If you’ve just started Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy or are considering diving in, there are a few things you’ll absolutely want to know beforehand. After finishing the main campaign myself and uncovering some hard-to-find info the hard way, I’ve put together this spoiler-free guide packed with essential tips, trophy warnings, combat advice, and more. Whether you’re here to enjoy the story or aiming for that platinum trophy, this guide is for you.

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How Long Is the Game?

The campaign took me 15 hours to complete without rushing, but if you’re aiming to find all the collectibles and clean up any trophies or achievements, you’re looking at closer to 20 hours. The game is very linear—think Uncharted or Jedi: Fallen Order, but without the semi-open level design. Every chapter is set on a unique planet and plays out like an episode in a spacefaring TV show. The result is a tight, cinematic experience that’s structured and story-first.

Can You Revisit Planets?

Yes, but only through the Chapter Select feature. This lets you replay any completed chapter from the beginning with your progress intact from your first playthrough. It’s worth noting, however, that you can’t save your game during these chapter select sessions, and choices made here do not carry over to your save file. Use it mainly for nostalgia or hunting missed outfits, which luckily unlock account-wide and can be used across saves.

Outfits, Collectibles & New Game Plus

Unlocking every outfit is tied to a trophy, and thankfully, once an outfit is collected, it stays unlocked regardless of your save file. Some exclusive outfits are only available after starting New Game Plus, which carries over your abilities and crafting upgrades. It’s a perfect opportunity to play on a harder difficulty or just enjoy early-game content with late-game power.

The outfit hunting is satisfying but be aware: collectibles only count during your first playthrough. Using chapter select does not count toward collectible trophies. So if you’re trophy hunting, plan accordingly.

Difficulty Options & Gameplay Modifiers

You can switch between Easy, Normal, and Hard at any time—even mid-chapter. On top of that, there are several gameplay modifiers you can tweak, such as the damage you deal or receive, cooldown timers for guardian abilities, and the cost of certain moves. This lets you tailor the difficulty to your exact preference—whether you want a casual experience or a real challenge.

Ability Tips – What to Unlock First

Each Guardian eventually has four abilities. One of them unlocks late in the story and can be used from the beginning if you play New Game Plus, making replaying chapters feel fresh. The other three are unlocked by gaining ability points through combat.

A strategic tip: Distribute your points evenly early on. You can only use one guardian ability at a time during combat, so unlocking one for each character gives you more variety.

Recommended Early Abilities:

• Gamora: Her single-target move is fine, but go for Shadow Strike early—it lets her dash between multiple enemies, making it much more useful in group fights.
• Drax: Start with Pound and Pummel—a great AoE stagger move that complements his usual single-target style.
• Rocket: Prioritize Gravity Grenade, which pulls enemies together. Combine this with Drax’s AoE and Gamora’s Shadow Strike for devastating synergy.
• Groot: He starts with Entangle, which is excellent for group control. Pair it later with Mammoth Grab for stronger single-target lockdowns.
• Peter Quill (Star-Lord): The Fan the Hammer ability is a personal favorite. It locks you in place but deals massive damage—best used when enemies are immobilized.

The good news? You’ll likely unlock all abilities before the final chapters anyway, so you won’t be locked out of anything long term.

Crafting & Upgrades: Prioritize Smartly

Crafting perks is a longer journey, since upgrade components are often off the main path. Look out for crafting tables on the Milano and in-world during missions.

One early must-have perk is the Components Localizer—it pings nearby crafting components and reveals them with your visor. This makes finding upgrades way easier.

Top Priority Perks:

• Health & Shield Increases: If Star-Lord goes down, it’s game over (you must reload a checkpoint). Tankier Quill = smoother runs.
• Magnet Upgrade: Automatically pulls health packs and elemental bullets toward you during combat.
• Elemental Gun Upgrades: Elemental bullets are crucial against shielded enemies and for bonus damage.

Dialogue Choices: Don’t Sweat It

You’ll encounter lots of dialogue choices, but here’s a tip I wish I knew earlier: Don’t overthink them.

The outcomes might lead to slightly different dialogue, or occasionally change how later chapters play out, but nothing drastically alters the story. The ending is the same for everyone. Reloading to try different choices is usually more hassle than it’s worth. Just go with your gut—you can always see alternate paths in New Game Plus.

One Big Missable Trophy Warning

Here’s a major heads-up: there’s one missable trophy/achievement that depends on having enough money by a certain chapter.

• In Chapter 6, the Guardians are required to pay a fine later in the game (specifically in Chapter 9).
• You need to have at least 9,000 units saved by that time.
• Don’t waste all your credits at shops or gamble them away on Knowhere.

If you don’t have the required funds, you’ll have to replay the entire game to unlock that trophy. Ouch.

Also, at the start of Chapter 2, choose to hide the illegal goods—trust me, it’s worth it later.

Final Thoughts

Guardians of the Galaxy is a linear but lovingly crafted story-rich action game that rewards attention to detail, synergy in combat, and thoughtful exploration. You won’t miss any major content by not obsessing over every choice, but smart planning—like saving those 9,000 credits or unlocking the right upgrades—can make your journey smoother.

If you’re in it for the trophies or just want to see everything the game has to offer, start strong with these tips, and you’ll be in a great place to enjoy everything the game has to offer.

Enjoy your time with the Guardians—and don’t forget to upgrade that Magnet!