Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy gives some memorable takes on its lineup of heroes. Star-Lord’s parentage mirrors the comics as opposed to the films, Mantis is more powerful than she is in the MCU, and Drax’s story is brilliantly told. With Rocket at the center of the story and Groot being his usual lovable self, there is something interesting to see for almost all the Guardians.
Unfortunately, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy does not do as much justice to Gamora. While her backstory is just as interesting as it is in the comics and movies, her role in the main narrative is a bit lackluster in comparison to the other heroes. As such, if a sequel ever comes for the game, giving Gamora a bit more to do would absolutely be a step in the right direction.
Why Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy’s Take On Gamora Is Wasted Potential
When looking at Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy’s Gamora, she has all the pieces needed for success. Gamora’s character design is one of the best in the game, as the short hair and red highlights work just as well as the comic-inspired white armor. Gamora is also very well acted by Kimberly Sue-Murray, as she brings plenty of emotion to the dialogue uttered by the Deadliest Woman In The Galaxy.
Unfortunately, the big problem with Gamora is that she fails to have a major impact on the game’s main narrative. Mantis’ precognitive abilities see her pushing the Guardians in the right direction, Adam Warlock is crucial to containing Magus, Groot’s final ability is key to two major scenes, and Rocket butting heads with Star-Lord drives the plot. On top of all this, freeing Drax the Destroyer from his Promise takes up a good chunk of the story. Gamora, however, constantly feels like she is just along for the ride.
Part of the issue is that players are not given many moments to connect to Gamora through the main story. Players see Star-Lord and Drax’s trauma play out, as they both struggle to escape a fake version of their families. While players do not see Rocket lose Lylla, they do see him dealing with the impact of the experiments through his fear of water. Gamora only gets to talk about her issues through Guardian collectibles and brief bits of main story dialogue, which is a shame.
Had players actually seen a flashback of Gamora killing Nebula, the reveal likely would have hit harder and been more emotional. Instead, it feels a bit rushed, with the moment seeming like it was thrown in quickly just so Gamora could have a bit of time to shine. Her attempt to kill Raker also happens off-screen, with players not seeing how she got back onto the ship or what went wrong with the assassination. Even the depression that she talks about working through with Mantis, while sad, would have meant more if players had a chance to see her during this rough patch.
Gamora’s story is the least important to the larger plot, something that makes her a clear weak link when compared to the other members of the team. While her soft spot for children is a good touch that reflects her childhood with Thanos, and her passion for doll collecting is a memorable character quirk, she needed a bit more to do in the game’s 16 chapters. With the optional dialogue showing Gamora’s potential, she is a character that is worth focusing on more closely going forward if Eidos Montreal gets the chance to do so.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.