Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is a relatively linear adventure, yet players can unlock more than one ending as the story unfolds. This guide explains how to reach both the normal ending and the secret ending, so you know what to expect as you progress through the game.
Note: spoilers are unavoidable when describing endings, so it’s best to experience the game yourself first before reading ahead.
How to find the secret ending
In chapter eight, Nikki also known as the Matriarch invites Peter to travel back in time. The goal is to save his mother and be reunited with her. To trigger this path you must commit to a moment of stillness and keep your promise to yourself. After the moment you save your mother, she will embrace Peter Quill. The screen will begin to brighten and Peter will feel a surge of pain. At this point many players try to break the hug by moving the controls, which ends the moment and leaves the memory corrupted. A smaller number of players choose to do nothing at all and allow events to continue as they unfold.
For the secret early ending, the exact action is to stand still and let events progress after the hug. If you wait a brief moment, Peter appears in front of the house and a dark slime starts spreading across the screen. He then moves to the house and glances at his teammates who will stay with him forever. As the slime covers the whole screen, the credits roll and a prompt appears asking for a choice about the promise. Selecting Accept the Promise ends the game early and unlocks the secret ending, while choosing Change Your Mind breaks the loop and leads to a different conclusion.
The moment is delicate and designed to test the player’s patience. The contrast between letting time pass and pushing forward defines whether a true secret ending is achieved or the standard path remains in place.
How to get the normal ending
In the Matriarch chapter players must free themselves from the grip of their mother and exit the memory. From there the story proceeds on a straightforward track. Unlike the secret route, there are no branches or choices that markedly alter the finale once the last enemy is defeated. Completing the mission yields the standard ending without further interruptions or splits in the plot.
That covers the routes for both the secret and normal endings in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
Other guides
- How to help Nikki see the truth and break her out of the promise in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Note: this overview reflects gameplay considerations discussed by players and reviewers and is intended to help fans navigate the two endings. (citation: VG Times)