The Last Guardian

The Last Guardian was released December 6th 2016. It is a very popular PS4 game that has been anticipated for a long time.

The Last Guardian was developed by SIE Japan Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game was designed and directed by Fumito Ueda. The game was supposed to be released on 2011 for the PS3 then 2012 for the PS4 but was released December of 2016 for the PS4 instead. The game was originally announced in 2009. It took about 7 years to make.

The Last Guardian is an action-adventure video game. The game is much like its predecessors in that its third person perspective and has puzzle elements. In the game you control an unnamed boy who befriends a giant beast named Trico. You work together with Trico to solve puzzles and explore new areas and ultimately get to his nest that is on a high tower. In the game you can climb and ride Trico and grab onto his tail. Eventually you can direct him where to go.

In the game Trico and the boy rely on eachother. The boy can get into small areas and get food for Trico and Trico can jump up to high areas and defend the boy. There are guards in the game that go after the boy. Trico will kill them but he freaks out after. In order to calm him the boy has to jump up on him and pet him. There are also stained-glass eyes that are obstacles for Trico. He is afraid of them so he won't go forward in that area. The boy has to destroy them in order for them both to continue.

In the beginning of the game the boy sees something in the ground. After that happens the boy ends up in this cave with this giant beast. He knew what it was and remembered the stories he heard about it. It was called Trico. People all thought he was this terrible man eating beast. He sees him all beat up and helps him. He takes his armor and shackles off of him.He couldn't stand up so the boy looks for food and feeds him.

The boy has to feed him barrels full of an unknown substance. After that he sees and removes arrows from him. When he does this he gets thrown against the wall and gets knocked unconscious because Trico doesn't trust him. Then they exit the cave and in the process find a mirror (which was the object the boy saw at the beginning). The mirror makes Trico shoot lightning out of his tale in order to destroy objects so he can get through more obstacles. However, this mirror is later lost.

The Last Guardian isn't all gameplay. There are a ton of cutscenes in it. A lot of the time they are expressive and emotional. One of the most well known cutscenes is where the boy is supposed to be caught by Trico, but he misses. Trico then swings his tail around and the boy grabs onto it.

One of the most important things in the game is the second most important character, Trico. He is an adorable cat, dog, bird like animal. He has the face of a dog, ears that are a mix of a dog and cat, tail and body of a cat, and the wings, feathers, and feet of a bird. While he looks like multiple animals, he is covered in gray feather. He also has blue horns and eyes that change color depending on his mood. When you start the game his wings are hurt and his horns are broken. By the end of the game he is fully healed.

Trico’s AI and animation are absolutely incredible. How he acts is amazing too. He acts a lot like a dog. Just a huge dog covered in feathers. He reacts different ways when given a barrel. Sometimes he'll go after it and eat it but sometimes he won't. Sometimes he'll catch it in the air if you throw it, but other times he just lets it drop. It doesn't matter where you place the barrel. He will maneuver around and eat it. He is also afraid of water, but if you show him a barrel he'll jump into the water. The water actually is affected by him so you get swept away by the waves he creates. If there is a small pool of water he will go into it and roll around and shake when he gets out.

Another great feature about the game is that Trico sometimes acts on his own. The player isn't the only one solving puzzles. Trico kind of does too. A well known example in the game is when the two heroes are in the water area. The boy has to swim down into an area with a ladder. In that area there is a level that opens a gate so they can continue to swim through. The ladder is broken though. Without being asked Trico jumps into the water which displaces it and allows the boy to get up because the water is now higher in the area.

That's not all Trico can do though. If players are frustrated in the game and don't understand where to go, they can get on Trico and most of the time he will bring the player to where they need to go. He will also save the boy if he is in danger. If the boy falls and is supposed to (because it's part of the game), Trico will either try to catch him or swing his tail so the boy can grab it. There are some really great cut-scenes of this happening.

There are a lot of different opinions on the game. Its pretty much split. People either love it or hate it. A lot of people dislike it because of the camera. The camera can be frustrating to control, and sometimes players end up being stuck looking at something or not being able to see. As a result of this, the player often dies.

Another thing is that the puzzles aren't always easy. It can take some time to figure them out. Another major complaint about the game is that Trico doesn't always listen and do what he needs to. This isn't a bug in the game though. He was created to have a mind of his own. He’s a lot like a dog. He listens most of the time but not always.

The Last Guardian is one of 3 games made by Fumito Ueda. The games made before The Last Guardian were Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. They are all somewhat similar. They all have similar styles and are all puzzle games. The lighting and look of the game is a lot alike as well. Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian have a kind of mystical look. The world is kind of foggy, and the buildings are all kind of ancient looking. Another similar thing is that you have a companion in all of them.

Ico was the first game of the three. In the game you play as a boy named Ico who was born with horns and due to them he was locked away. He explores the fortress and finds a girl named Yorda. She is the Queen's daughter and is supposed to be used to help the Queen live longer. Ico seeks to keep Yorda safe and escape with her. In the game the player has to so save Yorda from the shadow creatures that try to keep her there.

In Shadow of the Colossus you play as a boy named Wander who enters a forbidden land. Wander has to travel across the land with his horse named Agro and defeat 16 huge Colossi. You defeat them in order to save a girl named Mono. There are no other creatures in the game besides the colossi to defeat.

Fumito Ueda, the creator behind the series, says he likes to think that they are all connected. He says “The way I see it, maybe they are from the same world, or the same universe. But anything further than that is really up to the player’s imagination. Everyone has a different level of relationship with the two previous titles, so we wouldn’t dictate that it is or it isn’t. It’s up to the player.”

So the games are as connected as a person would like them to be. They do all seem to be in the same world or universe - based on the style of architecture. They all have huge similarities likes magic, similar architecture, and similar stories.

If you don't have a PS4 another great option is to watch playthroughs of it. There a a lot of playthroughs of it on youtube. Popular youtuber Jacksepticeye has a complete playthrough of it. If you are looking for a mythical escape into a game that allows the player to feel like they are playing a painting, then The Last Guardian for you.