The Last Guardian

The Last Guardian is at once a beautiful, breathtaking, frustrating and memorable adventure, between a young boy and the strange giant bird-dog hybrid, Trico. While the game may have a reputation that precedes it based on its incredibly long development cycle, Team Ico have created a third masterpiece to sit proudly on the shelf alongside Ico and Shadow of the Collossus, but the control scheme and AI in The Last Guardian are a struggle, and don’t live up to the lofty expectations of its concept.

The connection to Trico is instant. While the creature may be gigantic, there is an innocent and adorable quality not unlike what you would see in a puppy. That’s not to say Trico doesn’t know how to fight and defend itself, with a tail that can shoot lightning and a loyalty that becomes unwavering when you’re being attacked. As the young boy, you’re defenseless by yourself, and there are plenty of puzzles that separate the two of you which creates a neat sense of vulnerability.

Through all of these memorable scenes, it’s actually the quiet and understated moments that I will keep more fondly. Removing spears from Trico and bringing food, along with receiving a nuzzle of thanks when I managed to be the saviour for a change was enchanting and touched my heart in a way I didn’t expect.

The visual cues throughout also tell the story without requiring a literal explanation. Stained-glass eyes frighten Trico for an unknown reason, halting its progress, which is enough motivation for you to want to destroy them. There are enemies that are essentially suits of armor which come to life when you near them, attempting to drag you through an ominous blue door as your screen floods with seemingly random symbols. The Last Guardian is remarkably clever with the way it has designed each level; objects have purpose and experimenting with how you interact with your environment is key to your progression.

It’s such a shame, then, that littered throughout are inconsistencies with the controls that left me so frustrated that it pulled me right out of it. The boys movements could be described as floaty at best, downright irritating at worst. Jumps seem unclear, the way he climbs and navigates ledges doesn’t seem to click like it does in other platforming games of this nature and I found myself falling to my death on numerous occasions from what really felt like no fault of my own. One particular scenario which has you throwing a heavy barrel up a series of ledges had me actually yelling in my home because of how finicky it was.