In a strange cave, surrounded by the ruins of what appears to be an ancient civilization, a child wakes up. Next to him is a huge chained beast. The objective will be that this boy, helped by the animal, can return to his home. This is the proposal of the new exclusive for Sony's PS4.

 

Trico

The player controls the child, but the real protagonist of the adventure is Trico, a fictitious animal. Its shape and movements are reminiscent of a dog or a cat. It has small wings. Except for the head, it has all its body covered with feathers and its claws look like those of a bird. It's like a giant pet.

 

To take into account: his behavior is very real, he looks like a real animal. It is not a character that automatically follows us everywhere. It gives the feeling of being alive, both for its animations and for its way of acting. It's worth at least trying the game just to see it. It is easy to become attached to him, even if it is only a doll on a screen.

 

The Last Guardian can boast of having with Trico, not only the animal, but the most realistic character that has been seen so far in a video game.

 

The game

The adventure is developed through the interaction between the child and Trico to solve a series of puzzles. It is linear game that could be considered platforms. To progress from one area to another of the ruins, you have to observe the environment, find out how to move forward and then carry it out to access the next area. In my opinion, The Last Guardian has some of the best puzzle designs that can be found in a game of this type.

 

To take into account: The essence of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus is maintained, the two games previously developed by gene DESIGN (the development studio formerly known as Team ICO). You can see it in the setting, the graphic style and the stage design, as well as in the controls. For its game system, it could be considered the second part of ICO, although argumentatively it has no relation.

 

The handling of the character is similar to those of those two games. The boy seems a little clumsy. We are used to that in the current titles everything is very automated, it is almost impossible to fail in a jump, for example. So you can hit the player a bit this kind of handling reminiscent of older games.

 

Is it for everyone?

The Last Guardian has had a very strong marketing campaign, announcing it as the great exclusive for this Christmas, but it really is a game for a very specific audience. The other DESIGN gen video games are considered cult titles, but they had quite discreet worldwide sales.

 

To take into account: It is a game of slow pace, especially at the beginning, to take it easy. To solve the puzzles will have to give orders to Trico, who will not always do what the player asks, which can frustrate the most impatient. It is a sought behavior, not an error. As the game progresses, the bond between the child and the animal increases and each time he will pay more attention. The second half of the game is much faster (not shorter) because of this.

 

I have enjoyed it very much and it is going to be one of the games I remember with more affection in the coming years. I recommend it to anyone looking for a unique experience. Within the adventure genre there have been other very good titles this year. Those who prefer something less paused, with more action, can find it in other titles like Uncharted 4, to give an example.