You guys, I’ve had opportunities to play The Last Guardian, and I passed them up. Yep, you read right. This game that so many people are counting down to — this game that we’ve been anticipating for a decade — got itself turned down by this gamer right here. At the Tokyo Game Show, I did not pursue a chance to play TLG‘s demo, because it will be a special game, and I want to go in as fresh as possible. I don’t want to already know that Trico dies in a gunfight with Moon Men — whoops, sorry.
Alex submits that I didn’t do my duty, but I submit that Alex is a doodie head.
I played The Last Guardian director Fumito Ueda’s ICO in 2001 after I returned some anime DVD for not having enough panty shots. The store didn’t allow refunds, only exchanges, so I just grabbed the first game I saw, knowing nothing and caring even less. I got home and was blown away by this dark world, this tutorial-free puzzle play that treated me like I wasn’t a total idiot, and the story, which somehow intrigued me though half the dialog was gibberish. Save points were couches. This was no ordinary game.
Going in completely blind helped me, so with The Last Guardian reviews and release date coming so soon, I don’t want to know about any more about Quadco and Pentco’s revenge plot than I already do.
In fact, when I look back on some of my favorite games of all time, I notice a pattern: I began knowing almost nothing about them. Skies of Arcadia, Metal Gear Solid, Journey, most Final Fantasy games, The Last of Us, Ni no Kuni, Child of Light, Undertale, Nier, Yakuza 0… I knew nothing like that Snowy John guy. Despite being tied to games media well over a decade, I allowed myself only the smallest taste of these before playing.
![Did you already know what he was going to say here? I didn't, and I'm glad.](https://playstationlifestyle.preprod.vip.gnmedia.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/12/last-of-us-spoiler-moment.jpg)
Sometimes this can bite me in the ass, like the one and only time I woke up at dawn to camp outside a game store. It was for Metal Gear Solid 2. If I had known that you spend 90% of your time as the guy from Titanic, I probably would have waited for a price drop. But in general, the less I know, the more I’ve ended up enjoying the game.
On the whole, though? I find myself turning off trailers and declining to read p/reviews of games I haven’t played, but know I might. I’ve occasionally gone back and watched trailers of games or movies and found myself astounded at what they gave away beforehand.
It’s impossible to avoid everything, but in general, the less I know beforehand, the better time I have. In The Last Guardian, when the boy has to decide between keeping his pet Trico or selling him to raise money to preserve the town’s precious library of vampire smut, I want to be a part of the struggle as it unfolds, not sit looking at my watch wondering when it’s coming.
![And if this is the vampire, I know which path I'm choosing.](https://playstationlifestyle.preprod.vip.gnmedia.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/12/symmetra-mai-waifu-potg4.jpg)
Some people will be different. And, in many cases, goofy California psychologists are finding that readers report (on average) higher enjoyment of a book when they’ve had spoiled for them. We’re all different, however, and I find my boat not often floating with that.
In professor Nicholas Christenfeld’s explanation, he cites the fact that people often enjoy movies the second time as evidence. There’s merit to this, for sure, but what about the power of finding out the first time? Let’s stick to one of his examples about The Usual Suspects. I remember my reaction being a lot like that of the police officer’s — I may well have dropped the drink right from my hand.
When the dog bird makes a decorative hairpiece of the boy’s rib cage, I want it to be a bittersweet tug on my heartstrings, not a repeat of something that happened to me in a demo.
![Open worlds can indeed be pretty awesome.](https://playstationlifestyle.preprod.vip.gnmedia.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2015/02/shadow-of-the-colossus-open-world.jpg)
There’s value to seeing a story play out when you know what will happen, but there’s as much value in seeing it when you have no idea. The difference is, you’ve only got one shot at the latter.
If I see a movie (or play an amazing game) and enjoy it the second time, it’s not necessarily because I know what’s going to happen, but there’s a revisiting of those pleasant memories. With older works, you might call it nostalgia. If I’m on my third or fourth time through, I’m enjoying seeing it all unfold masterfully, not just because I know the ending, but because I can recollect those feelings I had the first time. Have you never wished you could blank your memory and play your favorite game for the first time, again?
I’ll give Christenfeld this, though: when I’ve already seen and hated a movie, I definitely hate it more the second time.
While we might already know from trailers that Trico builds the lad’s body into part of a giant nest and later paints over the entire nest except for that smiling face, it’s important for me to not expect any of the twists and turns in the middle.
![the-last-guardian-screenshot](https://playstationlifestyle.preprod.vip.gnmedia.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2016/11/the-last-guardian-screenshot.jpg)
Many blog and news readers definitely feel the same way, and I salute them. I see various comment sections constantly filled with posts by people who did not read the article sitting above, and I think, “Good on ya, mate.”
Obviously the big dog bird Trico is, near the ending, going to die. And obviously, it’ll be after a grueling struggle against pineapple allergies. Here, the thing is, I want to see that struggle play out; as someone who can only handle a certain amount of pineapple myself, it’s only natural that each step of this battle will be an emotional moment for me. I don’t want to already know what’s coming.
What I’m trying to say is please stop reading this Plays Station Living Center website or whatever it’s called. I’ve never read the name. That’s how fresh I’m keeping it over here.
The Last Guardian Info Dump
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The Last Guardian - Everything You Need to Know
Ready to tame the elusive, mythical beast?
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What is The Last Guardian?
Good question.
It’s the third action-adventure game to emerge from Team Ico and one that has spent almost a decade languishing in development. Thought to be sentenced to limbo in perpetuity, it’s well known that The Last Guardian endured a tortured production, during which time Game Designer Fumito Ueda left Ico to work on the gestating project in a freelance capacity.
It was only when Sony re-revealed The Last Guardian at E3 2015 that the pieces started to fall into place, and we’re now mere days from release.
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Introducing Trico, Your New Bestie
Part Yorda, part Agro, Trico is a griffin-like creature that combines the characteristics and appearance of a cat, bird and dog. Its a quite, gentle beast, but you'll have to earn its trust first before setting off on your adventure.
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Prolonged Development Cycle
For the longest time, The Last Guardian was the stuff or legend, right up there with FFXV and even the fabled Half-Life 3.
Reflecting on the twists and turns, Ueda noted that The Last Guardian wasn't always in active development, as many suspected.
"We weren’t always in active development so it’s really difficult to provide an accurate number in terms of the development period, but one thing I can say is that we thought that it was going to be shorter, or we thought that Ico and Shadow of the Colossus took a long time to develop, so one of of the missions of The Last Guardian was that we wanted to create something good in a short period of time, so the fact that it took a long time to develop was completely unexpected for me."
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The Stuff of Legend
You and I aren’t the only ones excited by The Last Guardian’s launch. Here, developers from Naughty Dog, Guerilla Games and more share their hopes for Team Ico’s imminent release.
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Sony Almost Pulled the Plug
During the throes of development, The Last Guardian flirted with cancellation numerous times, to the point that Sony almost pulled the plug.
When asked if Sony would have canned The Last Guardian after all this time, Shuhei Yoshida replied: "If everyone stopped asking about it, probably we would have."
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So, What’s the Story?
That's a question we can't answer -- not really. Ueda first drafted up ideas for the game in 2005, before it entered development under the name of Project Trico two years later.
Even after the first reveal at E3 2009, production proved sluggish, with developers reportedly struggling to meet Ueda's initial vision. Right around the time that development appeared to reach a standstill, Sony was beginning work on the PS4. Some months later it was decided that Team Ico's third outing would be repackaged for PlayStation 4, and the rest is history.
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But What’s the ACTUAL Story?
Oh, you mean The Last Guardian itself?
Told as a flashback, the game's official logline reveals:
"When a young boy meets a colossal, mysterious creature named Trico, the pair form a deep, unbreakable bond that will help them survive amongst the crumbling ruins and malevolent dangers that surround them. By working together, the unlikely pair must communicate with one another to overcome tremendous obstacles and uncover the secrets of their beautiful fantasy world – and ultimately survive their touching and emotionally charged journey."
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Technical Limitations Drove Trico to PS4
According to Shuhei Yoshida, The Last Guardian officially became a PS4 title in 2012.
Much of that came down to the technical limitations of the PS3, with Yoshida-san stating,
"So, that’s the decision that we made some time in 2012, and after that, the team went back to the drawing board in terms of the tech, because the architecture is so different. … But since last year … the game’s playable. So, the team is very excited now. And working very hard."
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Project Trico Runs Deep With PSLS
Project Trico has a history with us, and its triumphant re-reveal prompted PSLS' founding father Anthony Severino to pen a candid open letter.
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The Last Guardian Lives
Naysayers be damned, E3 2015 ushered The Last Guardian back on stage and in one fell swoop, the game once written off as vaporware was slated for 2016.
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Not a Guaranteed Slam-Dunk
When asked about the potential success of The Last Guardian, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe President and CEO Jim Ryan remained coy, stating:
"We obviously believe that they’re gonna be a success. But the one where the most uncertainty is, is The Last Guardian.
Well, not in terms of the quality of the game. I don’t have any qualms about that. But my organisation did not perform particularly well with either Ico or Shadow Of The Colossus. I have berated them for this, and said, ‘We have to do better with this game’. And we’ll certainly give it our very best shot. So I’m saying, the other two games [Final Fantasy VII and Shenmue]… there’s a history of successful and profitable publishing. There isn’t that in the third case and I need to change that." -
Download Size & Install Size
Team Ico has confirmed that The Last Guardian physical version will occupy 15GB. As for digital, the PlayStation Store has updated to reveal that it’s an 11.9GB download in North America and 12GB download in Europe.
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PS4 Pro Support Confirmed
You can officially add The Last Guardian to the list of games compatible with Sony's PS4 Pro.
Support will be added support through a game update, and The Last Guardian will upscale to 4K and bring “minor performance improvements” on PS4 Pro.
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Extended Gameplay Demo
Curious to see Trico in action? Look no further than this extended, 20-minute gameplay demo.
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CG Trailer
More footage! This time, it's a CG trailer accompanied with further details on the core premise.
“When a young boy meets a colossal, mysterious creature named Trico, the pair form a deep, unbreakable bond that will help them survive amongst the crumbling ruins and malevolent dangers that surround them”
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Rated T for Teen
It's official: The Last Guardian has been rated T for Teen.
Here's the ESRB listing:
“This is an action-adventure game in which players control a young boy as he explores ruins and solves puzzles with his giant animal companion (Trico). Players can command Trico to zap blocked passages or strike enemies with a lightning attack that shoots from its tail. Enemies in suits of armor generally break into pieces when defeated; though soldiers sometimes emit blood-like flashes or red symbols when injured. In some levels, the player’s character can rip the helmets off enemy characters, though no gore is shown. Cutscenes also depict acts of violence and occasional blood: Trico attacked by spears or swords; Trico bleeding from wounds.”
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Two Collector’s Editions
Join Sid Shuman and a rather excited Shuhei Yoshida, President of Worldwide Studios, as they unbox the game's NA Collector's Edition.
Those in Europe can find an unboxing of their TLG premium package here, via PlayStation Access.
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Official Soundtrack
The Last Guardian soundtrack will be released via vinyl and a downloadable app known as the Composer’s Choice music app.
More info:
"We’re happy to announce that a The Last Guardian Composer’s Choice PS4 Music App of the score featuring 19 tracks will be available separately at launch via the PlayStation Store. The soundtrack app supports both stereo and surround playback, and also allows users to export all the tracks as stereo MP3 files via a compatible USB drive. The soundtrack will also be available via iTunes at a later date."
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Hands-On Impressions
Back at E3, PSLS had the chance to go hands-on with an early build of The Last Guardian, when Jowi Meli walked away overly impressed. In his preview, he wrote that, “there’s enough both new and reminiscent of Ueda’s past works to make me think Sony might have something truly special on their hands.”
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Review Embargo
Expect the first wave of reviews to begin pouring online on Monday, December 5. Our own Chandler Wood will be taking point for PSLS.