One of several vaporware titles which recently finally got released, alongside Final Fantasy XV and Nioh as similar examples, Fumito Ueda’s latest is a flawed emotional adventure.
Like it’s predecessors Ico and Shadow of the Colossus on the PS2, it is a third person perspective game with puzzle and platform elements, and few action sequences. You play as a boy from a tribe who stumbles upon a giant mysterious griffin like creature named Trico.
Together, you will have to move through the environment in order to escape more or less. The art direction and the music kicking in at certain moments managed to create a compelling presentation, but the highlight of The Last Guardian is the bond and teamwork between Trico and the boy.
While the game is mild with providing handholding towards how to control your boy and the pet, as well as subtle hints being giving in a flashback narrative throughout, most of the time, you will have to scan your environment, but also take a note of where Trico is looking at.
The controversy of The Last Guardian is if the game design regarding performance and camera control is outdated, and this topic is hotly debated. To me, they did feel obsolete for a 2016 PS4 game, and they are also the main reason for lowering the score.
The other factor is about Trico’s AI, at certain times, despite throwing every command at him, including jumping, sitting down, attacking, using objects and calling to him, Trico would simply sometimes not listen, or as it felt implied, confused. This is perhaps an ironic or conscious design decision, which further splits the fan community as to whether it adds up or lowers the game’s overall quality.
The Last Guardian is rather tricky to rate, but it is easily clear that it stands unique and proud alongside Ueda’s other PlayStation products, and ultimately, it is a test of patience, yet rewarding if you manage to see till the end and realize the beautiful companionship between the two creatures.
Rating: 7.2
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