The second installment in Telltale’s Guardians of the Galaxy series was one of my favorite products from the company since they finished The Wolf Among Us. While its animation was spotty in places—as per the usual with the majority of Telltale’s work since the last generation—Episode 2: Under Pressure was a fantastic addition to the series.
Episode 3: More than a Feeling keeps the series’ track record as one of Telltale’s better works and while it may not be as strong, powerful or memorable as its predecessor, it still manages to keep you entertained throughout its slower and middling narrative.
Taking place directly after the events of the previous episode, More than a Feeling immediately shoves you into two flashback sequences from the lives of Peter and Gamora. While Peter’s flashback does little to enhance the narrative or move the plot forward, Gamora’s memories of her last mission with her half-cyborg sister Nebula is a worthwhile addition to the plot for both series fans and newcomers to the franchise.
Most of this third episode’s runtime will take place predominantly within flashback sequences; you’ll see more than one side of Gamora and Nebula’s relationship which not only enhances the dynamic between the two but gets you to actually feel for Nebula—something the recent Marvel movies seem to neglect. While many may get tired of seeing flashbacks by the episode’s mid-point, these sections do feel meaningful and get to re-introduce some key backstory elements into a series which feels very targeted towards players with prior knowledge of the franchise.
Thankfully, due to the power of memories, Episode 3 finally gives players more of the fan-favourite character Thanos. Shown as a manipulative tyrant—as he should—Thanos’ representation here is fantastic and harkens back to the Thanos I remember as a kid—a cruel but utterly lovable character in a completely cheesy way. Gamora and Nebula’s flashbacks are well done in their execution and have been given careful and deliberate focus by the animation team, making these elements glisten in segments with deceptively high production values.
Animation as a whole in More than a Feeling is remarkably strong considering the game’s prior episodes. The two action sequences are incredibly well done given the company’s track record and the small afflictions in character’s faces when they talk—particularly the evil grin of Thanos—do well to highlight the game’s gorgeous character models. While some minor characters in the episode do still feature the same stiffer rigging seen in previous episodes, it’s mostly unnoticeable as the camera focuses much more on the more intricately designed models this time around.
That said, only half of More than a Feeling seems to be focused on driving the plot to its next destination. (Spoilers Ahead) After reliving Peter’s memory of finding out that his mother Meredith is dying, the Eternity Forge guides Peter to the church where he last saw his mother, in a coffin. After opening the coffin, the Forge pulls him and Gamora back into reality where they discover the ridiculously lovable Mantis—an empath waiting for the Celestial One (Peter) to determine the fate of the forge.
What comes next is a whole lot of exposition followed by a slower, “talk to your crew and ease their emotional distress” section and then a funny and heartful montage that feels ripped straight out of James Gunn’s movies. While these sections are slower and less impactful, they do well to make you feel for a character that has been introduced fairly late into the story—also, Mantis is literally one of my favourite Guardians characters so that helps.
As the third strong entry in the series, Teltale’s Guardians of the Galaxy is as fun and enjoyable as it is humorous and ridiculous. It’s not as dark and dramatic as The Walking Dead or The Wolf Among Us, but much like Tales From The Borderlands it provides players with an out, a means of pure escapism from an industry which is currently overcrowded with pretentious and faux-deep narratives.
Summary
Episode 3: More than a Feeling is another welcome addition to one of Telltale’s more promising works. While failing to stay on the same level of narrative importance as its prior installment, Episode 3 is a fun and enjoyable entry in this surprisingly great adaptation of a much beloved series.
Lewis is a games journalist, freelance gaming and consumer-tech journalist. They contributed 344 articles to ICXM between 2015–2017, focused on opinion pieces, game reviews, Windows and PC, and Xbox news: has since served as Editor-in-Chief at StealthOptional and Gaming Editor at MSPoweruser, with bylines at Gfinity Esports and FRVR.