'The Last Guardian' Game Review
'The Last Guardian' is an action-adventure game about a young boy who has been captured under strange circumstances. Complete with puzzle elements, players journey through ancient ruins following the boy’s encounter with Trico - a mysterious griffin-like beast, in the hope of escaping their mysterious situation.
First announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in 2009 with a planned release for 2011, this was a hotly anticipated game initially planned for a PlayStation 3. However, the game suffered from numerous delays: members of the development team leaving Sony, and PS3 compatibility issues forcing the developers to wait until 2012 after the PlayStation 4 had been released.
Finally, in 2015 following E3’s reintroduction for a 2016 release, 'The Last Guardian' is now available to the public. It can be considered beneficial that the game had been delayed, as the world depicted can now be enjoyed in a higher quality image; this is brilliant as it is a visually pretty landscape, and so full of detail that it is easy to get lost in the game’s universe.
'The Last Guardian' holds similarities to 'Shadow of the Colossus' and 'Ico' in its theme, style, characterisation and gameplay elements. Characterisation and story - especially the connection between the boy and Trico – become the game’s strongest elements, making players invested in their ability to control events within the game.
Characterisation is one of the most important aspects to consider as a player, as the challenges overcome and discoveries made through a series of revelations bond the player to the characters. Each of these elements leads to a worthwhile ending. Considering its long development process, it’s easy to feel like ‘The Last Guardian’ is a little dated at times. Trico's meandering behaviour can be a test in patience, as can his lack of immediate reaction, which can be an inconvenience to the overall gameplay. Trico is a loveable creature but often quite stubborn; this combined with the regularly irritating camera controls (though not nearly as frustrating as the camera controls in 'Until Dawn'), and Trico's behaviour during the puzzle elements makes it difficult to complete. Camera controls are not something players should have to think about, and in 'The Last Guardian,' it can be a frustrating element to deal with.
While playing this game on PS4, the frame rate drops and rendering issues are obvious; however, it is believed to have a more stable frame rate at 1080p on PS4 Pro.
Despite some technical issues, 'The Last Guardian’ has proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable game with an immersive story and pleasant soundtrack. 'The Last Guardian' is available now exclusively on PlayStation 4.
