How to unlock the secret ending to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

There is a secret ending to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy video game that may have gamers getting to the credits much earlier than expected.

Guardians of the Galaxy is a Square Enix project that surprised everyone at this year’s E3 presentation. Developed by Eidos-Montreal, known for their work on the Deus Ex franchise, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is an action-adventure game featuring the titular Marvel superhero team.

One big feature of the title is the large number of decisions which greatly impact how the story plays out.

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Deceptive visions, unlocking an alternate ending in Guardians of the Galaxy

There will be massive spoilers for the Guardians of the Galaxy game here, so for those who haven’t finished the main story, now is the time to stop reading.

In Chapter 8, entitled The Matriarch, Guardians of the Galaxy players get treated to a crazy cutscene.

It appears Raker has manipulated Nikki into embracing the Universal Church of Truth. She has become the Matriarch, and believes she has the power to bring deceased loved ones back to life.

When met with the Guardians of the Galaxy, she explains all this to Peter, who lost his mother before becoming Star Lord. Nikki attempts to subdue Peter by showing him a glimpse of what would happen if he could go back in time and prevent his mother’s death.

The player then gets taken to another scene where they can fight off the alien horde that attacked Meredith Quill. Afterwards, Peter’s mother gives him a strong hug that lasts a little too long and makes him suspicious.

At this point, the player has the option to mash out of Meredith’s embrace. To unlock the secret ending, though, they will need to avoid this and select the "Accept the Promise" option. This will show an alternate ending to the game in which Peter lives out his life with the other guardians at Meredith’s home.

Once this cut-scene ends, players will immediately be taken back to the title screen. From there, they can click Continue and go back to the decision to mash out of Meredith’s hug. Players can continue along the main path of the game afterwards.