Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

In Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, you take on the role of Star-Lord (AKA Peter Quill), leading an eclectic crew of heroes-for-hire in a wild third-person action-adventure across the cosmos. Your bold leadership brings together a group of unlikely allies — including Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot — as you navigate a chain of catastrophic events, using Element Blasters, tag-team beatdowns, and jet boot-powered dropkicks to save the galaxy from total meltdown. Expect surprises and consequences for your actions as you encounter powerful new beings and unique takes on iconic characters in this original Marvel story. With a fresh but faithful approach, it's time to show the universe what you're made of. Several situations involve the use of QTEs or Quick-Time Events. Filled with humor, colorful scenery, and an inventive bestiary, but also violent fights and difficult topics around death, grief, trauma, and family.

• Release date: 10-26-2021
• Developer: Eidos Montréal
• Publisher: Square Enix
• Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

Triggers for this game

Animals & Wildlife

• Dogs

  Puppies, menacing dog barking

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Peter wakes up with a menacing dog barking and growling to his face (Cosmo). Player sees it in close up, drooling. There are also cute puppies!

  • Can't be avoided

• Fictional Creatures

  Aliens

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  The Voxiplode is a sentient, spiky soccer ball. The Slakebeasts are a quadrupedal predator species native to Seknarf Nine.

  • Can't be avoided

• Insects

  Worms, mantis

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Person-sized worm-like creatures; Mantis is a praying mantis-like alien

  • Can't be avoided

• Misc. Animals & Critters

  Rocket is a raccoon. Many aliens resemble earth creatures, including a dragon, a squid / octopus, space whales, llama, and yetis.

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Fin Fang Foom has the body structure and fiery breath of a typical European dragon, but his underbelly is covered in spiracle-like tubes.

  • Can't be avoided

• Parasites

  Mentioned

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Rocket mentions encountering a Klyntar parasite

  • Can't be avoided

• Rodents

  Rat-like creatures (friendly)

  • Can't be avoided

• Snakes

  • Can't be avoided

Crime

• Being Held Against Will

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Peter is trapped by 2 giants who close walls around him and try to capture him, but may kill him through brutal violence. Groot can use his vines to restrain a staggered enemy. Evocation of prison. Peter and the other guardians are trapped in transparent cells on Knowhere.

  • Can't be avoided

• Explosions & Bombs

  • Can't be avoided

• Fights

  • Can't be avoided

• Guns & Shooting

  • Can't be avoided

• Human Trafficking & Forced Labor

  Children

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  In one of the games optional conversions Peter reveals that the reason he left the Ravagers and sold out Yondu to the Nova Corps was because Yondu starting kidnapping and trafficking children.

  • Is avoidable

• Misc. Crime

  Weapons

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Poisonous gas; electric shocks; melee fighting; guns; elemental-charged ammo (ice, lightning/electricity, wind, & plasma); laser fire; bombs, explosions; grenades; sword fights; fire; destruction of cities and villages.

  • Can't be avoided

• Murder

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  The Guardians kill literally hundreds of enemies, and can even kill creatures for sports in an early level. Converted Nova Force members execute individuals who resist, which is shown on-screen.

  • Can't be avoided

• Theft

  • Can't be avoided

• Torture

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Rocket mentions having been tortured as well as having been forced to undergo body alteration.

  • Can't be avoided

Death & Loss

• Abandonment

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Peter's father. During much of the game, Peter believes he may be Nikki's father and is unsure what to do about this.

  • Can't be avoided

• Death of Child

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Avoidable — Quill can fail saving 12-year-old Nikki from death when she falls from a ship deck. Can be avoided by succeeding at a QTE (which can be set to be always won). Unavoidable — The Universal Church of Truth promises to re-unite people with their dead loves ones, leading to various interactions with dead individuals. The only way to be free of the Promise is to kill its projections of your loved ones. Drax mourns his wife and daughter, who were killed by Thanos. He becomes the victim of an entity who thrives on his sadness and draws him to a cult that obliterates his will. His friends enter his mind to fight his demons from the inside. To free himself, he has to kill illusions of his wife and daughter.

  • Is avoidable
  • Can't be avoided

• Death of Loved One

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  The Universal Church of Truth promises to re-unite people with their dead loves ones, leading to various interactions with dead individuals. The only way to be free of the Promise is to kill its projections of your loved ones. Memories of young Peter shows his mother, who is implied to be dead. Peter also mentions his grandparents, recently dead, whom he recalls fondly. Later, we see Peter's mother being killed by aliens while he is abducted. END GAME SPOILER — Star-Lord ultimately dies resealing Magus in the Soul Stone. It doesn’t stick, as Groot quickly revives him after everyone gets back on the ship.

  • Can't be avoided

• Death of Parent

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  The Universal Church of Truth promises to re-unite people with their dead loves ones, leading to various interactions with dead individuals. The only way to be free of the Promise is to kill its projections of your loved ones. Memories of young Peter shows his mother, who is implied to be dead. Peter also mentions his grandparents, recently dead, whom he recalls fondly. Later, we see Peter's mother being killed by aliens while he is abducted.

  • Can't be avoided

• Death of Sibling

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  The Universal Church of Truth promises to re-unite people with their dead loves ones, leading to various interactions with dead individuals. The only way to be free of the Promise is to kill its projections of your loved ones. Gamora mentions that she killed her sister Nebula because she had become a dangerous, uncontrollable monstrosity. She feels immensely guilty for it.

  • Can't be avoided

• Death of Spouse or Partner

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  The Universal Church of Truth promises to re-unite people with their dead loves ones, leading to various interactions with dead individuals. The only way to be free of the Promise is to kill its projections of your loved ones. Drax mourns his wife and daughter, who were killed by Thanos. He becomes the victim of an entity who thrives on his sadness and draws him to a cult that obliterates his will. His friends enter his mind to fight his demons from the inside. To free himself, he has to kill illusions of his wife and daughter.

  • Can't be avoided

• Death of Wild Animal

  Aliens

  • Can't be avoided

• Drowning

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Avoidable — Rocket falls into a pink jelly pit while approaching Lady Hellbender's place (Chapter 3). He can drown if Peter doesn't save him (Quick Time Event).

  • Is avoidable

• Misc. Death & Loss

  Family dysfunction (birth & chosen)

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Family dysfunction (birth & chosen) — Lots of dysfunctional, family-like relationships between the Guardians, and others. They frequently quarrel, calling each other out for their failings, and their friendship is often put to test. But in the end, their bond proves to be strong enough to overcome the toughest ordeals.

  • Can't be avoided

• Single Parenting

  Adoption

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Adoption — Ko-Rel adopted Nikki to protect her from the Kree empire's impurity laws. At the end of the game, the Guardians adopt her, too.

  • Can't be avoided

Disturbing Sounds & Sound Design

• Misc. Eerie Noises

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Thumping sounds, like a huge hammer, or the heart of a monster. Walking through a crowd on Knowhere, we can hear them chatting, on various subjects, sometimes about someone getting hurt.

  • Can't be avoided

• Scratching

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Rat-like creatures (friendly) make these

  • Can't be avoided

• Screams

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Rocket teases Peter about screaming early on in the game. Rocket screams upon seeing damage Kammy does to the ship. Peter screams again later when Gamora pretends to lose grip on a rope.

  • Can't be avoided

• Wet Sounds

  • Can't be avoided

Drugs & Alcohol

• Alcohol Consumption

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Evocation and consumption of beverage that is similar to alcohol.

  • Can't be avoided

Financial & Resource Management

• Gambling

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  One-arm bandit, bonneteau game

  • Can't be avoided

• Scarcity

  • Can't be avoided

Genocide

• Fantasy Race

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  One disgruntled tourist you can overhear on Knowhere compares a worker doing his job to a Chitauri foot-soldier committing genocide on Thanos' behalf. The worker takes offense since his father died fighting the Chitauri, and the two bicker on.

  • Is avoidable
  • Can't be avoided

Gore

• Amputation

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Avoidable — If Star-Lord lets Gamora pursue Raker and Nikki aboard the Church's ship during their escape from it, she'll ultimately fail to assassinate Raker, but will succeed in slicing off his left arm, which will limit him during the final battle. Unavoidable — Gamora is a former assassin and will occasionally suggest assassination as a plan.

  • Is avoidable
  • Can't be avoided

• Animal Violence

  Aliens

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Much of the game is based on killing fictional alien animals. Lady Hellbender collects rare aliens / creatures / monsters. Types of aliens include Acanti Space Whale, tree person (Groot), praying mantis person (Mantis), blobs, space llama (Kammy), etc.

  • Can't be avoided

• Blood

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  One cutscene depicts a character clutching a bloody wound. Aliens sometimes explode into colorful splatters of blood.

  • Can't be avoided

• Dismemberment

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  If Star-Lord lets Gamora pursue Raker and Nikki aboard the Church's ship during their escape from it, she'll ultimately fail to assassinate Raker, but will succeed in slicing off his left arm, which will limit him during the final battle.

  • Is avoidable

Hate & Discrimination

• Ableism

  Facial difference, sanism

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Facial difference — An antagonist has a part of his face covered by a golden metal plate that matches its exact shape. When mentioned by Peter ("you've got something on your face"), he says that he was disfigured by someone referred as "Him". On Knowhere, Peter can run into an alien smuggler who’s missing his lips and claims that they're best friends. Peter has no idea who he is, and the game's subtitles only refer to him as "Lipless". Sanism — During one level, Mantis must use her mental abilities to keep Drax pacified during his "Brainwashed and Crazy" state.

  • Can't be avoided

• Eugenics

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  During much of the game, Peter believes he may be Nikki's father. Nikki and her mother Ko-Rel are said to be under the threat of death penalty for infringing the Kree purity law. Evocation of eugenics and racism by the Kree.

  • Can't be avoided

• Fantasy Racism

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Peter may or may not be the father of Nikki. Nikki and her mother are said to be under the threat of death penalty for infringing the Kree purity law. Evocation of eugenics and racism by the Kree.

  • Can't be avoided

Horror Themes

• Aliens

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Various encounters with alien life forms, some being aggressive or dangerous. Gigantic figures, in the shape of a human body, a dragon, a squid, a mask-like face, monsters that resemble to space whales. Person-sized, worm-like creatures. Poisonous plants. It is suggested that Peter may have attracted the aliens who killed his mother when he played with the alien pistols his father left.

  • Can't be avoided

• Chase & Pursuit

  Non-traditional — bounty hunters will follow you, catching up to you in planned parts of the game

  • Can't be avoided

• Ghosts & Hauntings

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  END GAME SPOILERS — Just before the final battle, Ko-Rel's ghost emphasizes the point that she isn't real by letting Peter's hand pass through her.

  • Can't be avoided

• Jump Scares

  • Can't be avoided

• Mind Control

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Religious cult that mesmerizes its followers and annihilates their free will. Nikki (12yo) is possessed by an entity.

  • Can't be avoided

• Monsters

  Various aliens

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Lady Hellbender collects rare aliens / creatures / "monsters

  • Can't be avoided

• Possession

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Religious cult that mesmerizes its followers and annihilates their free will. Nikki (12yo) is possessed by an entity.

  • Can't be avoided

Law Enforcement

• Prison & Incarceration

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  The Guardians are under the pressure of finding money to avoid prison. Evocation of prison. Peter and the other guardians are trapped in transparent cells on Knowhere.

  • Can't be avoided

Mental Health

• Depression

  • Can't be avoided

• Family References

  • Can't be avoided

• Grief

  & guilt

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  It is suggested that Peter may have attracted the aliens who killed his mother when he played with the alien pistols his father left. Gamora mentions that she killed her sister Nebula because she had become a dangerous, uncontrollable monstrosity. She feels immensely guilty for it.

  • Can't be avoided

• Hallucinations

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Nightmares, hallucinations. Deaths of parent, loved ones. Mid-game, Peter as an adult sees his mother in an illusion. She wants to hug him. Peter guesses something is wrong, and he is confronted to a choice: either he complies (but the game ends here), or he shoots her.

  • Can't be avoided

• Mental Illness

  • Can't be avoided

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Many veterans (and citizens), from the Galactic War

  • Can't be avoided

• Relationship Management

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  During the post credits "Where Are They Now" segment, the length of each Guardian's epilogue depends on how much you invested in building a relationship with them, gaining up to 3 notes.

  • Can't be avoided

Natural Events

• Natural Disaster

  Avalanches

  • Can't be avoided

• Pandemic

  Virus, quarantine zone

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Quarantine zone, evocation of a virus that may have turned Nova Corps members into betrayers.

  • Can't be avoided

• Storms

  • Can't be avoided

Non-Sexual Abuse & Violence

• Altercations

  • Can't be avoided

• Assault

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Video footage of a group led by Peter's former lover, violently attacked by an unidentified creature. The issue is unknown, since the video is interrupted.

  • Can't be avoided

• Child Abuse

  • Can't be avoided

• Child Endangerment

  • Can't be avoided

• Gaslighting

  Brainwashing

  • Is avoidable

• Hunting

  & animal collecting

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Lady Hellbender collects rare aliens / creatures / "monsters

  • Can't be avoided

• Magical Violence

  • Can't be avoided

• Manipulation

  • Can't be avoided

• Misc. Non-Sexual Abuse & Violence

  Choking

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Gamora puts her hands on someone's throats to get them to stop talking. Drax chokes a priest before Mantis steps in. A lady grabs Peter by the throat at the end of Chapter 13, following the boss fight.

  • Can't be avoided

• Psychological Abuse

  • Can't be avoided

Phobias

• Acrophobia

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Multiple occasions of fatal falls from heights. Passages where the player must guide Peter along a narrow ledge, or a beam, from which he could fall. Fast-paced sequences where the characters slide along a slope and try to avoid obstacles and jump across gaps. Failing to do so can result in Peter crashing into a wall, his members broken and twisted. Some scenes involve throwing Rocket across chasms. The Church of Unified Truth's members use Faith Energy to fly. If you kill them in mid-air, they will fall.

  • Can't be avoided

• Aerophobia

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Some scenes involve throwing Rocket across chasms. Using Peter's jet boots, flying in your ship; orbiting above planets; sections where you play as the Milano and get into a typical dogfight with enemy ships. The Church of Unified Truth's members use Faith Energy to fly. If you kill them in mid-air, they will fall. During the final fight, as the guardians speak, Kammy the space llama can be seen floating through space in the background.

  • Can't be avoided

• Agliophobia

  • Can't be avoided

• Agoraphobia

  • Can't be avoided

• Automatonophobia

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Unavoidable — You fight robots throughout the game. Avoidable — If you make the wrong choices, you’ll end up fighting against an endless wave of robotic inquisitors near the end of the game.

  • Is avoidable
  • Can't be avoided

• Claustrophobia

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Sequences in caves and narrow spaces.

  • Can't be avoided

• Hemophobia

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  One cutscene depicts a character clutching a bloody wound. Aliens sometimes explode into colorful splatters of blood.

  • Can't be avoided

• Megalophobia

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Gigantic figures, in the shape of a human body

  • Can't be avoided

• Merinthophobia

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Peter is trapped by 2 giants who close walls around him and try to capture him, but may kill him through brutal violence. Groot can use his vines to restrain a staggered enemy. Evocation of prison. Peter and the other guardians are trapped in transparent cells on Knowhere.

  • Can't be avoided

• Misc. Phobias

  Cynophobia (Fear of dogs), Decidophobia (Fear of making decisions), Hydrophobia (fear of water — Rocket has this), Kosmikophobia (Fear of space or the cosmos)

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Anginophobia (Fear of choking), Atychiphobia (Fear of failure), Blennophobia (Fear of slime), Cheimatophobia (Fear of cold), Electrophobia (Fear of electricity — weapons), Helminthophobia (Fear of worms — person-size worm-like creatures), Hierophobia (Fear of priests), Hylophobia (Fear of forests), Ophidiophobia (Fear of snakes), Pyrophobia (Fear of fire), Selaphobia (fear of light flashes), Thanatophobia (Fear of dying)

  • Can't be avoided

• Necrophobia

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Dead aliens. One dead Nova Corps soldier is seen floating in Quarantine Zone, which was sealed off with gel and force field to prevent munitions and debris from affecting interstellar travel. The Universal Church of Truth promises to re-unite people with their dead loves ones, leading to various interactions with dead individuals. The only way to be free of the Promise is to kill its projections of your loved ones.

  • Can't be avoided

• Thalassophobia

  Rocket has hydrophobia

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Rocket falls in a sort of goo, and can drown if Peter doesn't save him. Rocket has a profound disgust of water, due to torture he endured while being engineered. To save his friends, he has to overcome his phobia and go under a waterfall.

  • Can't be avoided

• Traumatophobia

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Fast-paced sequences where the characters slide along a slope and try to avoid obstacles and jump across gaps. Failing to do so can result in Peter crashing into a wall, his members broken and twisted.

  • Can't be avoided

Physical Health & Body Issues

• Misc. Physical Health & Body Issues

  Seizure mention

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  In Chapter 8, someone mentions pretending to have a seizure

  • Can't be avoided

Religion & Sects

• Cults

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Religious cult that mesmerizes its followers and annihilates their free will. Nikki (12yo) is possessed by an entity.

  • Can't be avoided

• Fictional Religions

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Religious cult that mesmerizes its followers and annihilates their free will. Nikki (12yo) is possessed by an entity. The population of Lamentis is made up of monks and scholars who have achieved perfect emotional wisdom, allowing them to totally resist the allure of the Universal Church of Truth.

  • Can't be avoided

Sex & Erotica (Consensual)

• Sexual Commentary

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Suggestive language; sexy album covers & posters of women in Peter's room

  • Can't be avoided

Traumatic Events

• Apocalypse

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Peter is repeatedly under the pressure of saving the other Guardians, through events, or their comments. More broadly, they are the last hope of the Galaxy facing a threat that seems overwhelming even for the most powerful entities.

  • Can't be avoided

War & Military

• Fictional War

  ShowHide potential spoilers or triggers

  Frequent evocation of war, and resistance. Mentions of the events of the Galactic War. The game takes place twelve years after the Galactic War and that the Universal Church of Truth is gathering followers by promising to restore everything that was lost during the war.

  • Can't be avoided

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