- As always, and with games of this nature, there will be some spoilers in this review (especially for the previous episode), but I will do my utmost best to keep spoilers to a minimum. So, you have been warned.
Following on from Episode 1 ‘Tangled Up in Blue’, our Guardians of the Galaxy heroes thought they had saved the galaxy once and for all after getting rid of the big bad Thanos. However, the artifact known as the Eternity Forge that Thanos had desperately acquired had momentarily been retrieved by the Guardians, before falling into the clutches of Hala with her army of Kree.
After discovering that this artefact possesses great powers such as being able to resurrect the dead, Gamora’s sister, Nebula, steals the body of Thanos from Nova Corps (or the Ravagers, depending on your choice). But stopping Nebula from making a getaway with the body of Thanos is the least of the Guardians’ concerns as it just so happens that Nebula is the only person they know of that would be able to read the coded messages on the Eternity Forge, so that they can discover its true power and find out who has been sending Star-Lord messages from beyond the grave. But in order to get to Nebula first, they must risk the wrath of Nova Corps or the Ravagers (again, depending on your choice in the previous episode).
The focal point of this debut series so far is the tussle between the Guardians and Hala over the possession of the Eternity Forge. However, Episode 2 ‘Under Pressure’ introduces two other compelling sub-plots to tell. Firstly, we have the torn sisterhood bond between Gamora and Nebula, which is something we’ve seen recently explored in the movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2. The other sub-plot is concerning Rocket and his heartbreaking past.
Unless you’ve read some of the comics, at least from the movie perspective, the exploration of Rocket’s past is only really hinted upon, so this is an avenue that I’m sure most fans will enjoy exploring. Both sub-plots also introduce a potential wedge between Rocket and Gamora, as you are tasked with making a decision for Star-Lord which is doomed if you do and doomed if you don’t. It’s also worth noting that sticking to its movie counterpart traditions, this series once again sports fantastic use of its in-game soundtrack.
All in all, the second episode is a strong continuation with this debut series, and despite only really having the niggling issue of missing certain areas of the Milano ship due to some awkward camera angles (an in-game mini-map would be a great way to counter this), it’s looking like Guardian’s of the Galaxy could be Telltales strongest acquisition yet. And that’s saying something, at least from my perspective, because I’m a big fan of their Batman, The Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead adaptations. Episode Two ‘Under Pressure’ builds upon the opening episode and then some; it has drama, tension, action and heartbreak, so everything you want from a Telltale Games product. If this standard continues to grow in this manner, this could go on to be the best videogame from Telltale yet.
You can read our review of the previous episode; Tangled Up in Blue here.