The Last Guardian Reviews
Despite colossal expectations, The Last Guardian is a triumph. The tale of Trico and the boy is profound—a beautiful, affecting journey grounded by their relationship.
Does the successor to Ico and Shadow of the Colossus live up to its lineage? It does so much more.
The Last Guardian is a marvelous achievement in a number of ways. Its story is subtle, but beautiful. Its world is fascinating and mysterious. And Trico will go down as one of the best characters ever made for a video game. Players are in for a wonderful treat, but that quality comes at a cost. The game struggles to run well at times, and the controls can be a chore. You will also need to be patient, as Trico truly acts as a living animal, not something you can just control like any other video game character. If you can get past these things though, you will find an experience like none other, and one that is truly worth the effort.
Regardless of a few messy puzzles, the way The Last Guardian communicates this message is worth paying attention to.
All round, The Last Guardian feels meticulously pieced together and is easily one of the PlayStation 4's stronger exclusive titles. It's risky and unconventional, flouting modern design practices in a way that few other AAA game would dare to in 2016. Although far from perfect and a little worn from age, it's a one of a kind experience and hopefully won't be the last we see from Fumito Ueda and this enchanting world.
Everything that would make the game a beautiful and unique classic to match or even surpass its predecessors is here, but like its captivating star the game doesn't always perform as you'd hope.
The Last Guardian is a wonderful, grueling ride that I loved more than I thought I would.
Buy it if you're ready to be an exceptionally patient pet owner. Watch some videos online otherwise.
Like Team Ico's past work, talking about The Last Guardian too much inherently drifts into spoiler territory, but we have years to unpack this. For now, I'm confident in saying that although it isn't their best work, there really aren't too many directors out there like Fumito Ueda, and I hope for our sake, he continues making games.
The Last Guardian is Team ICO's magnum opus.
Somewhere underneath the broken gameplay and terrible camera controls lies a lot of potential for a great game.
Not quite up to the same standards of its predecessors, but this is still an emotionally draining and beautifully realised story of friendship against the odds.
I wish I could say I love the game, that its plagued by only minor setbacks, but I cannot honestly do that. I can't look back at how much time was spent not enjoying myself, at how much time was spent actively wrestling with the game to wring anything worthwhile from it, and say I played the masterpiece many are going to say it is.
The Last Guardian is a must-play for fans, but it struggles under the weight of years worth of anticipation, due in large part to troublesome AI and a finicky camera.
I've been waiting for this day to come with the hopes of The Last Guardian's success and that it wouldn't disappoint me, and I'm glad that it didn't. It may not have the most compelling story and has some struggles to hit a stable 30FPS, but the bond of Trico and the Boy alongside its artistic game design and core gameplay mechanics makes The Last Guardian one of the most exciting cinematic experiences next to Uncharted 4. It's a breathtaking adventure and a beautiful work of art!
'The Last Guardian' is rooted in the past, with design problems the game's beautiful aesthetic can't disguise.
The biggest question I keep coming back to in between moments of awe and terrible frustration is, 'Is The Last Guardian any fun to play?' Ultimately, I feel like it isn't. The gameplay is too purposefully obstructed, too deliberately designed to be rough around the edges.
A moving adventure starring an extraordinary companion. Framerate issues intrude, but don't let them stop you from finishing this wonderful game.
Trico may not belong to any earthly species, but he moves and behaves – and, sometimes, is just as frustratingly unmanageable – as a real dog or cat
Touching on themes such as companionship and trust, The Last Guardian's tale is minimally delivered and powerful. Without spoiling much, it will be a topic of debate for years to come.