The Guardians of the Galaxy are back with sibling rivalry, a tragic backstory, and an awesome soundtrack accompaniment in the perfect companion to Volume 2, Telltale’s second episode Under Pressure.
Under Pressure tests the relationships of our heroes while simultaneously dealing with the consequences of the first episode. With Hala the Accuser and the Kree in hot pursuit of the Eternity Forge, each choice you make matters more than the last.
Before we get into the heavy stuff, we get to have some good old fashioned fun. Hala has caught up to us but Peter manages to dance his way out of yet another troublesome situation. This time, it’s among the stars set to “Dancing in the Moonlight” by King Harvest and it is a cosmic blast! I could easily play an entire game of shooting and evading throughout the galaxy set to Peter’s Awesome Mix.
After you lose the Kree, you seek shelter on the neon planet with a face that’ll leave you anything but blue (especially after seeing Volume 2).
The neon planet is gorgeous and extremely reminiscent of James Gunn’s films (see below).
Now for the decisions…
The hardest choice you make puts you at odds with Rocket and Gamora. After seeing the power of the Eternity Forge, Rocket is desperate to return to Halfworld but Gamora has the coordinates of Nebula who can translate the writing on the ancient artifact. To make the choice even more difficult, Rocket wants to revive his departed love and Nebula is going after Thanos’ body from the Nova Corp who will likely kill Nebula before you get the translation. Talk about being Under Pressure!
I was extremely torn and sat on the decision for a solid minute before choosing (luckily there was no time limit). Ultimately, I had to do what was best for the team and the galaxy by choosing Nebula.
I really wanted to see Rocket’s backstory so it was actually difficult to choose (guess I got my wish from episode 1!). You even get the chance to change your mind before fully committing to a decision when Rocket steals Yondu’s ship and heads to Halfworld by himself (and I was tempted to). I was really surprised to see I was in the minority of the decision when I read my stats at the end (only 19% chose Nebula first). After you rescue Nebula from the Nova Corp, you head to Halfworld to find Rocket.
Regardless of your initial decision, you still get Rocket’s backstory (yay!) and it does not disappoint. I won’t spoil the major details here but it’s got an experimental lab, a beautiful and sombering love story, and Rocket doing what he does best: kickin’ ass!
As you leave Halfworld, you’re found again by the Kree and Hala. You protect the Milano and have to decide to free Nebula to help fight. I freed her as did most players (80%). The fight sequence (set to Sparks’ “This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both of Us“) was as enjoyable as the space chase in the beginning and really captures the heart and essence of Guardians of the Galaxy. Needless to say, I was grinning from ear to ear.
The episode ends with a Zelda-esque temple adventure. You revisit the temple from episode 1 with Drax and Groot (and push some buttons with Groot, more Volume 2 love!) to crack the code that leads to the proper temple which basks you in a mystifying white light when you arrive.
My Choices
1) Saved Nebula first (19%)
2) Risked Rocket’s life to get Lylla out (85%)
3) Chose Gamora (over Drax) to guard Nebula (The choice made me sad for Drax who noted this was the second time you chose Gamora over him who no wonders if he even has a “purpose” on this team.)
4) Helped Rocket keep his memory of Lylla (88%)
5) Released Nebula to help fight (81%)
Rating: 9.5/10
Under Pressure is an outstanding installment in Telltale’s Guardians of the Galaxy series by telling a fan-craved story full of heart and soul. It’s the perfect companion to Volume 2 with Yondu (and his past with Rocket) and further explores the relationship of Gamora and Nebula while keeping up the intrigue of the mysterious Eternity Forge. Episode 3 can’t come soon enough! We can probably expect it mid-July to early August.
Telltale’s Guardians of the Galaxy is available on all platforms.