Review

Guardians of the Galaxy Episode 3: More Than a Feeling

Part of Telltale’s charm is their ability to turn a slightly above average plot into something grand. Most start out strong, but by the halfway point, I usually start worrying; the twists and turns become more predictable over time. More often than not though, my fears are proven unwarranted.

“More Than a Feeling”, the aptly titled third episode of Tellale’s Guardians of the Galaxy, picks up moments after Star-Lord and Gamora were engulfed by the bright light on Emnios. Moving through the ether, they’re both forced to relive painful memories. Star-Lord experiences another childhood moment with his deceased mother while Gamora succumbs to an assassin’s blade – the latter of which nearly gets Star-Lord killed. Once their hallucinations run their course, the Guardians are guided towards a large temple. Gamora raises concerns about how their memories are seemingly being used against them. In hopes of finding answers about the Eternity Forge and Star-Lord’s mother, they enter anyways.

From here on out, things take an interesting turn. It isn’t a spoiler to say that we do in fact learn a great deal about the Forge and its connection to the Guardians. The why’s and how aren’t as ambitious as I’d hoped. The mystery that hovered above the overarching plot was solved somewhat, anticlimactically. That said, the ramifications of newly discovered information drove home what this series has always been about. Family. The conflicting views on what that word means and how one should or shouldn’t honor a family member’s wishes, brings about some tense moments.

Unfortunately, a lot of the tension this episode generates is cut down by the story’s humor. Telltale wants to keep things from becoming too serious. Which, given how the Guardians have been treated in other media, makes sense. This band of misfits aren’t isn’t exactly a happy-go-lucky group. Their stories don’t gravitate towards the darker corners of comic-dom either. This is normally a strong point; I really enjoyed the humor here. I just think that some of the timing was a bit off, depending on what choices the player makes along the way.

All and all, “More Than a Feeling” is a great episode. It raises the stakes in interesting ways, possibly driving further the wedge that’s been growing between our heroes. Classic characters make their debut/return and there’s plenty of action. The episode isn’t as heartfelt as the one before it, some of which is robbed by humorous happenings. It still provides the same quality as the first two episodes. Telltale has another winner on their hands!