Too much has already been said about the number of games released this year that have had prolonged periods of development. The Witness arrived early to deserved acclaim after eight years of development. Though I am not far into it, Final Fantasy XV seems to be a positive direction for the series after ten years of poor management and four years of actual development. Lastly, The Last Guardian has seen its way out of development hell to be released at the tail end of the year, to the point where its discussion may end up getting drowned out by the usual rigamarole. A bit of a shame, as it is by far one of the year’s best. And for 2016, a relatively good year for games, that’s saying something.
In any of my writings, I have never professed my love for Shadow of the Colossus. To this day I still claim it to be my favorite game, an unforgettable experience that I hope to never let go. A decade has passed since its release and it remains wholly unique, a work so ingenious and special that no one else has even bothered to try and replicate it. There’s not much blame to be had there. Even with that game’s numerous faults, a more mechanically or technically perfect version of that game would give it the processed feel. Purists will be right to disagree with me, but Shadow of the Colossus is the perfect example of how a great game can overcome technical deficiencies.
The above is a point worth making, as many of the criticisms levied against the previous games in the series are alive and present here. The Last Guardian does not run well: frame pacing issues and variable frame rates are consistent throughout the game. The Last Guardian‘s main conceit can be sometimes unruly and even frustrating. There is some value to claims that its gameplay is dated. The replay value is almost entirely predicated on enjoying these admittedly flawed aspects. Some of the less hands-on set pieces feel as though they play themselves. But what is there shows that Ueda is still unmatched in ever-proliferating number of games featuring a tag along character as part of its driving gameplay element.
Awakening next to a giant bird thing called Trico, a young boy finds himself trapped in a valley surrounded by sheer cliffs on all sides. Befriending the giant beast in short order, the boy begins to search for a way out. The two soon build a mutually beneficial relationship in a much more natural manner than was achieved in Ico, the game this most closely resembles. Whereas the mute princess Yorda from Ico was no doubt necessary for progress and a friend of Ico, her use in gameplay functioned as little more than key for many doors and as someone to rescue during the game’s combat sequences. By comparison, Trico feels necessary for quite a bit more, from crossing large distances to being the active participant and defender during fights.
One of the key elements of Shadow of the Colossus‘ success was due in part to the tremendous amount of detail paid to size and scale. The Last Guardian succeeds in this just as aptly, granting a real weight and presence to Trico, who comes in about the size of a house. The leftover ruins in the valley the game takes place in accommodate the boy and Trico while both requiring that each help each other to progress. Much like Ico, the ruins serve as little more than a series of puzzle rooms, solved by having Trico or the boy clear whatever obstacle the other is otherwise incapable of overcoming. To do this requires direct communication with Trico, which is the element of the game most difficult to reconcile. In taking on a life of his own, Trico simultaneously becomes the most evocative and the most frustrating NPC in all of video games. Its penchant for feeling like a living, breathing entity is at direct odds with its ability to function as a tool in a video game. To put bluntly, Trico operates at his own pace. Any instructions given to him will often be treated as a vague suggestion and in a game where specific actions are required on its behalf, this can make for more aggravation than satisfaction.
It is the price that has to be paid for the game to work as well as it does, but it does mean that many will be unable to persevere through some of the more intricate puzzles. Whether the game’s physics refuse to let a Trico’s tail dangle where it needs to or for it to perform the simple jump required to progress, Trico will be the most common obstacle in game. Not the only obstacle, as the ruins are littered with animated suits of armor, which will grab the boy and attempt to drag him away, leaving Trico to deal with them physically. Its an interesting dynamic reversal of Ico, as the player is mostly helpless against other NPCs and is entirely reliant on Trico to make it through these encounters.
If there is anything to be said against the game in terms of its gameplay, besides the seemingly heavy controls that any who have played a Team Ico game before will be familiar with, is that it is not always clear what exactly has to be done in each room and that each of the gameplay elements introduce may overstay their welcome just a bit too much. Team Ico games have always been minimal in their controls, but this time around the game may be a tad bit too long for its own good or the variation on environmental interaction may be too stagnant. This also means some of its ideas are a tad bit underdeveloped, like a water area that feels shorter than the rest of the game, though this may be due in part to the controls feeling even messier here.
Negativity surrounding The Last Guardian may win out in writing, in part because of the game’s prolonged development schedule and subsequent expectations or because it serves as a follow-up to my favorite game, but while this may be the most uneven of Team Ico’s outings, it is still a smashing success where it matters most. The core relationship, a centerpiece of all Team Ico’s titles, may be more fully realized and developed than the other games. The story may be the most blatantly told of them all, but its emotional peaks are resonant and powerful, helping to mask deficiencies in other areas. The game may not run well, but Trico’s AI may justify it, giving less of an impression of a video game character and more a real, complex being. It may just be the fact that once again, Team Ico has found a way to make very little go a very long way, not only in an emotional sense but also in evoking a pure sense of wonder and imagination that makes the game feel entirely out of place and time.
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