Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyis finally official, and fans of the ragtag group were treated with a thorough showcase at Square Enix’s E3 presentation. Some exciting gameplay was shown off that detailed how the next Marvel venture from Eidos Montreal will work, but one of the biggest places of praise was from the character designs. The look of each character has been mostly well-received by fans, which is already a step in the right direction fromthe reception thatMarvel’s Avengersgotbased on its character designs. The personality of the team is also intact, with much of it seemingly inspired by theMCUfilms.
It’s clear that the game’s developers are taking a decent amount of aesthetic inspiration from the comics, but there are still plenty of aspects to the characters thatMCUfans should be familiar with. One of the most beloved characters that has maintained the core of what makes them so popular is Groot, as the walking-talking tree largely resembles how he looked in his first film appearance. This protective and charming side of Groot is one that fans haven’t been able to see in a long time, so when it comes toMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, this could be a welcome interpretation for fans that fondly remember Groot’sMCUorigins.
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Groot’s Design In Guardians Of The Galaxy Game And the MCU
There isn’t much to Groot’s appearance inMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxythat differs too dramatically from theMCUfilms. He’s still the same lumbering tower of tree bark that he is in the firstGuardians of the Galaxyfilm, but there are some small tweaks that prevent him from being a carbon copy. The most noticeable difference is the gear that Groot wears around his torso that allows Rocket Raccoon to perch on his back. It’s a small, but important detail that shows how Groot supports the game’s combat, and demonstrateshis strong connection with Rocket.
Other than this new gear, Groot is almost identical to how he looks in theMCU. His wooden frame towers over everyone, and his face still carries a softness that makes him one of the more lovable members of the team. Groot also approaches combat the same way he does in theMCU, using his strong limbs to slash and grab enemies. The most important similarity however, comes from Groot’s iconic speech patterns. He still only speaks in the words, “I am Groot,” which has proved to be an integral part of Groot’s character to many fans. Maintaining this unique trait was certainly the right move for Eidos Montreal.
Groot’s Personality In Guardians Of The Galaxy And the MCU
Among the several things thattheMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyteasershowed off, fans were able to get plenty of insight into Groot’s personality. The tree-creature isn’t exactly the most emotionally complex, but its this simplicity that makes him one of the most likable members of the team. He almost has a childlike air to him at times, but his menacing stature still makes Groot someone to take very seriously. This is pretty consistent with how Groot has been portrayed in films, with the firstGuardiansof the Galaxyfilm in particular showing how Groot is fairly easy to please, but also someone that is not to be trifled with.
One of the most consistent aspects of Groot’s character between the game, films, and even comics, is his self-sacrificing nature. If there’s one thing Groot cares about the most, it’s the well-being of his Guardians family.The firstGuardiansfilmdemonstrated this perfectly, by having Groot envelop the team in a ball of his own limbs in order to save them from dying in a crashing spaceship. There were small hints of this in the gameplay that Square Enix showed off, as Groot volunteers himself to be sold to a presumably dangerous monster collector. It’s far too soon to say if Groot will get an in-game moment similar to hisMCUsacrifice, but the game makes it very clear that the same selfless attitude is still there.
For any fans that were worried about what Square Enix and Eidos Montreal were going to do with the Guardians after the many missteps ofMarvel’s Avengers, there should be some relief in what’s been shown off forMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyso far. It’s already been made very clear thatGuardians of the Galaxyis a single-player, story-driven game, which already makes it a big departure fromAvengers. Hopefully as more details are revealed,Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyturns out to be a superhero team game that completely satisfies.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyreleases October 26 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
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