After several delays and stoppages, The Last Guardian finally seems to be coming to life after years of disappointing hiccups. A game everyone thought would never see the light of day has now been given an unconfirmed 2016 release.
Having being in development since 2007, the game was initially planned to be released in 2011 exclusively for the PlayStation 3.
Hardware complications pushed the game to be more suitable for the PlayStation 4 and the departure of key Team Ico developers from Sony (including the director Fumito Ueda) caused massive debilitation to the working process.
Who let the dogs out?! Eight years later…
A true development hell, Sony had to call in teams such as Santa Monica Studios and even Mark Cerny – the lead architect of the PlayStation 4 – to aid the comparatively underpowered Team Ico to help realize their dream.
The game seemed to be too ambitious for its time and platform and did not have the manpower to come to fruition. Despite a seemingly hopeless conception, the title was reintroduced at E3 this year.
A leap of faith: It’s been a long road.
Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide, proudly showed off the game he promised was now running at full speed on the PlayStation 4; saying that the rest was up to developers to complete.
Although Ueda left Sony, he remained committed to the project due to contractual obligations. Describing his departure due to a “sense of crisis within myself about a lot of things”, Ueda set up a new studio called GenDesign along with other former Team Ico members.
This new team would continue their obligatory completion of The Last Guardian.
Trico and the kid will form an unlikely friendship.
Despite this arduous saga, The Last Guardian has miraculously pulled through and fans have been assured the third epic in this incredible series.
Although only loosely linked, if you played ICO and Shadow of the Colossus you know what kind of emotional, streamlined gameplay is expected.
Like the previous two titles, The Last Guardian involves a progressive relationship, this time between a young boy and a griffin-like hybrid called Trico.
The game follows their hazardous adventure trying to escape a titanic castle.
Apparently the creature will start off hostile towards the boy, but the pair will warm up to each other as they are forced to work together to make it through platform-puzzle challenges and pursuing guards.
Disney ain’t got nothin’ on us.
The game will bring a new and refreshing experience for platform-puzzle/adventure fans. The ways that the boy and Trico will solve various complex puzzles will introduce an exhilarating new form of symbiotic gameplay.
You can be assured there will be much emotion felt for the pair, a relationship like something out of a Miyazaki film.
The boy will manipulate Trico to reach higher platforms and other actions requiring the size and strength of the big beast. Trico will also enjoy pouncing on guards and smashing whole cohorts into pieces.
Escape the gloomy castle together.
Fans have been speculating how the game will end for a while now. Going on the contents of ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, you can expect a lot of weeping.
Hopefully this one will have more of a cheerful ending, as the massive cat-bird-dog creation seems too loveable to lose.
Ueda responded to fan speculation by saying the game is “open-ended, and for you guys to figure out.” Hopefully this means multiple endings and a non-linear plot.
Either way, these guys know how to craft unique and emotionally-involving stories with masterful gameplay to boot. Stay tuned for this one.
More features to catch your fancy
Some of the biggest recent videogame controversies
Loading ...
There was not any development hell. The project was stopped some time in 2011 to port to PS4. That’s all. Ueda told this very clearly: not any technical limitation on PS3; decision to port to PS4 taken by the company (Sony) for commercial reasons. The game is probably ready and just waiting to be released in the correct time of the year. Also the last video shown at E3 was PS3.