The next time fans get to see Marvel’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ in the video game world will be in the upcoming Nintendo Switch exclusive title ‘Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order’. However, these space defenders will have to share the spotlight with a whole roster of other Marvel heroes, including the heavily marketed Captain Marvel.
The question is, when will this famous and well-loved band of space misfits receive another video game title to their name?
The last time anyone enjoyed such a thing was when Telltale Games released its ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ series. However, “enjoyed” is an overstatement in this case, as players weren’t exactly happy with Telltale’s take on the ‘Guardians’. That’s because the company made the mistake of replacing the franchise’s trademark humor for more mature content.
Now that Telltale Games has closed down, it’s unlikely for the episodic game series to have a sequel. That may be a blessing in disguise. Comic Book’s interview with a former Telltale creator pointed out how the executive team had seemed to have a different audience in mind for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. Fans are now left with a longing for a title that actually gives the characters of this Marvel franchise justice.
In addition, the future of ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy’ movie franchise itself also hangs in the balance. In case you haven’t heard, director James Gunn was fired from the project last July due to his past social media behavior. Of course, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige assures fans that the third movie will push through, but no new director or release date has been announced just yet.
All in all, the superhero phenomenon continues to permeate the video game industry as blockbuster films propel comic book characters to worldwide fame. Triple A titles like the ‘Batman: Arkham’ series and the PlayStation 4 exclusive ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man’ have all received critical praise. There are even more popular superhero games for mobile, like Marvel’s ‘Future Fight’, ‘Strike Force’, and ‘Contest of Champions’.
Even companies besides the comics-related giants are jumping on the bandwagon, as loads of the superhero-themed games on Slingo are clearly paying homage to some of the comic book world’s most popular stars. Titles like ‘Thunderstruck’ and ‘Wonder Woman’ pay tribute to comic book characters that have been further popularized by blockbuster movies over the last decade.
That’s why it would seem like a missed opportunity if video game developers don’t make titles based on trending superheroes. Look at how Marvel coincides its game updates with movie releases. Many of its mobile games will get updates featuring Captain Marvel, since it’s the next big superhero movie to come out.
Sadly, with the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movies’ fate still in limbo, fans may not hear of any news of a ‘Guardians’-centric video game any time soon. But as mentioned earlier, they will appear in ‘Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3’ — a small gift to tide fans over until a new ‘Guardians’ title is finally released, whenever that may be. For now, it’s best to keep your fingers crossed.
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