The Last Guardian (2016)
SIE Japan Studio, Team Ico, genDESIGN
3.68 from 993 ratings
2782 members have it in their collection · 137 playing now · 1107 backlogged · 1195 wish listed
How long? Main story 13h · with extras 14h (from 25 logged playthroughs)
Details
- Developers
- SIE Japan Studio, Team Ico, genDESIGN
- Publishers
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Genres
- Adventure, Platform, Puzzle
- Themes
- Action
- Events
- PlayStation Experience 2016 Showcase, The Game Awards 2016, PlayStation E3 2016 Press Conference, PlayStation E3 Experience 2015 Press Conference, Sony E3 2009 Press Conference
Release dates
- Dec 06, 2016 (Japan) PlayStation 4
- Dec 06, 2016 (North_America) PlayStation 4
- Dec 07, 2016 (Australia) PlayStation 4
- Dec 09, 2016 (Europe) PlayStation 4
Related
Editions
- The Last Guardian: First-Press Limited Edition (Jun 2016)
- The Last Guardian: Steelbook Edition (Jan 2017)
- The Last Guardian: Collector's Edition (Jan 2017)
- The Last Guardian: Limited Edition
Standalone expansions
- The Last Guardian VR (Dec 2017)
Featured in lists
Rating distribution
5 stars
240
4 stars
368
3 stars
243
2 stars
116
1 star
26
Community All Reviews Statuses
Status Whitty Sep 15, 2023
This game is a true test of patience and I used walkthroughs when I felt like the game was wasting my time. But by the end of the story I was emotionally invested in the relationship between the boy and his bird-cat-dog-thing. It's just that the game makes you work for it, often through unnecessary tedium. Apart of the tedium …
Read moreThis game is a true test of patience and I used walkthroughs when I felt like the game was wasting my time. But by the end of the story I was emotionally invested in the relationship between the boy and his bird-cat-dog-thing. It's just that the game makes you work for it, often through unnecessary tedium. Apart of the tedium might be intentional, to force the player to pause and get to know this slow, lumbering, and at times uncooperative creature. It reminds me of the frustrations of training a pet. Some of that ludonarrative worked for me but I don't think the game developers quite found the right balance between immersive and responsive. There are definitely technical issues, physics broke a couple of times in my game and the AI is finicky to put it mildly. But it is also a beautiful game, with soaring vistas and life like animation (not the boy, he moves like a homunculus) and it tells an engaging story with minimal dialogue. You simultaneously feel protected by and want to protect Trico (the bird-cat-dog) so the game gets the most important element right. Some people are going to think it's not worth the time and some people are going to think it's brilliant. And I think I fall into the later category.
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Status mmeagan Jan 2, 2023
This game is so good, and Trico is so cute, but these controls are soooo frustrating and it's a bummer I can't remap them or turn off the auto center for the camera. It's making these puzzles way less enjoyable. Each button assignment has 2 or 3 actions which makes actions like jumping off Trico and grabbing a chain very …
Read moreThis game is so good, and Trico is so cute, but these controls are soooo frustrating and it's a bummer I can't remap them or turn off the auto center for the camera. It's making these puzzles way less enjoyable. Each button assignment has 2 or 3 actions which makes actions like jumping off Trico and grabbing a chain very finnecky.
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Status Gangreen May 31, 2021
The animations, mannerisms, and expressions of Trico are incredible. It is fascinating to watch him. The camera does a great job of focusing on him to let you see him doing all sorts of amusing behaviors. The developers really captured well how he scrambles through a tight doorway, jumps gracefully up to a high perch, or simply roots around in …
The animations, mannerisms, and expressions of Trico are incredible. It is fascinating to watch him. The camera does a great job of focusing on him to let you see him doing all sorts of amusing behaviors. The developers really captured well how he scrambles through a tight doorway, jumps gracefully up to a high perch, or simply roots around in a puddle like a dog. I look forward to seeing more of this.
However, a game primarily about exploration has almost nothing interesting to explore. I am still early on but so far there is just the worn out ruins, which could be the worn out ruins in a dozen other games I have played. I wish there was some hint about the civilization and its people that could be found.
Status Mikros_Beethoven Dec 9, 2020
As a person that has strong bonds with its pets, I adore this game. It reconstructs a relationship with a creature of another species. It made me live again some of the strongest emotions I've ever felt for my pets. Which game can do that? I hold "The Last Guardian" very dear to me. I loved Trico. I loved him …
Read moreAs a person that has strong bonds with its pets, I adore this game. It reconstructs a relationship with a creature of another species. It made me live again some of the strongest emotions I've ever felt for my pets. Which game can do that? I hold "The Last Guardian" very dear to me. I loved Trico. I loved him with all my heart, I bonded with him as I rarely bond with fictional characters. And I loved him much more than the boy (my character) loved him. Which is something I can't forgive from him. Trico wasn't loved enough in the game.
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Status hafizrashidi Nov 19, 2018
Absolutely hated the basic controls of this game. But loved the other aspects of the game so much that i had to play it to the end. Trico is just amazing to watch and personally didn't find the AI too frustrating to deal with.
I seriously considered dropping this game in the first few hours but am glad i didn't. …
Absolutely hated the basic controls of this game. But loved the other aspects of the game so much that i had to play it to the end. Trico is just amazing to watch and personally didn't find the AI too frustrating to deal with.
I seriously considered dropping this game in the first few hours but am glad i didn't. Doesn't beat Shadow of Colossus as my fave Ueda game but thats not really the point i think.
Status BorisY Dec 18, 2017
I finished The Last Guardian yesterday. A truly outstanding experience. I don't think i've been so emotionally involved in a character / characters in 20-30 years of gaming. Fumito Ueda has woven some magic deep into this game, resulting in a game / story that far surpasses any flaw and criticism. I now just have to come to terms with …
I finished The Last Guardian yesterday. A truly outstanding experience. I don't think i've been so emotionally involved in a character / characters in 20-30 years of gaming. Fumito Ueda has woven some magic deep into this game, resulting in a game / story that far surpasses any flaw and criticism. I now just have to come to terms with the fact that it's finally over.
(I may have to console myself with the double vinyl release of the soundtrack, just to relive some of those moments! ).
Status BorisY Dec 14, 2017
I think I'm in the latter part of the game now. I would like to say that I absolutely love this game. I can see how they've taken concepts from ICO and really built on them (with hints of ideas from Shadow of the Colossus).
The game has it's critics and it's faults. It's not a technical masterpiece. It's quite …
I think I'm in the latter part of the game now. I would like to say that I absolutely love this game. I can see how they've taken concepts from ICO and really built on them (with hints of ideas from Shadow of the Colossus).
The game has it's critics and it's faults. It's not a technical masterpiece. It's quite linear and not that difficult. But I don't really care about any of that as I am completely immersed in this world and I love it. I feel like I'm an onlooker in some sort of amazingly old Japanese fable / tale, and I'm on the edge of my seat. The 8-10 minute cutscene which gave away some of the backstory was just "wow"!!!! And as for my bird-dog-cat-mouse thing Trico, I am living and breathing his every move.
...I don't know how this is going to end, but from my experience these games tend not to have Hollywood endings. I expect I'll find out soon.
Status BorisY Dec 4, 2017
So, having completed ICO and SOTC, I’m now taking on the Last Guardian.
2-3 hours in and I’m loving it. So the controls are bit so-so, the camera is still a bit of a pain, and there’s the distinct familiarity of “hmmm, haven’t I seen this before?”. But that’s part of the charm, I’m feeling very much at home in …
So, having completed ICO and SOTC, I’m now taking on the Last Guardian.
2-3 hours in and I’m loving it. So the controls are bit so-so, the camera is still a bit of a pain, and there’s the distinct familiarity of “hmmm, haven’t I seen this before?”. But that’s part of the charm, I’m feeling very much at home in this Team ICO world and I’ve seriously bonded with my oversized Bird-Dog-Cat-Mouse-Griffon thing.
God knows how they ever hoped to get this working on a PS3, no wonder the development was canned for 10 years, it barely runs on my PS4, but the scenery and environment are just stunning.
Status Please...callmeYork May 1, 2017
I only played Ico and SotC at the beginning of the year so they are still fresh in my memory. The Last Guardian lives up to, and often exceeds, the standard they set. It truly is a special game. I can't recommend it enough.