Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy - Episode 2: Under Pressure Reviews
While it’s still one of the more outright comedies in the Telltale oeuvre, Guardians’ story is one of grief and loss and regret.
The same problems as the first episode return. Outside of Rocket's flashback and some interactions with Nebula, the story fails to really grip the audience. The usual Telltale problems are once again in attendance, too, with some terrible performance and too many easy choices to make. That being said, the glimpse into Rocket's history is fantastic, and for those who have enjoyed the films thus far and want to dip their toe into the comics, this is seeming a fitting way to do so.
The second episode of Guardians of the Galaxy does a fair job of setting the stage for future installments. If you can get over the consistency errors and hammy writing, you've got the potential for a b-movie blockbuster full of action, drama, and blue-skinned cyborgs.
In the beginning it seems as if Telltale is struggling to find their groove, stumbling a bit before regaining focus.
It's still not clear what Telltale and Guardians of Galaxy are trying to achieve but from what we have experienced so far, there is no hope for the future of this game.
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If you're a fan of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and yet still on the fence with regards to the Telltale series, I'd consider getting down and making a purchase, pronto.
All in all it's a solid episode that feels decidedly rushed in the end — Rocket Raccoon's story is compelling, but it seems like the developer forgot they need to carry the main plot forward too, and left us on a massive cliffhanger to make up for it.
Much better than the first, episode two features better pacing and more time being given to the supporting characters. I'm now excited to see where things go for the series.
Although I do appreciate that we get more airtime with the Guardians and experience their relationship with each other firsthand, I just felt I was being deprived of the action. I wanted more space fights, I wanted more action sequences. I wanted to see all of the Guardians in action. I wanted to see the chain of command jumping off from one Guardian to another. I didn't really get to experience that here. It was too far and few in between. The game needs to step it up and I hope that they can improve next episode.
I am continuously impressed by the personal emotional depths TellTale is willing to dive into with each character. I would argue that this is Rocket’s episode more than anyone’s. He gets a lengthy flashback sequence, which invested me as far into his character as two films managed to do, if not more. Drax and Gamora also show the first seeds of major character arcs that I’m hopeful to see in future episodes.
The second episode is better paced and more engaging than the opener, but still struggles under its own technical limitations
It may not have you pausing your game and thinking over decisions quite like The Walking Dead did, but Guardians of the Galaxy constantly emanates feel-good vibes, reminiscent of Tales from the Borderlands. While I'm not convinced it'll ultimately live up to Rhys, Fiona and Loaderbot's escapades (my own personal favorite series), for sheer enjoyment, it's shaping up to come mighty close.
The second episode of Telltale's Guardians of the Galaxy series takes on a slower pace with more focus on characters (and drama).
Under Pressure keeps the story flowing and the jams pumping as Telltale provides a rare look at one of the Guardians' upbringings. The hit-or-miss humor and standard technical malfunctions are still on full display, but the strong storytelling helps keep the season moving forward as the dysfunctional space crew keep searching for answers.
Telltale's Guardians of the Galaxy series continues with Under Pressure, the second of five planned episodes, and while it is competent and features a bit of Rocket lore, it still lacks that Guardians flair James Gunn has perfected in his live action films featuring the same characters.
My big problem with Telltale's take on Guardians of the Galaxy is that it just hasn't grabbed me like the other Telltalle series.
Ultimately, while Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series: Under Pressure's array of choices doesn't quite feel as "consequential" as one might expect of the typical Telltale pitch, the new episode improves on the promise of the first outing's strengths in characterization, while still building up the main narrative into something a tad more engaging. Only the future will be able to show if these decisions will snowball properly, but the series now has me wanting to actually see that eventuality, which means it's done its job.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series - Episode 2 is another great episode from the developer. It's better than the first episode in a lot of ways, but still has troubling technical problems that detract from the fun.
Under Pressure transitions us off of the high-tempo radio hit that was the season opener and into a more relaxed slow jam punctuated with some meaty action riffs. The slower drip of meaningful events meant I didn't come off of it with the same level of feelgood euphoria I had after finishing Tangled Up in Blue, but Telltale is still doing an excellent job adapting this eccentric hero team to its tried-and-true format - particularly when the focus is on developing the characters and the relationships between them.