The Last Guardian Critic Reviews

Fumito Ueda and his team confirms they did not lose their magic during the long and painful development of The Last Guardian. What we have here is an amazing video game with stunning characters and clever puzzles, a masterful piece of art that depicts one of the most touching stories ever told in this medium.

Because I was so emotionally invested in the game, I started to lose time while I was playing it. I don’t think it’s an overly long game, but I do think that its length will be wholly dependent on how good you are at understanding its logic and puzzles. It wouldn’t matter if it was over in an hour, though. The game is deep, meaningful, and powerful. It’s reflective, different, and beautiful. It may well end up being more divisive than Ueda’s previous masterpieces, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a masterpiece, from one of the industry’s true auteurs. Play this game. Even if you hate it, it’s going to broaden your horizons around what games are truly capable of.

The Last Guardian is Team ICO’s magnum opus. Everything they learned from the prior games in this semi-series has been put to use here and allowed them to craft their greatest adventure yet. Trico’s tale is one of sadness and joy, and something that everyone who enjoyed the team’s prior work should partake in as soon as possible. Newcomers will want to come in with an open mind for exploration and puzzle-solving, but if they do, they will be rewarded with the finest gaming experience yet on the PlayStation 4. Its sense of scale is unmatched and it features the best graphics yet on the console. Minor flaws do exist, but they don’t detract from the overall experience enough to make it anything less than a masterpiece.

In The Last Guardian, Fumito Ueda is showing us how to bang out another kind of tune that makes something else move, something perhaps higher. It feels momentous, a design breakthrough I wasn’t expecting, and an experience that seems more likely to stand the test of time than others we like to point to. It calls out some of what’s crass about this industry while showing us another way forward, the shape of things to come.

In its finished form, the game tells a story with uncompromising vision and engrossing emotional heft. The resulting experience comes off as delicately prepared, and the mythical nature of the game’s development only enhances the fantastical tale at its core. Imagining the missteps the game could have taken if released in an unpolished rush is easy, but bickering about the build-up to The Last Guardian’s release will be long outlived by its success as an emotionally evocative masterpiece in the annals of modern gaming.

When the journey comes to an end, you’ll find yourself in shock, emotionally-drained, and appreciative The Last Guardian stayed in development this long and still made it to release. The entire game’s pace is perfect. The difficulty and challenge is high, and completely reliant on how observant and explorative the player is. Every section of the game is stunningly gorgeous – a real work of art. The gameplay is pure perfection (aside for some clunky controls).

Here is an exquisite gem, the brightest in Ueda’s enviable clutch.

As with its predecessors, it has some issues with controls and performance, but these are easily outweighed by the astonishing grandeur of its scale and the lifelike connection with Trico. Like the bond that grows between you and the beast, the farther you get, the more memorable and dramatic it all becomes. The Last Guardian isn’t a perfect game, but it’s a mesmerizing adventure that we’ll never forget.

What a pleasure it is to find a video game with such warmth and fascination with companionship. And what a joy it is for it to be found in a game with such an elegant sense of exploration. Some of its technical quirks cannot be ignored -errant frame-rates and inept camerawork especially- and some may find Trico’s capriciousness anathema to seamless adventure. But that is also what makes him and The Last Guardian so remarkable. Things that any animal lover can relate to - it is beautiful, heartfelt, unique and infuriating. And I adore it.

We should all thank the corporate suits at Sony for not abandoning hope. The end result is a masterpiece.

It all adds up to a terrific relationship that’s further reinforced by a terrific story. It’s a tale too good to give away, with an tremendously worthwhile ending...This is a tremendously worthwhile game, of course, because of the relationship that demands to be experienced.

A magnificent, deeply personal tale of a boy and his monster. Smart, subversive and emotionally enriching, this is one of the most evocative games to grace PlayStation in the last decade. Clearly, you can't rush genius.

The Last guardian is indeed suffering from some technical and control input issues, but its warm, beautiful adventure filled with countless touching moments is something we’ll never forget for the rest of our lives. The Last Guardian is not just a game, it’s an absolute work of art.

The Last Guardian is not perfect, but those issues are nothing compared to its wonderful gameplay and its beautiful setting. This game and its soundtrack will live forever in the gaming world.

Even if it will likely not live up to nine years' worth of bottled-up expectations for everyone, The Last Guardian was honestly worth the wait for me, and I expect that most Fumito Ueda/Team Ico fans will agree. The journey is a special and unique one, and very much worth taking for any and all PS4 owners.

Too often pioneering in the games industry is based on technical achievements: bigger, faster, more polygons. But true magic begins behind the obvious – when the artistic vision starts taking shape in a virtual creation. Trico for me is the most fascinating creature in video game history. The Last Guardian is the counterpoint to the loud and hectic game design that tries to show off its bling on every corner.

When the book closes on their story, it's hard not to open it up again and begin anew. The trials you overcome endear you to both characters, but the emotions Trico elicits make you want to give it another chance--to be the patient, effective partner it truly deserves.

The Last Guardian is a blast from the past. From when Fumita Ueda marveled us with the relationship between Ico and Yorda, or the fights against the colossi. Trico is his new achievement and it lives up to his reputation. Some technical issues muddle the work, but at least it's one with a lot of heart.

The Last Guardian is a marvelous achievement in a number of ways. Its story is subtle, but beautiful. Its world is fascinating and mysterious. And Trico will go down as one of the best characters ever made for a video game. Players are in for a wonderful treat, but that quality comes at a cost. The game struggles to run well at times, and the controls can be a chore.

A moving adventure starring an extraordinary companion. Framerate issues intrude, but don't let them stop you from finishing this wonderful game.