Guessed by @Darashiva
At this point I'm nearly done trying to sell this game to you all, hopefully the image above is enough!
Though I mean that as a half-joke, it's true that in the 9 years since I've been enamoured by these characters, it never felt like I found anyone who gets it. I've talked to many people who love the movies, seen many glowing praises for this wonderful game too, but I never found someone who identified with them like I do...
What's inside you, what do you hide?
I know the parts of you that you locked away and wished had died...
2023 saw the release of the long-awaited and long-delayed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, finally closing out the film trilogy. The Eidos-Montréal game, a masterpiece in its own right, did well to release in 2021 as I was starving for anything Guardians at that point. Back then, I saw an awesome fan comic based on the game, it just oozed passion for these characters in a way I hadn't felt before. This year, when I was obsessing over Vol. 3, I saw that same artist post new drawings based on the film, and I saw that passion again - I decided it was time to be part of this, so I interacted with them and started meeting more and more people in this wonderful little community of space raccoon fanatics.
I know this is a bit of a tangent, but it's important because this game is about a bunch of outcasts struggling to deal with their ghosts. I've always identified with them, especially with Rocket, but I never fully understood why... until this year.
I haven't replayed the Guardians game this year, I'm still recovering from the overwhelming feelings Vol. 3 caused on me in two waves: the first, when the movie itself tugged away at every emotion inside my body; the second, many months later, when I was cast out of that little community of outcasts. There it was, a small group of misfits stumbling into each other through their love of Guardians of the Galaxy, and even among people like that, I didn't belong. It was through no fault of their own, I just pushed them away, Rocket style.
It's like all the pieces finally clicked into place, I finally understood why I relate to this character so strongly. All along, I've always been like him. All Rocket's ever done is push people away, he has burned bridges with countless people just like I have, but deep down he wants nothing more than to have close friends he can rely on and trust. He lashes out at them and pushes them away because it can be genuinely scary to be open with others, especially when you have so many ghosts in your past... but eventually, he finds a group of people who understand him and forgive him for his attitude, and help him see the good he has inside.
That community that cut me off, they are my ghosts. And I've struggled to deal with it. But in the past few months, I'm starting to believe that I, too, might be finding my own caring and understanding family. A place I can truly belong in. Whether we save a galaxy along the way or not, that's just a bonus.
Tonight we ride straight into the fire.
Are you ready to go, go, go?
This year has been truly a rollercoaster ride for me - one where I've largely failed to achieve the goals I'd set myself twelve months ago, but also filled with self-discovery and intense emotional experiences throughout. At times, it's felt as if I truly lost myself this year, and in many ways it still feels that way, but I also feel like I've learned so much and am still learning so much about who I truly am, and one thing that's remained unchanged throughout that learning process is my love of Guardians of the Galaxy. If anything, I've only gotten a better understanding of why my love for these characters runs so deep. I'm not sure what the future holds for me, but one thing is for sure, 2024 will be like a ride straight into the fire. I just have to believe that, with the right people beside me, that fire can't possibly hurt us - as long as I keep believing, I will be ready to go, go, go. 
