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The Last Guardian

Overall, this game is well worth the wait. It highlights patience, understanding, and compassion, while presenting a beautiful story that’s open enough to allow for creative speculation and theorizing within the community. It’s not a long game, but it doesn’t need to be; any longer, and the game would have felt artificially padded. The story is worth the effort, and the bittersweet ending is a hopeful one. If you’re a fan of Team Ico’s other works, The Last Guardian is a must-have. If you’re newcomer, this is a great game to start with.
The Last Guardian Game Cover
78%Game Brain Score
Most mentioned positive aspects:story, emotional
Most mentioned negative aspects:graphics, gameplay
Critic Score 78%Based on 41 reviews

Platforms

Playstation 5Playstation 4PlayStation
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The Last Guardian Game Cover

About The Last Guardian

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.

Facing unknown dangers in a strange and mystical land, an ordinary young boy and his gigantic feathered friend must rely on each other to survive in this harrowing story of friendship and trust.

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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% positive mentions, 24% neutral mentions, 13% negative mentions

    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% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    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% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 50% negative mentions

    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% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 75% negative mentions

    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.”

  • optimization

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    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

    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    0% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 100% negative mentions

    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.”

  • music

    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
    100% positive mentions, 0% neutral mentions, 0% negative mentions

    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.”
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Critic Reviews

78%Critics’ scoreBased on 4 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Last Guardian is a action adventure game.

The Last Guardian is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation.

The Last Guardian was released on December 6, 2016.

The Last Guardian was developed by SIE Japan Studio.

The Last Guardian has received mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked The Last Guardian for its story but disliked it for its graphics.

The Last Guardian is a single player game.

Similar games include LUNA The Shadow Dust, Hauntii, Koira, The Eternal Cylinder, Vane and others.