As revealed by last week’s leak, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is the final free game on the Epic Games Store holiday list. Unlike previous freebies, though, users have a full week to redeem the game and permanently add it to their libraries.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy was developed by Eidos Montréal as part of the agreement between Square Enix and Marvel that also birthed Marvel’s Avengers from sister studio Crystal Dynamics. Neither of those games turned out to be successful, though for completely different reasons.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a single player action/adventure game and a great one, to boot. It was critically acclaimed and received several awards, including Best Narrative at The Game Awards, Adventure Game of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Story at the D.I.C.E. Awards. In my review of the game, I rated it 8 out of 10.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a highly enjoyable action/adventure romp that never strays from the beaten path. You won’t find any major experiments or innovations here, but you will experience a great adaptation of the beloved dysfunctional team of galactic superheroes. The story and characters are well-written, the combat is fun (if perhaps a bit too easy), and the audio is excellent.
Unfortunately, the game did not meet Square Enix’s sales projections. This was likely the final nail in the coffin that convinced the Japanese publisher to sell its Western wing, including both Eidos Montréal and Crystal Dynamics and their franchises like Deus Ex and Tomb Raider, to the Embracer Group the following year for a mere $300 million. On the same day, Eidos Montréal Studio Head David Anfossi revealed that the team has switched to Unreal Engine 5, just like Crystal Dynamics, making Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy the last game to use the Dawn Engine first seen in 2011’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
Earlier this year, Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors said that five games are expected to be released by Eidos Montréal and Crystal Dynamics by March 2028. Eidos Montréal is currently recruiting for a new open world IP with lots of combat, puzzles, and platforming, leading some to believe it may be inspired by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
