Musical scores are paramount in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, with particular themes and character origins being tied to fictional bands and tracks in-game. For example, Eidos-Montréal has previously shared that Peter Quill obtains the self-proclaimed Star-Lord moniker from his favorite band, rooting music as a primary narrative influence in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
Eidos-Montréal’s previous developer insight videos have been released intermittently to reveal insights into Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy’s main characters. But as important as its characters are, the soundtrack in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is equally tied to both gameplay and narrative in significant ways.
Today, Eidos-Montréal has shared more information about the soundtrack in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy in a new developer insight video. This information comes from Steve Szczepkowski, Senior Audio Director at Eidos-Montréal, explaining how the soundtrack is “infused in the DNA of the game” in a number of unique ways. By producing and including soundtracks with three different elements to them, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy aims to fulfill fans with a balanced score throughout the game that is consciously woven into gameplay and narrative.
Szczepkowski states the importance of the soundtrack during the Huddle gameplay mechanic, which allows players to implement a Cassette Player mixtape of licensed ’80s music into combat sequences. These tracks are set to include notable artists such as KISS, Rick Astley, Iron Maiden, and more that have yet to be announced. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy will come equipped with a “streamer mode” at launch to protect live-streamers from being struck with DMCA claims due to its licensed music.
How detrimental this function will be to players’ experience of the game is uncertain, though it is apparent that a larger portion of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy may be missed out on as a result of omitting its licensed tracklist. Having licensed music may only omit tracks that are used in the Huddle, or there may be other included uses of licensed ’80s music throughout. However, the game will also include songs that are a part of an original rock soundtrack as well, including a full, recorded album.
Further, an orchestral score written by Richard Jacques, a BAFTA-nominated composer, will supply Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy with an "epic, cinematic quality". These musical influences are intended to complement the electric vibe of ’80s music with rock and roll and a cinematic orchestral score, which overall contributes to the wider gameplay and narrative implications in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is currently scheduled to release on October 26, 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.