The Last Guardian

About

The Last Guardian is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by SIE Japan Studio and was released on December 6, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from critics.

"The Last Guardian" is a touching story of friendship and trust between a young boy and a mysterious creature. Set in a mystical land, the pair must rely on each other to navigate treacherous ruins. Gameplay involves solving puzzles and overcoming obstacles in a journey that highlights the deep bond formed between the boy and the creature.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

story5 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The bond between the boy and Trico is heartwarming and emotionally impactful.
The game features breathtaking visuals and stunning landscapes, showcasing impressive animation and design.
Trico is a memorable and lifelike character, contributing to a unique and engaging gameplay experience.

The controls and camera can be frustrating, often hindering gameplay and puzzle-solving.
The game suffers from technical issues, including noticeable framerate drops and occasional glitches.
Puzzles can feel obtuse and lack clear direction, making them challenging to navigate.

story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
24%
13%
The story of "The Last Guardian" is widely praised for its subtlety and emotional depth, focusing on the poignant bond between the boy and his AI companion, Trico. Reviewers highlight the captivating and beautifully told narrative, enriched by a stunning world steeped in myth, though some note that technical issues and dated mechanics detract from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, the game's storytelling is considered a significant achievement that resonates with players.
- “Its story is subtle, but beautiful.”
- “The Last Guardian’s story is moving and beautifully told, but the poor execution of its dated mechanics holds it back from the greatness of its predecessors.”
- “The bond between the boy and Trico is heartwarming, with an interesting story that features plenty of tense moments and surprising twists.”
- “The development team's vision was clear, if the execution was a little lacking, and the final product doesn't feel like one that should've taken ten years to hit shelves, but The Last Guardian is still an achievement in both storytelling and game development that gamers shouldn't miss out on.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the deep and heartwarming relationship between the boy and Trico, which is brought to life through stunning animations and a breathtaking presentation. Players describe the narrative as touching and memorable, filled with tense moments and surprising twists that create an unforgettable journey. Despite some technical issues, the game's emotional depth and expressive character design resonate strongly with players, making it a standout experience.
- “The bond between the boy and Trico is heartwarming, with an interesting story that features plenty of tense moments and surprising twists. The game is graphically beautiful, but not overwhelming.”
- “Trico is a memorable and expressive character, set against gorgeous landscapes that create touching, emotional moments.”
- “Incredible animation, subtle puzzles that teach you to be observant, and breathtaking level design are packed with tense and heartfelt moments, portraying an unforgettable relationship.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics of "The Last Guardian" receive mixed reviews, with some praising its beautiful aesthetic and slick level design, while others criticize outdated graphic designs and a lack of environmental diversity. Users note frustrating camera controls and occasional graphical hiccups, suggesting the visuals feel caught between the PS3 and PS4 eras. Despite these issues, many players find the overall experience enjoyable and emotionally engaging.
- “The game's beautiful aesthetic can't disguise its design problems.”
- “Graphically beautiful, but not overwhelming.”
- “Great aesthetic, slick level design, Trico's AI works well.”
- “The overall graphics feel like they are stuck between the transition from PS3 to PS4, and the camera can be awful at times.”
- “Outdated graphic designs, no environmental diversity, and frustrating control and camera issues really detract from the experience.”
- “The graphics are disappointing, lacking in detail and variety, which makes the game feel less immersive.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The gameplay of the game is marred by broken mechanics and poor camera controls, which detracts from its potential and execution. While some players may struggle with these shortcomings, others may find value in its unique cooperative elements and emotionally resonant story. Overall, the gameplay experience is a mix of meaningful moments overshadowed by technical flaws.
- “The relationship at its core is wonderful, with a lovely score, and the cooperative nature of its gameplay is really interesting.”
- “Somewhere underneath the broken gameplay and terrible camera controls lies a lot of potential for a great game.”
- “The Last Guardian’s story is moving and beautifully told, but the poor execution of its dated mechanics holds it back from the greatness of its predecessors.”
- “Some will be unable to look past the mechanical shortcomings, but they'll be missing out on one of the most meaningful and truly original experiences in years.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is widely praised for its epic quality and emotional depth, enhancing the heartwarming relationship between the characters. Reviewers highlight the unique and evocative nature of the soundtrack, considering it one of the best of 2016, while also noting that it complements the lifelike animations of Trico without becoming repetitive.
- “The soundtrack is epic, and the relationship between Trico and the boy is heartwarming.”
- “The music feels truly unique, and the soundtrack is one of 2016’s best.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The optimization of The Last Guardian has been criticized for its clunky controls, questionable design choices, and poor technical performance, leading to a frustrating experience that overshadows its original story and charming creature.
- “More frustrating than it is fun, The Last Guardian wastes its original story and charming creature under clunky controls, questionable design, and poor technical performance.”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and long loading times that ruin the overall experience.”
- “Despite its beautiful visuals, the optimization is lacking, causing the game to stutter and lag even on high-end hardware.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
While players have reported technical issues such as framerate drops, glitches, and control problems, these do not significantly detract from the overall emotional and visual experience of the game. Many hope that these stability issues will be addressed in future patches.
- “Technical issues like framerate drops, glitches, and unresponsive controls significantly detract from the overall experience, making it frustrating at times.”
- “The game suffers from frequent crashes and stability issues that disrupt gameplay and hinder immersion.”
- “Despite its beautiful design, the constant technical problems and instability make it hard to fully enjoy the game.”