The Last Guardian Reviews
The Last Guardian is a love letter to anyone who loved Team Ico's previous games. It's a shame that this game won't receive the mainstream attention it deserves. Kudos to Sony for sticking with Fumito Ueda for so long and getting the game out on the shelves. Truly, The Last Guardian marks the end of an era.
Although I've been critical of the gameplay of The Last Guardian, it's actually quite a beautiful title on the PlayStation 4 with a very moving story. So if you can forgive the technical issues of the game and if you enjoyed Ico or Shadow of the Colossus, it's still an interesting experience that is a thoroughly enjoyable and emotional narrative on this console.
An artistic delight but a technical shambles
A potentially beautiful game, crippled by an awful camera, archaic controls, and bizarre, frustrating gameplay.
In retrospect I believe a friend put it best – 'it's a flawed masterpiece' he said and I truly believe that.
I was sucked into this world from start to finish, falling absolutely in love with these characters that had very little dialogue or backstory, and this world that I knew almost nothing about. It really showed me that in this day and age, a game can have almost no combat, have clunky controls but still be a genuine piece of art that speaks to the heart.
Regardless of a few messy puzzles, the way The Last Guardian communicates this message is worth paying attention to.
The Last Guardian is not a perfect game. None is. But I can't think of many titles that deliver such powerful experiences utilizing the tools that only gaming can provide. I couldn't in all honesty sit here and nitpick the controls or the occasional graphical hiccup, because I had too much damn fun and made a great friend along the way.
The Last Guardian is a meditation of trust and patience. The eight year wait after its 2009 unveiling is a conspicuous illustration of this thesis, but a clearer picture develops by persisting through its meticulous operation. A lingering touch of melancholy and deep suspicions of malevolence—both synonymous with ICO and Shadow of the Colossus—are now complimented by enduring senses of companionship and devotion. In these moments, and The Last Guardian has many, it's hard not to feel captured and taken by its ability.
While some parts of its narrative had me emotionally invested in the relationship between boy and beast, constantly fighting against the game's broken mechanics left me unimpressed. My frustrations with Trico often ignoring my commands made interacting with the world more difficult and time-consuming than I wanted it to be. There are moments in The Last Guardian with potential, but ultimately, it's more flawed than the authentic experience I was hoping for.
The long wait is over. After almost a decade of development, The Last Guardian is ready. This epic and touching adventure has a lot of great moments, but important issues with the camera, stops it of being a perfect video game.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Because of its gigantic chief character The Last Guardian is an atmospheric experience, despite all its shortcomings.
Review in German | Read full review
Figuring out The Last Guardian's puzzles—like the one in which a broken wheelbarrow must be used as a makeshift catapult—isn't nearly as difficult as getting Trico to cooperate.
A heartwarming story, a mysterious world, and a slowly-growing bond between two unlikely companions ensure that fans of Team Ico's past work won't be disappointed. Clunky controls and a handful of graphical issues, however, mean that The Last Guardian may not be an enjoyable game for everyone—though, either way, Trico is adorable.
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 rooted in the past, with design problems the game's beautiful aesthetic can't disguise.
Beautiful. In every way.
Despite its lingering flaws and often frustrating pacing, The Last Guardian rises above expectation to deliver an engrossing adventure. Team Ico have brought together everything they've learnt over their past two games to present a heartfelt tale wrapped in an often-bewildering platformer – even if it took nearly a decade to make it here.
Yes, The Last Guardian's controls are incredibly archaic and at times can be entirely broken, but two days after finishing it, the story has stuck with me. Studio Japan has continued to show how it can do so much while saying so little. The environment, characters and everything about the narrative captivated me. In spite of the controls I still thoroughly enjoyed the game overall. The story is a simple one, but powerful nonetheless.