No Guardians of the Galaxy game would be complete without a licensed soundtrack to listen to while saving the universe, and Eidos-Montreal's take on Marvel's cosmic gang won't be diverging from that path. The big difference here is that the developer is taking a three-pronged approach towards crafting the audio side of Guardians of the Galaxy, as the game will feature a licensed soundtrack, an orchestral score, and an original rock album created just for the game.

　　"Music is intrinsic to the Guardians' franchise, and we wanted to make it focal to the gameplay experience," senior audio director Steve Szczepkowski explained. "The soundtrack is infused in the DNA of the game, and our use of it goes far beyond usual expectations. Whether it's powering up combat in the Huddle or bringing Star-Lord's favorite band to life, every element was carefully woven into the lore to enhance the story of this rock and roll band of misfits."

　　For the licensed portion of the soundtrack, Szczepkowski explained that Eidos-Montreal put together a playlist that's focused on fun and could transport players to the 1980s. During combat sequences, players can hit play on Star-Lord's cassette player to cue up a specially chosen '80s hit to inspire the Guardians and spur them on while fighting.

　　The developer isn't ready to reveal the entire mixtape just yet, but it has confirmed that it contains music from Iron Maiden, KISS, New Kids On The Block, Rick Astley, Hot Chocolate, and more, with plenty still to be revealed.

　　For scenes that required a more sweeping orchestral score, BAFTA-nominated composer Richard Jacques was brought in to help in that part of the audio department. Almost six hours of music was recorded at London's Abbey Road Studios for Guardians of the Galaxy, which was also designed to blend into other genres of music in the game.

　　For the original rock 'n roll soundtrack, an entire album was recorded for the game by a brand-new rock band. In the lore of Eidos-Montreal's Guardians of the Galaxy, protagonist Peter Quill takes the name Star-Lord from his favorite band of the same name, so Steve decided to create an actual real-life Star-Lord band for the game that recorded an original album.

　　For more on the game, you can read our Guardians of the Galaxy preview, get a closer look at Lady Hellbender in an extended cinematic sequence, and see how Eidos Montreal used its creative freedom to craft the unique look of each Guardian. Guardians of the Galaxy releases on October 26 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC, and Switch via cloud, and if you're interested you can check out our Guardians of the Galaxy preorder hub to see what comes with each edition.

　　Darryn Bonthuys on Google+