The Last Guardian – Hypertext

Fumito, and like the rest of the games of Team ICO, plays to tell stories through the gameplay, telling what is right and necessary to put the motion the imagination of the player. Here we have a sort of narrator (which obviaré to say anything more to not reveal part of the plot) that goes giving us hints of what is going on, but like the rest of the titles of the japanese director, the interesting thing, as if it were a book, it is to be the player the that a the connections of that fantastic world in your mind.

As I said at the beginning, The Last Guardian is a journey forward, towards freedom. The game puts us, taking control of the boy, in the middle of some ruins, a sort of prison, along with a beast eats men, Trico. We don’t know how we got there, nor how to go out. Will be, the hand of the friend most unlikely of all, a beast eats men, with who we will embark on the road to that freedom. A path that will start in the mutual need even the friendship more than real between the beast and the boy. Between the game and us, the players.

This is especially relevant in the first stage of the game. The control is archaic (very japanese, and a configuration of the controls is totally different than what the general public is accustomed to in the west). Our relationship with Trico is, at first, extremely confusing: it is not the case, and your artificial intelligence makes him behave like an animal suspicious. It is one of the wonders of the game: see how dynamically this relationship will be strengthened and our form of play is changing, turning to Trico in the pillar of the way we resolve the puzzles to continue moving forward.

Because the story is structured so that we, as a player, go to grow as grows the relationship between Trico and the boy. the And is a fundamental pillar in the narrative. Have initial moments of the heartbreaking and very challenging, as the initial relationship with any real animal, but ends up being tremendously rewarding. There is a very important point in the development of character of Trico: is animal, tired, and on more than one occasion it has been put to sleep in the middle of a puzzle, leaving you a little lost, but with the open mouth each time.

Trico, it also feels fear. A sort of hieroglyphic with the shape of an eye are scattered throughout the prison prevent you from moving forward, marking the start of a new puzzle. A mirror in the shape of a shield allows you to put in motion his power. Your concern for us makes him take risks, to fight, to save us from a horde of enemies by jumping at the vacuum. Is a character who has so much without saying a single word, and that is a brutal in the game.

let’s Talk about gameplay: here there is no indications, just intuition. We as a player we will have to discover the way, though when we are stuck, Trico give you some clues through their behavior, will point to areas in question, will make noises, or simply look to the place. It has some puzzles initial, for the little symbiosis momentary between the two, is make it a little complicated but, in general terms, the greatest difficulty, removing puzzles point, what we have had with the control.

it Is a personal issue, I guess, but the control scheme, until you really get used to it (and spend time) complicates the game more than necessary, but it is a but easily salvageable. On the other hand, I have found a variety of puzzles below what is expected. The scheme that follows The The Guardian is the following: new area, new puzzles, move, mini-kinematic (rare), and return to start. In the middle, a few strokes of storytelling and the player’s imagination doing the rest.

The way of solving puzzles is new every time, really pose a challenge when Trico plays a pivotal role, and its resolution is extremely pleasant, but for the player less used can be found in the first third of the game a barrier complicated if not just connect with history.

a Large part of the world that shows The Last Guardian is a world empty, without life. An echo of something that really was a spectacular site. The magic of Fumito has been to convert this desolate world in ruins on a show for the view. the landscapes (all of them) are precious, and are worked with great care, like the music that accompanies the game.

Although in general it is a work of incredibly elaborate, with time epic and emotional, there are some issues that hinder the game. We have met on several occasions with falls brutal of the framerate, especially in exterior spaces. Something important to keep in mind, since we have played with a PS4 Pro, both without as with HDR, and the result is that in spaces with a lot of vegetation, for example, or with many elements and illuminations, the rate of FPS drop to levels ridiculous, affecting gameplay, as you jump, or rotate the camera, for example.

thankfully are specific moments and easily salvageable with a patch that improves the performance of the game, but yes that is something representative, taking into account that it is not a game that graphically leave you with your mouth open, since The Last Guardian plays with the colors, the ambience, the music and the sets more than with big ambitions in textures and resolution.

Be that as it may, The Last Guardian is a title outstanding that knows how to tell stories with the gameplay to unleash feelings and emotions in the player. The mark of the house is still intact in his latest title, which is one of the best of Team ICO. The staging, the same with which is taken care of every detail of the game and its peculiar narrative are a breath of fresh air (despite being something already known) to this 2016 packed with adventures games and generic FPS in first person.

The unique buts that we can get to The Last Guardian are the falls brutal performance easily rectifiable and the control system of the game, but for the rest, and by removing some of the dynamic, repetitive, is one of the best titles that have come to the desktop of Sony in the last few years, and that since then each has to discover for himself.

it Has been worth the wait. No doubt.