For most games, music is there to provide a suitable backdrop to ongoing events. In the case of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, the ’80s-themed soundtrack will go a step further, being used in one of the game’s combat mechanics to give the team a boost when taking down enemies. It all has to do with a change to the backstory of Peter Quill where they reveal how he got his hero name: Star-Lord.
Eidos-Montréal had already said Marvel had given them free rein to create their own versions of the five Guardians. Senior Creative Director JF Dugas explained how they’ve made some changes to their backstories as a result. One of those is that Peter Quill was a huge fan of a rock band called Star-Lord when he was a child. This is how he got his name and is a big influence in his appearance with an ’80s hairstyle and a leather jacket with studs, pins, and a large Star-Lord patch on the back.
Star-Lord is a fictional band, but you can’t base a character around a band with no music. Step forward Senior Audio Director Steve Szczepkowski, who created an entire album’s worth of original rock music for the band, even going as far as to become Star-Lord’s frontman. Together with additional licensed tracks from the 80s, these songs are used in a combat mechanic known as Huddle. When Huddle is triggered, Star-Lord will pull out his cassette player and blast out a song that gives the team a boost during big fights. You can hear more about how important music is to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy in the latest developer diary:
The appearance of the other Guardians has also been influenced by their backstories. Drax’s Katathian scarification represents important events throughout his life. Gamora’s full body armor suit is inspired by feline predators and reflects how she is the deadliest woman in the galaxy. Groot and Rocket’s outfits demonstrate their close friendship and reliance on one another.
The developer also had their pick of the villains within the franchise, including Lady Hellbender. Players can meet all of these characters when the game is released on PS4 and PS5 on October 26. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy will come in both standard and Deluxe Editions. Those who preorder any version of the game will get an early unlock of the Throwback Guardians Outfit Pack featuring costumes for all five Guardians.
[Source: PlayStation Blog, Square Enix]
