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Play Overview
The Last Guardian (2016) is a running, jumping and exploring adventure about a boy who befriends a giant half-bird, half-mammal creature, Trico. You work together to navigate the world, solve puzzles and reach new heights. Unusually, you have to build trust and friendship with a believable companion to cajole and nurture acceptance of your guidance.
You wake up in a ruined castle and discover an enormous, winged, cat-like creature. After removing the spears from its body and feeding it, you unchain the beast and a friendship begins. This builds on themes from previous games from the auteur-developer Fumito Ueda: Ico and Shadow of the Colossus.
From there, you explore a broken-down ancient world by climbing, running and solving environmental puzzles. You develop cooperation with your large, Trico. But you can't command the creature directly. Instead, you must develop a relationship with them so they accept your guidance.
The story is narrated from a retrospective perspective. As you progress you learn about your past and the importance of the creature. Caring for Trico is a big part of the experience. Petting, removing arrows and generally tending to your friend is engaging and affecting for players.
These parts add up to an unusual game in many ways. There is a floaty looseness to the mechanics that invite exploration and experimentation. This creates a unique world in which to journey with your living-breathing companion. Trico very much has their own will, which underlines the need for empathy, trust and dependency required to finish the game.
This is a story about therapeutic friendship. Trico has clearly survived mistreatment and abuse. Your presence is not only to cast off injury and physical chains but to walk with a creature learning to trust again. As Simon Parkin wrote in the Guardian, "This is a game, as much as anything, about rehabilitation through kindness and companionship. That story of therapeutic friendship and survival is told lightly in the dialogue. But it’s far more meaningfully told through the action, which shows an unspoken, healing bond forged in real-time by two underdogs together facing otherwise insurmountable odds."
Our examiner, Rich Adams, first checked The Last Guardian 4 years ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 3 weeks ago.
You wake up in a ruined castle and discover an enormous, winged, cat-like creature. After removing the spears from its body and feeding it, you unchain the beast and a friendship begins. This builds on themes from previous games from the auteur-developer Fumito Ueda: Ico and Shadow of the Colossus.
From there, you explore a broken-down ancient world by climbing, running and solving environmental puzzles. You develop cooperation with your large, Trico. But you can't command the creature directly. Instead, you must develop a relationship with them so they accept your guidance.
The story is narrated from a retrospective perspective. As you progress you learn about your past and the importance of the creature. Caring for Trico is a big part of the experience. Petting, removing arrows and generally tending to your friend is engaging and affecting for players.
These parts add up to an unusual game in many ways. There is a floaty looseness to the mechanics that invite exploration and experimentation. This creates a unique world in which to journey with your living-breathing companion. Trico very much has their own will, which underlines the need for empathy, trust and dependency required to finish the game.
This is a story about therapeutic friendship. Trico has clearly survived mistreatment and abuse. Your presence is not only to cast off injury and physical chains but to walk with a creature learning to trust again. As Simon Parkin wrote in the Guardian, "This is a game, as much as anything, about rehabilitation through kindness and companionship. That story of therapeutic friendship and survival is told lightly in the dialogue. But it’s far more meaningfully told through the action, which shows an unspoken, healing bond forged in real-time by two underdogs together facing otherwise insurmountable odds."
Our examiner, Rich Adams, first checked The Last Guardian 4 years ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 3 weeks ago.
Kids not old enough for this yet? There are lots of games similar to The Last Guardian. Here are some similar younger-rated games:
Play Style
Benefits
This game is good if you want to:
Age Ratings
Content Rating
This game also features frequent depictions of realistic violence of a minor nature towards human characters. The protagonist of the game is often knocked around by the creature, pushed into walls and hit. There is little to no reaction and rarely are they injured in the process.
Rated for younger players in Australia. Rated Parental Guidance (PG) for Mild Themes and Violence.
Skill Level
10+ year-olds usually have the required skill to enjoy this game. Still, it's important for parents and guardians to consider the maturity required to process the game content. You need the able to persevere when it appears you are at a dead end. Spotting the way forward often requires lateral thinking and trying out difficult jumps or interactions. You need to work with your creature friend and pay attention to their behaviour for tips of what to do next.
Costs
Game Details
Release Date: 28/10/2016
Out Now: PS4
Skill Rating: 10+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Adventure, Traversal (Action, Communication, Narrative, Platform and Simulation)
Accessibility: 0 features documented (Tweet Developer )
Components: 3D Third-Person
Developer: Sony Japan Studio (@SonyJapanStudio)
The Team Ico Franchise
The Last Guardian is part of the Team Ico franchise of games:
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