The Last Guardian


#1

Can you talk a little about why the game has taken longer than anticipated?

Fumito Ueda: Obviously there were a number of reasons for the delay. If I had to call out one of them, it was more of a technical hurdle that we had to overcome. But eventually we have overcome it, and we have finally – proudly – announced the game for PS4 during the E3 press conference.

Has the game changed at all since we last saw it?

Fumito Ueda: The game content itself – the storyline etc – that stuff has not changed. Obviously the migration to PS4 has enabled us to push the envelope on the technology side. The overall aesthetic that the team is going for isn’t necessarily ‘edgy’ but we have a very specific art style we are aiming for and the PS4 hardware has helped us achieve our goals.

Obviously it’s been a number of years since we last heard news of the game, and there’s been so much speculation about the title among PlayStation gamers. How does it feel to finally re-introduce the game to your fans?

Fumito Ueda: Yes, it’s been a few years since our last announcement. From my point of view, it was very unpredictable how the audience would react. I wasn’t sure if people would remember the title. Admittedly I was a bit nervous, but after the announce I saw the reaction, and the cheering – and that proved to me that people had really been waiting and were excited to see us reveal The Last Guardian for PS4. Afterwards, I was more relaxed and happy!



#2

Look at lovely Fumito there. Just one of the lads.


#3

Day one, hype, omg etc.


#4

Seriously that gameplay section was everything I hoped for.


#5

@Das, please tell me that will be the real cover.


#6

Well, it should be.


#8

The Last Guardian: first hands-on preview in Edge, 2016 release reconfirmed
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The cover story of the latest issue of Edge Magazine is a hands-on preview of The Last Guardian, revealing new gameplay details and reconfirming a 2016 release date.

In the magazine, game director Fumito Ueda says, “Since this is the year we will see the game’s release, I do have some worries, but I’m also very excited.”

The preview introduces a new gameplay mechanic in which the human boy character wields a mirrored shield. Edge writes, “Holding circle ‘illuminates’ the device, shining what is ostensibly an ornate crosshair onto any surface it’s aimed at… [Trico] can fire a devastating beam of red lightning from its tail, and will direct this power wherever we point the mirrored shield.”

In the demo Edge was shown, which is from an early portion of the game, this attack was used for environmental puzzles—“one involving the destruction of a rock face, the other the disintegration of a wooden wall.”

Of course, the star of The Last Guardian is Trico, the animal that accompanies the boy. He is described in the magazine as a “free-spirited creature that flagrantly disregards your attempts to tame it,” which prompted Ueda to question whether this may or may not annoy players.

“It would be a lie to stay that I have no worries,” Ueda said in the magazine, “but another game where you can completely control a creature wouldn’t be enjoyable for me because there are a lot out there where you can do that. I think I’ve had enough of them.”

As the game progresses, the relationship between Trico and the boy will strengthen, and Trico will become more responsive to his requests.

Trico is described as powerful, but timid and nervous in its nature. The magazine reads, “One area a little later in the demo sees us emerge high up from the wall of a huge cave that holds an underground lake. We immediately take the opportunity to leap into the clear water below, diving underneath the surface and exploring the muffled underwater world for a time. On resurfacing, we find Trico timidly pawing at the edge of the drop, refusing to jump. It is, after all, part cat.”

Here’s Ueda’s take on Trico: “This creature isn’t like the cute pets that exist in other games, or an ally that’s really useful. The role of the creature is ambiguous; that’s something we wanted to express in the game, and it doesn’t always do what you ask it to do. That’s one of the themes of The Last Guardian. It’s something that’s difficult, and completely different. I want to create the next thing – an experience that people have never had before.

“The amount of code is very large compared to AI in conventional games. We’ve given this creature its own desires, so depending on what action it wants to take, that affects everything, including its animation. It’s not like a normal humanoid character.”

The Last Guardian is, again, planned for release on PlayStation 4 in 2016. It’s been a long time coming since its initial reveal for PlayStation 3 in 2009. We’ll likely hear more, and hopefully a final release date, at E3 in Los Angeles next month.


#9

I won’t believe it until I have it in my hands.


#10

This is the year I tell you.


#11

I’m leery that it’ll meet its 2016 release, but I’m hopeful.

The preview introduces a new gameplay mechanic in which the human boy character wields a mirrored shield. Edge writes, “Holding circle ‘illuminates’ the device, shining what is ostensibly an ornate crosshair onto any surface it’s aimed at… [Trico] can fire a devastating beam of red lightning from its tail, and will direct this power wherever we point the mirrored shield.”

That isn’t a mechanic that I expected to find from the creator of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Sounds weird.

Here’s Ueda’s take on Trico: “This creature isn’t like the cute pets that exist in other games, or an ally that’s really useful. The role of the creature is ambiguous; that’s something we wanted to express in the game, and it doesn’t always do what you ask it to do. That’s one of the themes of The Last Guardian. It’s something that’s difficult, and completely different. I want to create the next thing – an experience that people have never had before.

Now that does sound like it. I like that.

“The amount of code is very large compared to AI in conventional games. We’ve given this creature its own desires, so depending on what action it wants to take, that affects everything, including its animation. It’s not like a normal humanoid character.”

Impressive. I’m looking forward to see how sophisticated Trico’s personality and actions are.


#12


#13

The Last Guardian IGN First preview, screenshots

The preview details the opening moments of the game, as do the the screenshots that accompany it, so there’s your warning before you read it or view the images.

The game opens in a cave, where the boy you play as awakens with no recollection of how he got there, with strange markings on his arms. He comes across a wounded Trico, the creature that accompanies him, curled up on the floor. It has a spear lodged onto its hindquarters, and it is in pain. Pulling the spear from its body causes Trico to howl in pain, then lash out at the boy, sending him flying into the wall of the cave. “Trust” is a key theme in The Last Guardian, and this opening, intimate sequence acts as the beginning of the relationship between the boy and Trico, who himself will never entirely be tamed.

The boy eventually comes across mirror made of a mysterious substance. Trico’s eyes react to it, dilating and flashing through different colors. Trico’s eye color is a reflection of his emotional state. In this case, his eyes are red, which means “anger” or “wariness.” Holding the mirror out at the green beam that shoots forth on a blockage ahead of the boy causes Trico to shoot red lightning from his tail, striking and shattering the boulders.

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#14

Does the successor to Ico and Shadow of the Colossus live up to its lineage? It does so much more.

Eurogamer | The Last Guardian review (it got “essential”)

My pre-order is in the mail. Maybe I’ll take a break from FF15.


#15

Excellent review. Will probably wait to get a Pro before playing it.


#16

I’m avoiding reviews, but I heard that the framerate is pretty shitty. I guess it’s a hallmark of the series.


#17

Frame rate is fine on the Pro. Not that that’s an acceptable situation, but yeah.


#18

#19

Preordered it. I’ll probably finish up FFXV first before I start TLG. It looks wonderful.