Eidos Montreal's Guardians of the Galaxy makes an incredibly strong first impression. This came as a relief, given that the last time I saw a preview of a Marvel game from Square Enix I left confused and underwhelmed. Even as an apologist for Avengers (yes, I still play it), I can admit that game stumbled out of the gate--the Avengers didn't assemble as much as they tripped over each other and landed on their asses.

Guardians of the Galaxy, however, is the complete opposite and carries itself with a self-assuredness that is infectious. In a hands-off preview of the game, I found myself quickly buying into Eidos Montreal's vision for the misfit crew of space pirates. Much like Peter Quill, it exudes the kind of swagger you only get from complete faith in yourself--warranted or not.

Part of that comes from the fact that it's easy to understand what kind of game Guardians of the Galaxy is, which was something that Avengers really struggled to communicate. Guardians is a single-player, narrative-driven action game. You play as Peter "Star-Lord" Quill, but the other members of the Guardians are always by your side and can be utilized in combat. There's constant banter between them and, occasionally, decision-making moments may impact or redefine interpersonal dynamics.