Ten years in the gaming industry is a very long time. This is for instance the difference between GTA 3 and Red Dead Redemption. That’s about how much lasted work on The Last Guardian, which was originally supposed to take hold on the then latest PlayStation 3, but was overly ambitious and we welcomed him on for three-year-old PlayStation 4. And it’s good that we waited because there is absolutely no chance that PS3 could pull some special moments that The Last Guardian is hiding. Unfortunately, at the same time you can feel that the game is imagined long time ago, because a good part of the contents between those special moments reminiscent of something from the era of PlayStation 2 console.
If you’ve ever played Ico and Shadow of the Colossus then The Last Guardian should automatically be recognizable to you. The works are by the same designer who has a very sophisticated and distinctive style, not only visual but also mechanically, although all three games vary considerably in basic mechanics. They can however observe some common elements such as mild platforming, solving spatial puzzles and obsessions by huge creatures and loneliness in an ancient world. This is The Last Guardian in a few words. Do not let unseen original adventure than a famous adventure in an unknown world.
In the center of the story is the relationship between a boy which is controlled by the player and the monsters that you must have seen in the headlines, and those monsters look like a mongrel rats, cats and birds or whatever. It’s Trico, beast that could and should eat you in an instant, but the boy and he ( More specifically what, because he does not know gender) found in the same predicament and must cooperate. This co-operation is the basis and tool of the story, but the basic gameplay mechanics where the whole idea behind it. But it’s not just a business relationship, because each obstacle mastered by the player in the role of a boy and AI in the role of beasts become close friends where it is difficult not to cherish sincere emotions to Tricoli or feel that this is not reciprocated.
“By each mastered obstacle, player and his beast become close friends, where it’s hard not to feel anything in this regard.”
The boy was quite helpless and in addition to having the strength of Superman when you need to clamber over the walls and the monster cannot be much more than that, especially not in an unusual and enormous world that is more suitable for monster with wings than men. Trico cannot controlled, but it is managed exclusively with artificial intelligence, and you have to negotiate with it and this at least in the beginning looks very impressive. The entire game has beautifully animated visuals and breathtaking, and feathered Trico can independently monitor and aim you from a distance with it’s glowing eyes which leave an impression of wild and living being that look like it could rupture and encroach you in any time. Till he gets to know you, he will, for example make a statement about things like touching his food, so he will force player with the force of his screaming on his ass.
At least it was so in the beginning, until you get to know him and while he is afraid to approach, which is a great thing. It is impressive that the character in the video game is so compelling that his player color approach and slowly try to gain his trust, without thinking about the mere mechanics behind it, but looking at the character as something living and sensitive. Similarly, the relationship develops and by the end of the game bears a strong and deep relationship. But The Last Guardian is a pretty simple game with a few basic mechanics in various combinations. Speaking of which, these variations in this case and there are not many, and the game very quickly becomes stable and somewhat repetitive. Surprisingly, this is not the biggest problem.
The problem is that you get to know the game too fast, and how your collaboration with Trico is basis of each puzzle, it will disappear quickly to the initial amazement when you realize that Trico is a friend and you can pull its ears and jump on his head as long as you want. The real cooperation starts there, but also a real hassle, because then you realize that Trico is stupid like a pillar. You will need him for jumping over the precipice, lifting large objects, breaking barriers, for a tense fight against pretty scary stone guards who are trying to hijack. You cannot do anything without it, but it is difficult with him. If I had not played it for the purpose of review I would have stopped playing on half of the game, and after I played I have to admit that for a few moments was detrimental for my nerves.
In one of the brighter spots, The Last Guardian is full of beautiful and memorable moments and technically you manage those moments, because it is rare that you will seize control of the game through cut scene. But these are mostly the moments in which your only option is to leave the controller in your lap and watch the animation, because any action would end with landing over Tricos back into the abyss. Everything between the animation is much more poorly designed puzzles or ingenious, but vaguely communicated puzzles. It is difficult to escape the impression that you could most valuable parts of the game experience almost as good through video on YouTube, and such a format would spare frustration about control and waiting for AI.
Nevertheless, The Last Guardian is not entirely a bad game, so all these problems I have cited only emphasize how good the rest is when I’m ready to say such a thing after I criticized some pretty basic things. The Last Guardian is a maddeningly slow and clumsy, sometimes vague, but a story that has a great wrap and full of heartfelt emotion and really fresh approach. By the end I was left in its original “wow” feeling when I think that this is something that every player should experience and try out. In its twelve hours, which could easily be 6 if game had listened to me the whole time , I realized that everyone should try it, just to experience Trico, but certainly should not insist on playing the whole game.
