The Last Guardian Reviews
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.
In its finished form, the game tells a story with uncompromising vision and engrossing emotional heft. The resulting experience comes off as delicately prepared, and the mythical nature of the game's development only enhances the fantastical tale at its core.
The Last Guardian is a truly enjoyable game, but it doesn't nearly live up to its own hype. It's impossible to shake the feeling that we could have gotten something of similar quality on the PS3 in exchange for a much shorter development cycle.
Just as the huge creature protagonist of his story, The Last Guardian is a unique game, with an unusual and fascinating shape. It is an adventure in some way out of time, which retains a glimmer of distant memories. It is a noble game, yet inexplicably fragile.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Last Guardian is a story about the bond formed between man and beast where loyalty and friendship trump instincts. It's not perfect as Trico's AI can be finicky and the pacing will not be for everyone. Nevertheless, if you like games that challenge your knack for problem-solving and also appreciate storytelling that's both touching and raw, The Last Guardian is a game with timeless appeal that's very much worth the wait.
Days after meeting them, I still carry these protagonists and their tale in my thoughts, though genDESIGN and SIE Japan Studio have carried them much longer. The Last Guardian's troubled development cycle spans nearly ten years, surviving taxing setbacks and delays in hopes of delivering this story.
"The Last Guardian" is all about a collection of small and large gestures that expand, enrich, and end a relationship. Although I experienced some camera-angle issues during my playthrough — it was easily lost in Trico's plumage — I'd like nothing more than to experience the game again. I'm left wondering, as I often do after encountering a great work of art, how it all came together.
The Last Guardian can be frustrating gameplay-wise, but the connection you'll feel to its beautifully-realised yet intractable companion creature leaves no room in your heart for such concerns. Somehow, this game was worth the wait.
The Last Guardian's seven-year development cycle is evident in antiquated design, but ultimately, it isn't enough to spoil this charming fantasy tale.
Despite its problems, The Last Guardian is an incredible piece of imaginative world-building. As a game, it mostly succeeds. As something we've been anticipating for nine years… well, that might be too tall an obstacle for even a giant flying dog to get over.
Yet, if The Last Guardian and its charming duo of characters click with you (or more properly, if you click with them), this is an unforgettable experience that you will probably carry in your heart for your whole life, just like many did with Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, and possibly even more. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go pet my cat, because I already miss my Trico.
The Last Guardian is an interesting and frustrating game that can't decide if it wants to be modern or retro, and that constant argument brings the entire experience down a notch.
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.