While it is true that the biggest strength ofMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyis its story, its gameplay can still be a lot of fun. Once players have gotten the hang of each character’s moveset, they can combine attacks with ease, lifting enemies into the sky with Groot and then havingRocketblow them up with a grenade. Each member of the team has a Mega Ability, too, like Star-Lord’s invulnerability or Rocket’s massive gun.
However, whileMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyfans get a bit of time with most of these Mega Abilities, one comes right near the end of the story. The ability in question is Groot’s Gift of the Florae, which is not unlocked until Chapter 14. With this being the last long Chapter of the narrative, as 15 and 16 consist mainly of boss battles, players only get a few opportunities to use it. This is a bit of a shame, though there are likely a few reasons why this ability comes so late.
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Groot’s Gift of the Florae
Groot’s Mega Ability allowsMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyplayersto revive their entire team at once - including Star-Lord himself. As the team’s tank, Groot can take a lot of punishment, meaning that players will rarely see him going down before the other Guardians. As such, this ability is invaluable, and it would be especially useful on hard mode. With it coming so late in the game, though, some players will never get the chance to properly experiment with it.
While it is true thatMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyoffers a new game plus mode for players to enjoy, meaning that they could use Groot’s Mega Ability there, not everyone will play the game twice. Many gamers only run through linear, narrative-focused games once, meaning that it is best to give them as much time with possible with exciting gameplay mechanics on their first run. However, apart from the boss battle withGrand Unifier Raker, players may never actually see Gift of the Florae used in their games. With it essentially giving players one retry in every fight, while also allowing them to heal themselves without drops, it would have been more useful if it came earlier.
Why Gift of The Florae Comes So Late In Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy’s Story
Still, while it would have been understandable if Gift of the Florae was unlocked earlier on from a gameplay perspective, it would have made little sense in the context ofMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy’s story. Groot’s special power is revealed in a memorable moment of the narrative, as he uses it to revive Fin Fang Foom after the heroes accidentally kill him. If the ability had been unlocked sooner, this moment would have been less impactful, as players would have known that Groot could just resurrect the dragon. With the scene and the chapter hinging on the Guardians capturing Foom alive, this ability would have made that part of the plot nonsensical.
There is also an argument to be made about Gift of the Florae being a bit overpowered. The game’s combat is not particularly difficult on normal or easy, so giving players Gift of the Florae too soon could have made it a walk in the park. Perhaps a version of theGuardians of the Galaxyabilitythat removes the resurrection feature would have been more fair and could have come sooner, but having a second chance mechanic for the entirety of the game could have made things a bit too simple and removed any sense of challenge.
If there ever is a sequel toMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, it will be interesting to see how Eidos Montreal balances the ability. Not only is it incredibly strong, but it could remove any sense of stakes from the plot, something that was shown clearly when Groot revivedStar-Lordfrom death after the game’s finale. Regardless, while Gift of the Florae is an interesting ability and is undoubtedly the game’s most powerful, it comes too late to make a real impact on combat.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyis available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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