Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a rich game with plenty of environments to explore, characters to meet, and enemies to shoot. As a linear, single-player game, it also provides a clear path for players to follow in order to reach the next major story beat.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is also host to a variety of different systems for upgrading the team, navigating battle, and discovering hidden collectibles and resources. It can be overwhelming, but there are a few tips that will turn any beginner into a bona fide Guardian of the Galaxy in no time.
Updated January 18, 2022 by Hayden Epstein: Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is riding high after launching to rave reviews and taking home the Best Narrative Award at the 2021 Game Awards, and many people are suiting up as a Guardian for the first time following some killer holiday sales. But it can be a harsh and challenging galaxy out there, and some of these new players are going to need all the help they can get to become true galactic heroes. For all those new galactic defenders, we've got some Guardians of the Galaxy pro tips players will need to know to keep the cosmos safe from any intergalactic threat.
10 Take Time To Explore
Each planet in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is filled with different biomes, pathways, and hidden alcoves for players to discover on their cosmic journey. While the path forward is usually pretty clear, players shouldn't feel rushed to charge on ahead to the next major narrative moment. The game is absolutely stunning, and it's worthwhile to just take in the gorgeous environmental work Eidos Montreal did here.
Taking time to explore can also yield awesome results, including resources for upgrading Star-Lord's equipment or even special collectibles that unlock conversations with different members of the team. The best prizes, though, are the alternate costumes for each Guardian that totally change up their looks. Snagging Peter's Components Localizer perk can make finding some of those resources a little easier, as well.
9 Talk To The Team
There are numerous opportunities for players to talk to the rest of the Guardians, both in the Milano and while exploring different planets and ships. These brief conversations might not seem like much at first, but they offer glimpses into these characters' pasts and help to make these characters more dimensional.
There are also often dialogue choices players can make during these conversations, which reveal additional info about the rest of the team. Through these chats, players can find out more about Gamora and Rocket's pasts, as well as hear some of Groot's more philosophical musings. Some of the most iconic lines in the game, both funny and deeply emotional, can be found during these quiet moments spent with friends.
8 Use The Environment In Battle
Combat in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is a frenetic affair, with vines shooting up from the floor and bombs raining down from overhead. The abilities assigned to each Guardian are crucial to navigating battle, but they're not the only way for Star-Lord to use his team advantageously.
Every battle arena has different environmental triggers that different teammates can activate. For example, Groot can pull up roots from the ground, or Gamora can cut down an overhanging crate. They're single-use attacks, but since they don't have a cooldown, they essentially function as a free ability. They're incredibly useful for taking out groups of enemies or staggering a particularly tough one.
7 Stay Close To The Action
Peter Quill sports a pair of pistols that allow him to dish out damage at range to any enemies who dare cross his path. However, while Peter's Spartoi element guns boast a wide range of different abilities, they're not so useful against opponents that are far away. Players will need to get up close and personal to deal the maximum possible damage with Peter's guns.
The guns will even prompt players when they're at the best range for optimal damage, which is pretty much right up in an enemy's face. Because of this, it's worthwhile for players to stay close to the enemy they're firing at, as they won't have to fire as many shots to take it down. Pairing this with Peter's Rapid Reload ability and other perk upgrades can significantly increase his damage output.
6 Chain Abilities Often
While Peter Quill by himself can't dish out that much damage in a short amount of time, his allies pack somewhat bigger punches. Each Guardian has a slate of powerful abilities that Peter can command them to use for a variety of effects. Gamora's abilities focus on dishing out a ton of damage, Drax's can quickly build up an enemy's stagger bar, and Rocket and Groot's are great for area control.
But easily the most critical effect of all is that each ability applies a damage multiplier to an enemy for a short time, dramatically boosting any damage inflicted on them. Using abilities in quick succession increases this multiplier, which is crucial for eliminating large groups of enemies or taking down tricky bosses.
5 Choose Gear Upgrades Carefully
Rocket is the resident tech wizard aboard the Milano, and as such he can upgrade Peter's various pieces of equipment using resources and parts found across the galaxy. These upgrades can give Peter's gear all sorts of new features like an active reload or a charge shot.
It's important for players to pick the order they unlock these upgrades in carefully, though, as some are more useful to have early on than others. The Components Localizer upgrade allows players to sense nearby collectibles and is a vital one to pick up early on, as it makes unlocking all the rest significantly easier. Perfect Dodge is another great early pick, as it creates a slow-down effect if Peter dodges an attack just before it's about to hit him.
4 Know That Choices Have Consequences
There are several moments in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy that offer players a choice on how to handle a situation. What contraband should the Guardians hide? How should they navigate this tricky negotiation? Should Drax throw Rocket across a ravine?
These choices can have pivotal consequences for the Guardians down the line, with more than a few factoring into the game's final moments. Not only do these decisions have ramifications on how Guardians of the Galaxy's story plays out, but players will also hear different dialogue between characters based on their choices.
3 Dodge Often
Combat in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy can get hectic at times, with each enemy type offering its own unique challenges that get more complicated when different factions are on the field simultaneously. This is why Star-Lord's dodge maneuver is so necessary and should be employed often, especially since there's no cool-down penalty for using it frequently.
The dodge activates a quick flare of Peter's jet boots that allow him to nimbly avoid incoming attacks. There's no penalty to doing often, and it can be used in just about any direction. Peter can even dodge when knocked on his back, making it a useful option for quick recovery. The dodge can also be upgraded to create a slow-down effect when Peter dodges just before getting hit.
2 Always Go For The Stagger
Similar to games like Final Fantasy VIIR and Jedi Fallen Order, some enemies in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy have a stagger meter that, when filled, renders them vulnerable to devastating attacks. Those enemies that have a stagger bar are usually among the tougher opponents the team will face on their adventure.
Filling the bar is always the best way to approach these enemies. Certain Guardian abilities are designed to increase the stagger bar, like Drax's Destroy ability, and most enemies will have an elemental weakness Peter can exploit with his guns. Once an enemy is staggered, lay into them with the full might of the Guardians of the Galaxy to take them out with ease.
1 Take Advantage Of Elemental Weaknesses
Peter's Element Guns have the rare ability to fire powerful elemental shots at enemies, which is arguably the most useful tool in all of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. Almost every enemy in the game has a specific elemental weakness, and exploiting this weakness is the key to navigating some of the game's toughest battles.
The elemental shots come in four varieties: ice, electricity, wind, and plasma (fire). Most enemies will take increased stagger damage from their elemental weakness, but some have more dramatic reactions. For example, players can instantly defeat the gelatinous cube enemies by freezing them solid before smashing them to bits.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.