"The Last Guardian" had fans of "Ico" and "Shadow of the Colossus" waiting for seven years. After what seemed like a cancellation and multiple delays, the game was finally released on Dec. 6, 2016. This is the third game from game director Fumito Ueda and is a Sony Playstation 4 exclusive.
Gameplay
The gameplay centers on a boy who discovers cat-bird hybrid creature. He decides to help it and eventually forms a strong bond of friendship. In Kotaku's review of "The Last Guardian," they explain that the creature will learn from the player. The boy also names it Trico and then helps it by removing the spears stuck to its body. After freeing Trico from its bindings, the player is tasked to guide it along the way.
As "The Last Guardian" starts, the pair has limited ways to progress through the game's puzzles. The boy has to guide the stubborn creature along to accomplish each puzzle, but Trico's artificial intelligence sometimes makes it seem stubborn.
As players progress further into the game, it starts to learn from your actions. It will protect the boy if there are enemies in range, while the player reciprocates by calming the creature with affectionate belly rubs or pats. It appears that Trico might sometimes frustrate some players, but the realistic and unpredictable AI makes "The Last Guardian" feel like training a beloved pet.
Graphics
Just like the previous games from Fumito Ueda, "The Last Guardian" sports breathtaking graphics. The game's fluid animations when the protagonist is walking or running appears so lifelike. Its lighting and colors give the game a mysterious tone, the way Trico shuffles along, jumps, attacks or climbs look so seamless. The feathers on the creature or the boy's clothes and hair move along in the wind as well.
Conclusion
"The Last Guardian" reportedly suffers from camera problems, which make it hard for players to navigate some parts of the game. Other than the camera issues, the game seems to live up to its hype. Time rates the game 5/5, a 7/10 from IGN and an 83 from Metacritic.