worth the 20-hour investment.
The short answer? Yeah. It’s probably the best Marvel story ever told in a game, and that includes the web-swinging ones.
The Technical Reality: Performance vs. Ray Tracing on PS5
Look, let’s get the "tech talk" out of the way first. When this game launched, it was a bit of a mess on the technical side. You had to choose between a blurry 60FPS mode or a 30FPS mode that felt like moving through cosmic sludge.
Things changed.
If you're playing PS5 Guardians of the Galaxy today, you have three distinct ways to see the stars.
- Performance Mode: This targets 60FPS. It used to be stuck at a muddy 1080p, but subsequent patches and the raw power of the PS5 (and especially the Pro) have smoothed it out. It’s the way to go for the combat, which gets chaotic. Fast.
- Quality Mode: Native 4K at 30FPS. Great for screenshots, terrible for dodging a charging Wendigo.
- Ray Tracing Mode: This was the "big" post-launch update. It adds gorgeous reflections to the metallic hulls of the Milano and the neon puddles of Knowhere.
Honestly? On the base PS5, Ray Tracing is a hard sell because it locks you at 30FPS. But if you’ve got a VRR-enabled TV, the performance hit feels less jarring. The reflections are "transformative" in specific areas, like the ice caves of Seknarf Nine, but most of the time, you’ll want the fluidity of 60FPS.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Combat
"It's just a button masher." I hear this a lot. It's wrong.
Basically, you aren't playing as a powerhouse. You’re playing as a manager. Peter Quill is, by his own admission, the "idea guy." His blasters do okay damage, but the real meat of the game is managing the cooldowns of Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot.
It’s sort of like a real-time strategy game disguised as a shooter. You need Drax to break the enemy's stagger bar. Then you send Gamora in for the "execution" damage. Rocket handles crowd control with grenades, and Groot holds everyone in place with roots. If you just stand there shooting your elemental blasters, you’re going to have a bad time.
And the Huddle? Best mechanic ever.
When things get dire, you trigger a Huddle. The world stops. Your team complains or loses hope. You have to listen to their dialogue and pick the right "pep talk" response. If you nail it, everyone gets a massive buff and The Final Countdown or Holding Out for a Hero starts blasting. It’s pure, unadulterated dopamine.
Why a Sequel Probably Isn't Happening (And Why That Sucks)
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. Square Enix, the original publisher, famously said the game "undershot expectations" in terms of sales. It’s a bummer. A huge one.
Since then, Eidos-Montréal was sold off to the Embracer Group. As of early 2026, the studio has been hit with multiple rounds of layoffs, and their rumored Deus Ex revival was reportedly canceled. Currently, they are helping out with projects like Fable and Grounded 2.
The likelihood of a Guardians of the Galaxy 2 is thin. Like, paper-thin.
This makes the PS5 Guardians of the Galaxy even more precious. It’s a self-contained story. No cliffhangers that will never be resolved. No "to be continued" in a DLC that got scrapped. You get a beginning, a middle, and a genuinely emotional end. In an era of "forever games," there’s something deeply satisfying about a game that just... finishes.
The Writing: Better Than the MCU?
Don't kill me, but the game's version of these characters is better than the movie versions.
The banter is constant. It’s not just canned lines, either. The characters react to everything you do. If you jump over a railing, Rocket might call you an idiot. If you take too long to solve a puzzle, Drax will get impatient.
It builds a sense of camaraderie that most games can't touch. By the time you reach the final chapters, you actually care about these weirdos. You aren't just playing for the gear (there isn't really any) or the XP; you're playing to see if this found family can actually stay together.
Quick Tips for Your Playthrough:
- Explore Every Nook: Outfits are hidden everywhere. They don't change stats, but looking like the 1970s comic versions of the team is worth the effort.
- Check the Compendium: There is a ton of lore buried in there.
- Don't Rush the Milano: Between missions, stay on the ship. Talk to everyone. These optional conversations provide the best character development in the game.
- Elemental Shots: Don't forget to switch. Ice freezes, Lightning chains, Wind pulls. Use them to manipulate the environment, not just for damage.
Actionable Next Steps
If you haven't played it yet, go check if it's still on PS Plus Extra. It's been a staple there for a while. If not, you can usually find physical copies in the bargain bin for under $20.
For those on PS5 Pro, make sure you go into the settings and check if "Ray Tracing" is toggled. Even though it's an older title, the Pro's PSSR upscaling makes the 60FPS mode look significantly sharper than it did at launch.
Stop waiting for a sequel that might never come. Play the one we have. It’s a loud, messy, 80s-fueled masterpiece that deserves more love than it got.