[Late] TGO Daily | October 26 | GotG Review Roundup
✏️ From the Author
It isn’t a proper week of gaming news without me forgetting to hit “send” on at least one newsletter.
Here’s what was meant for yesterday! Next one will be in your inbox in a few hours :)
— Adrian
📰 In The News
1. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy review roundup
Developed by Eidos Montreal (Deus Ex, Shadow of the Tomb Raider) and published by Square Enix, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy releases today on all platforms. Reviews are now available, with the game sitting in the 86th percentile on OpenCritic.
Overall, the game has been received quite well. Looming in the shadow of Marvel’s Avengers, it is a single-player campaign that combines exploration, combat, and story into a cohesive experience.
Universally, critics praised the game’s writing. GotG is known for its witty dialogue and banter between characters, and this entry is no exception. There are tons of dialogue options that are continuous throughout the game — both comedic and emotional. GameInformer emphasizes how much dialogue there is. For a great analysis of the narrative, read Polygon.
There was no consensus on criticisms. GamesRadar didn’t like the repetitive puzzles, and VG247 felt the combat was somewhat bland. In both cases, the rest of the game rose above.
If you’re looking for a good superhero game, or a solid narrative, this seems to be a good choice. Here’s a summary from IGN:
“Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy nicely balances a goofy, action-filled adventure with some genuinely heartfelt story moments, and the choices you’re given can add some surprising personal twists to your particular playthrough. Its combat and level design are relatively simple if still consistently entertaining, but it’s the relationships and banter between its characters that keep everything fresh as they evolve. It isn’t going to set the world on fire, but Guardians of the Galaxy is still another convincing example of how much fun a linear, no-frills, single-player campaign can be.”
2. Age of Empires IV review roundup
Developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Xbox, Age of Empires IV releases on October 28th on PC. Reviews are now available, with the game sitting in the 94th percentile on OpenCritic.
As someone who knows nothing about RTS games, I will let the reviewers speak for me. An introduction, from Polygon:
“If it’s possible to play it safe with a real-time strategy game in 2021, then Age of Empires 4 is playing it safe. The new game from Relic Studios, taking over from previous franchise developer Ensemble, is more like a modernized remake of Age of Empires 2 than a sequel to the series’ third game. But it turns out that updating a 20-year old classic is actually a pretty great idea.”
An explanation, from VGC:
“Age of Empires IV is an RTS in which you must achieve victory by building a specific structure, controlling certain parts of the map, or destroying your opponent’s empire. So while your victory condition almost always falls into these three lanes, it’s the journey to those outcomes that make the game so satisfying to play.”
“The campaign, which sees players play through moments in history to relive it for themselves like it was the showcase mode of a WWE Game, is a great way to learn the ropes. You’re presented with small scenarios and are given fairly clear instructions as to how to finish them, with the whole thing serving as a long, highly produced tutorial.”
The common narrative seems to be that the title is bringing RTS games back into the conversation, and attempts to teach their players how to play them effectively. Some reviewers felt it wasn’t worth picking up over the older remaster of Age of Empires II. I encourage you to read some more reviews if you feel you might fall into this camp!
💡 Worth A Look
Microsoft shows off Halo Infinite campaign for first time in over a year. People like it a lot more this time!
The PlayStation blog outlines new abilities in Horizon Forbidden West
The PlayStation blog ALSO outlines new features in Call of Duty: Vanguard
📅 Game Releases!
October 26 [Today!]: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy • NASCAR 21: Ignition
October 28: Age of Empires IV • Riders Republic • Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars
October 29: Mario Party Superstars
November 1: Unpacking
November 4: Just Dance 2022
November 5: Call of Duty: Vanguard • Let’s Build A Zoo • Animal Crossing: Happy Home Paradise
🔥 Thank You!
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