The end of an era.
It seems almost impossible, but Team Ico and Fumito Ueda’s The Last Guardian is finally releasing for PlayStation 4 tomorrow December 6th. We’ve been hearing about this game for, well, a while. It was first announced by Sony in 2007 with a 2011 release day for the PS3. Clearly, it experienced several delays and a generation-jump to a new console before finally landing its December 2016 release date. (We’ve seen physical copies with a box and everything. Promise it’s real!) With this and Finally Fantasy XV launching at long last, it feels a bit like the end of an era.
The review embargo for The Last Guardian lifted at 10 A.M. EST this morning, giving gamers a solid 14 hours to pour over them and decide if the game is worth it. Let’s look at what reviewers are saying so far.
IGN gave the game a 7/10. The reviewer loved the beautiful world and the gradual bond with your giant companion Trico. Besides that, TLG had “wonky controls, a poor camera, and some annoyingly finicky puzzles.”
Gamespot sang mostly praises for TLG. “The Last Guardian is a fascinating game that portrays a heartfelt relationship between two unlikely cohorts.” He explained how the game draws you in emotionally as you form a bond with Trico. The reviewer did point out a few frame-rate issues and occasional annoying button-prompts. However, he said, “Your journey is dominated by awe-inspiring architecture and natural wonder… as you piece together the story and world around you.”
Kotaku also gave the game a pretty praising review. This reviewer emphasized how different Trico was from regular video game companions. He has a mind of his own and doesn’t follow commands easily at first, which is frustrating. But, the reviewer pointed out, such frustrations make Trico even more lifelike and heighten the experience of bonding with him. He played through the game in 13 hours.
Looks like the controls and camera can be finicky, but the heart of the game lies with the deep bond you gradually form with Trico. The other emphases in TLG are on the platforming and puzzle-solving you focus on to move with Trico throughout the world.
Do these reviews convince or deter you from picking up The Last Guardian? Let us know in the comments!
