Just a short few weeks after the release of the last episode, Telltale is back to close out its Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy season with Don’t Stop Believin’. After leaving themselves in a tough spot at the end of the last episode, the Guardians need to quickly rally before the galaxy is lost to yet another maniacal threat.
What Is It?
Based on your selections from the previous episode, the Guardians will start off in some level of disarray. Your job as Peter is to get the band back together for one final stand against Hala. Nearly consumed by the power of the Eternity Forge that’s fused itself with her, she’s out to destroy the galaxy. Much of that rage is focused on Peter as he is, rightfully, the one responsible for turning her into the monster she is.
Why Should I Care?
With some minimal exceptions, the story finally finds a proper pacing. Peter uses Mantis’ abilities to track down and reconnect with his team members, allowing him to view things in drastically different ways. It’s an introspective look at what makes the team work through Peter and it’s arguably the best showing of it in the entire season. It’s only hampered by the very Inside-Out like setup for everything. You’re literally looking at colorful balls of emotion to start connecting through memories and feelings. It works, but it dragged on for about five minutes too long. In an episode that only takes about 90 minutes to complete, that stands out quite a bit.
Otherwise, the end? There was only one thing that stopped it from being absolutely fantastic. A rousing speech gets the Guardians amped for battle and each is assigned what sounds like awesome tasks to take down Hala (you get to choose). Unfortunately, only Peter’s task is seen and it’s almost way too easy. Thankfully, everything from there picks up beautifully. Each Guardian gets their shot at Hala and the action flows seamlessly through a great musical choice. There were no technical problems or flow issues, which I had issues with in previous attempts throughout the season. This battle played out excellently. Each Guardian has a solid set of moves to make and you feel, if just for a moment, like you’re actually playing with different characters. It was exactly what was needed to cap things off and an excellent way to end on a surprisingly emotional note with its villain. You ultimately can feel satisfied that the Guardians are in a better place.
The game does backtrack on some of the shocking enough options from the previous episode, which was somewhat disappointing but ultimately expected in hindsight. What it allows for, though, is a much better team cohesion that serves the episode–and the series moving forward–better. And depending on what else happens with Telltale, there’s certainly a major threat that can come in for a second series. A classic Marvel post-credits scene.
What Makes It Worth My Time and Money?
Don’t Stop Believin’ brings the season, as back and forth as it was, to a satisfying end. It has its own stumbling blocks, particularly in the beginning when the flow is slowed down too much. Once it picks back up, though, it’s hitting everything on really solid gears. Appropriately, Mantis calls out the Guardians for never working harmoniously together; she views it as nearly impossible. The Guardians and the game respond with such a tight finish that balanced out the action, humor, and emotion very well. It’s a strong effort that overcomes any of its own flaws, capturing enough interest to close things out. It just might have you coming back for more in another season.
—
Check out our reviews of this season’s other episodes of Telltale’s Guardians of the Galaxy!
Title:
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Episode 5: Don't Stop Believin'
Platform:
Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
Publisher:
Telltale Games
Developer:
Telltale Games
Genre:
Action Adventure
Release Date:
November 7, 2017
ESRB Rating:
T
Developer's Twitter:
Editor's Note:
A copy of the game was purchased by the reviewer and the episode was played to completion.
“Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Episode 5: Don’t Stop Believin'” Review
Just a short few weeks after the release of the last episode, Telltale is back to close out its Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy season with Don’t Stop Believin’. After leaving themselves in a tough spot at the end of…
Just a short few weeks after the release of the last episode, Telltale is back to close out its Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy season with Don’t Stop Believin’. After leaving themselves in a tough spot at the end of the last episode, the Guardians need to quickly rally before the galaxy is lost to yet another maniacal threat.
What Is It?
Based on your selections from the previous episode, the Guardians will start off in some level of disarray. Your job as Peter is to get the band back together for one final stand against Hala. Nearly consumed by the power of the Eternity Forge that’s fused itself with her, she’s out to destroy the galaxy. Much of that rage is focused on Peter as he is, rightfully, the one responsible for turning her into the monster she is.
Why Should I Care?
With some minimal exceptions, the story finally finds a proper pacing. Peter uses Mantis’ abilities to track down and reconnect with his team members, allowing him to view things in drastically different ways. It’s an introspective look at what makes the team work through Peter and it’s arguably the best showing of it in the entire season. It’s only hampered by the very Inside-Out like setup for everything. You’re literally looking at colorful balls of emotion to start connecting through memories and feelings. It works, but it dragged on for about five minutes too long. In an episode that only takes about 90 minutes to complete, that stands out quite a bit.
Otherwise, the end? There was only one thing that stopped it from being absolutely fantastic. A rousing speech gets the Guardians amped for battle and each is assigned what sounds like awesome tasks to take down Hala (you get to choose). Unfortunately, only Peter’s task is seen and it’s almost way too easy. Thankfully, everything from there picks up beautifully. Each Guardian gets their shot at Hala and the action flows seamlessly through a great musical choice. There were no technical problems or flow issues, which I had issues with in previous attempts throughout the season. This battle played out excellently. Each Guardian has a solid set of moves to make and you feel, if just for a moment, like you’re actually playing with different characters. It was exactly what was needed to cap things off and an excellent way to end on a surprisingly emotional note with its villain. You ultimately can feel satisfied that the Guardians are in a better place.
The game does backtrack on some of the shocking enough options from the previous episode, which was somewhat disappointing but ultimately expected in hindsight. What it allows for, though, is a much better team cohesion that serves the episode–and the series moving forward–better. And depending on what else happens with Telltale, there’s certainly a major threat that can come in for a second series. A classic Marvel post-credits scene.
What Makes It Worth My Time and Money?
Don’t Stop Believin’ brings the season, as back and forth as it was, to a satisfying end. It has its own stumbling blocks, particularly in the beginning when the flow is slowed down too much. Once it picks back up, though, it’s hitting everything on really solid gears. Appropriately, Mantis calls out the Guardians for never working harmoniously together; she views it as nearly impossible. The Guardians and the game respond with such a tight finish that balanced out the action, humor, and emotion very well. It’s a strong effort that overcomes any of its own flaws, capturing enough interest to close things out. It just might have you coming back for more in another season.
—
Check out our reviews of this season’s other episodes of Telltale’s Guardians of the Galaxy!
Written by: Alex Quevedo
Date published: 11/10/2017
4 / 5 stars
by Alex Quevedo