The Last Guardian (PlayStation 4) Review

By David Lovato 15.12.2016

Review for The Last Guardian on PlayStation 4

Following the cult hit Ico and the industry phenomenon Shadow of the Colossus, Fumito Ueda and Sony announced a third title in the Ico series, The Last Guardian, in 2009. Following years of delays, silence, and a glorious re-reveal once the game's production had shifted from the PlayStation 3 to the PlayStation 4, 2016 finally sees the release of the long-awaited title. Fans know what to expect from a Team Ico game, but for the uninitiated: buckle in for an intense ride, bring a box of tissues, and get ready to be transported to a world unlike any you've ever seen.

It's immediately clear that The Last Guardian is by the same minds behind Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Story details are sparse, leaving much for the player to fill in, while the world is grand in scope and gorgeous to look at; over-exposure of light and vivid greens highlight curious, interactive ruins. The overall game, like its predecessors, is an unforgettable journey full of emotion and cinematic wonder—a true feat for the gaming world. An unnamed boy wakes up in a cave at the bottom of a valley, beside a huge cat-like creature called Trico, and for better or worse, the two must work together to escape their prison. Accompanied by a soundtrack of fitting musical cues and lifelike ambience, Trico and the boy must learn to trust each other to escape their desolate prison.

Unfortunately, there are also flaws as deep and as noticeable as the magic and beauty of the game's story and environment. The camera likes to misbehave, which is bothersome considering the placement of it has a direct effect on which direction Trico or the boy will move. Platforming can quickly become infuriating, as what should be a simple hop can lead to certain death if the camera happens to bounce off a rock or wall or simply move for no apparent reason, changing the boy's trajectory mid-jump. Framerate drops are substantial and somewhat frequent, and sometimes, vital parts of the environment are missing. These technical issues are all the more frustrating given that the developers had upwards of a decade to address them.

Screenshot for The Last Guardian on PlayStation 4

For all of these technical flaws, which are abundant and at times severe, The Last Guardian also features some of the most impressive technology in modern gaming. It's clear the devs weren't sitting around twiddling their thumbs all this time. Framerate problems notwithstanding, this is the best-looking game ever played, personally speaking. Physics and momentum matter, and each step, jump, or shove has a certain weight to it that's hard to describe. Collision detection is astonishing; sometimes exact placement of the boy's feet on a stone can be the deciding factor in solving a puzzle. When and where the game works, it works better than just about any other video game, and playing feels less like making a digital character run around and more like actually controlling one.

Trico's AI is unbelievable at times, with the creature seeming alive, helping the player connect to these characters and enhancing the story. This isn't always a plus, however, as the realism behind the AI also means moments of sheer stupidity are also present. As a failsafe, it seems as though mounting Trico and waiting will often lead to the creature solving puzzles or progressing on its own. This is a much-needed measure, as Trico often can't or won't follow instructions.

Screenshot for The Last Guardian on PlayStation 4

In the grand scheme, The Last Guardian has an underlying sense of being a long cinema with some platforming thrown in to make the player work for the story. Where the first two games had an underlying mystery and lore to them, the architecture of The Last Guardian feels hand-crafted and perfectly placed to allow these two characters to progress, which is in direct conflict with the over-arching storyline. Puzzles often have one solution, and the biggest challenge is trying to position the camera correctly to allow progression or platforming. The gameplay feels phoned-in, particularly when stacked against the previous two entries, and the story itself does, as well, albeit to a far less extent.

Fumito Ueda is known for deep, complex stories with mind-boggling twists, dotted with intensely emotional moments. The Last Guardian is no exception, although it feels more watered-down and cobbled together than Shadow of the Colossus did. Still, it's clear that fans of the previous games will feel right at home here, and other players, presuming they can get past the frustrating technical and control problems, are in for a real treat, as well. Players will not only witness, but help build the bond between the boy and Trico, and beautiful in-game cinemas will tell the story of how the unlikely companions found themselves in their current predicament in the first place.

Screenshot for The Last Guardian on PlayStation 4

An astonishing amount of depth goes into the Ico games, despite the history, lore, and even main story often being pushed from the forefront so players can focus on the puzzles at hand. The Last Guardian strays more from the formula than past titles, with much of the main story taking place in real time, but there's still a lot to discover and ponder about—architecture is always a strong point, and the game brilliantly gives pause to the platforming and haunted statue-dodging to let players simply take in the sights. Being able to fully explore the ruins inside the valley would've been interesting, but for story reasons wouldn't make much sense. This adds to the story, as that beauty is always visible, but out of reach, much like the escape and freedom the boy and Trico are working toward.

It seems fitting, then, that Trico's wings are broken—the creature can glide, but not fly—and metaphors like this are strong throughout the game. Players want the boy and Trico to bond, they want them to escape and return to their respective homes, which makes the puzzles, platforming, stealth segments, and even technical glitches well worth the effort. Moments of heart-stopping drama and downright fear line an otherwise mostly serene tale, and should players need to pause to collect themselves, their thoughts, their theories, or their tears, fellow Last Guardian fans will surely understand.

Screenshot for The Last Guardian on PlayStation 4

Cubed3 Rating

9/10
Rated 9 out of 10

Exceptional - Gold Award

Rated 9 out of 10

Ico and Shadow of the Colossus set the bar ridiculously high, and years of delays didn't help, but The Last Guardian fits into the series and sets itself apart from the rest of the gaming world, rounding out the Ico trilogy as some of the biggest, prettiest, most unforgettable experiences anyone will find in gaming. Technical issues like framerate, glitches, and controls (most or all of which will hopefully be patched out as time goes on) don't stop this from being a gorgeous and highly emotional gaming experience—exactly what fans have come to expect from Fumito Ueda. The development team's vision was clear, if the execution was a little lacking, and the final product doesn't feel like one that should've taken ten years to hit shelves, but The Last Guardian is still an achievement in both storytelling and game development that gamers shouldn't miss out on.

Developer

SCE Japan

Publisher

SIEE

Genre

Adventure

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  9/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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