Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack unveiled with a new original face melter from Star-Lord

What you need to know

• Guardians of the Galaxy is the next Marvel superhero game from Square Enix with an Oct. 26, 2021 release date.
• Music is a key aspect of the universe and the latest original track, Zero to Hero, has debuted.
• The licensed soundtrack is now official with 30 tracks from the likes of Billy Idol, Rick Astley, Blondie, and more.

One of the most important aspects of doing a Guardians of the Galaxy game is the music. As anyone familiar with the franchise knows, its central character, Peter Quill, is obsessed with 80s music, and the soundtrack has to be done right to nail the experience. I've already had a taste of this during a preview session for the game and felt really good about it. Today, Square Enix is debuting not only a new original track from its band Star-Lord but making the licensed soundtrack official.

First up, the new original track, "Zero to Hero". This is the second release to date, following the head-banging "Space Riders With No Names" and to keep up with the latest there's an official playlist with all the tracks on all the major streaming services. Buyers of certain editions of the game will also get a copy of the album as well, though it will be made available on digital music stores for anyone to buy as well.

Alongside the new track are two music videos, one animated and one which includes a retro-styled VHS recording of the band playing the track. Just in case you wondered just how seriously Square Enix is taking the music in this game. The animated video gives a little taste of why in this Guardians of the Galaxy universe, Quill decided to take the moniker Star-Lord after his favorite band.

The licensed soundtrack is also being made official ahead of the game's launch, bringing 30 tracks from 80's icons and seamlessly integrating them into the game. For content creators, there's a toggle to disable this soundtrack to avoid any pesky DMCA strikes, but for everyone else, there are some real bangers.

The "huddle" in the game, an increased damage special attack, launches into one of these licensed tracks with an explosion of sound, which is tremendous, and there's also a jukebox on the Milano where you can kick back and relax with your favorite tunes. Nothing prepares you, though, for being in the middle of a battle and "Never Gonna Give You Up" suddenly filling your ears like a waterfall of nostalgia.

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy launches on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch on October 26, as well as streaming via NVIDIA GeForce Now.