The best Marvel game you probably haven’t played is free right now — here’s how to get your copy
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is an excellent superhero game and now free
The holidays may be over, but until January 11 you still have a chance to grab one last free game from the Epic Games Store.
Although Spider-Man 2 received critical acclaim when it released last year on the PS5, it wasn’t the best Marvel game I played in 2023. Instead, that honor went to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy which I picked up on sale for just $15.
Now though, you can get it for free to play on one of the best gaming PCs. Just head over to the Epic Games Store in your browser and click on the “Get” button to claim your copy. Alternatively, you can also open the Epic Games Launcher on your PC and get the game that way too.
If you don’t own a gaming laptop or desktop, don’t worry as Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy can still be had for cheap on both Xbox and PS5. On the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, the game costs $15 and the same is true on PS5. However, if you’re a PlayStation Plus Extra subscriber, you can play Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy for free right now.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a superhero game done right
Unfortunately for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, the game was released a year after Marvel’s Avengers from Square Enix. This loot-based game never took off even after an impressive presentation at E3 as fans of the series were less than impressed with its repetitive gameplay and lackluster mission variety.
Even though Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is nothing like Marvel’s Avengers, the game didn’t sell nearly as well as it could. It did eventually go on to reach 8 million copies sold but this was after it came to Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus.
Instead of trying to tell a story featuring multiple superheroes, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is much more character and narrative focused. As you’d expect, it features Star Lord, Rocket, Groot, Drax, Gamora and even Mantis, though all of the Guardians of the Galaxy look a bit different than they do in the films. It took a little getting used to but I really came to love this new take on these familiar characters.
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If you’re tired of games that are a bit too long to beat, you’re in luck as like Spider-Man 2, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy can be finished in just over 17 hours or 20 hours if you like tackling side quests. Its gameplay is also quite varied and when you’re not blasting foes with Peter Quill’s Quad Blasters, you’re solving puzzles and doing a bit of platforming.
One of the game’s coolest mechanics is its team huddle, which sees Star Lord call in the rest of the members of his team for a quick pep talk mid-battle. Depending on how you answer, your team can get an attack boost while also being completely healed. It’s a fun mechanic and great way to catch your breath during the more intense shootouts in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
For those that have been putting off playing one of the best superhero games so far, you owe it to yourself to pick up Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy for free on PC or at a steep discount on Xbox and PlayStation.
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Anthony Spadafora is the managing editor for security and home office furniture at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches to password managers and the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. He also reviews standing desks, office chairs and other home office accessories with a penchant for building desk setups. Before joining the team, Anthony wrote for ITProPortal while living in Korea and later for TechRadar Pro after moving back to the US. Based in Houston, Texas, when he’s not writing Anthony can be found tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.