The Last Guardian Still A Thing For PlayStation, Confirmed For 2016
Fumito Ueda's long-in-the-making game The Last Guardian is almost finally within reach as a new hands-on look at the title also confirms it will be releasing this year.
Can we ever truly trust it will be out in 2016? No. This beast of a game has been elusive for so long that even if it were in your hands you're likely dreaming Inception-style. Fan hearts have been wounded too many times so wait until you dare to believe again.
"Since this is the year we will see the game's release, I do have some worries, but I'm also very excited," Ueda-san told Edge magazine during a Q&A.
Some gameplay details have slipped and so we now know our little boy adventurer is apparently wielding a highly polished shield that acts as a mirror. This can be used to aim a crosshair onto any surface so our giant friend Trico can fire a freaking laser beam from her tail! Can your domesticated pet do that?
Naturally this type of mechanic will be used as part of solving environment puzzles, but it wasn't revealed whether its a way to deal with the previously revealed armoured enemies that skulk about.
The Trico In The Room
Our griffin-like companion Trico is apparently quite the free-spirit and it's something that has Fumito Ueda and his team a little worried as there's a fine line between being charmed or being irritated. Trico is prone to doing what she wants and not always following player directions.
This is done on purpose though as Ueda-san wants us to bond with Trico and as she and the boy get closer she'll start taking directions a lot better.
"It would be a lie to stay that I have no worries but another game where you can completely control a creature wouldn't be enjoyable for me because there are a lot out there where you can do that. I think I've had enough of them," said Fumito Ueda.
Trico will also reveal more of her current mood through the colour of her eyes with pink tinges signifying there's a wariness and anger in her. While she may be a powerful creature she does have some timid moments, like being reluctant to embrace water like the boy.
"This creature isn't like the cute pets that exist in other games, or an ally that's really useful. The role of the creature is ambiguous; that's something we wanted to express in the game, and it doesn't always do what you ask it to do," explained Ueda-san.
"That's one of the themes of The Last Guardian. It's something that's difficult, and completely different. I want to create the next thing - an experience that people have never had before."
"The amount of code is very large compared to AI in conventional games. We've given this creature its own desires, so depending on what action it wants to take, that affects everything, including its animation. It's not like a normal humanoid character."
The legendary game designer - creator of cult classics such as Ico and Shadow of the Colossus - admits it has been difficult but that all his games have taken a long time to finish.
"It was quite difficult for me to keep my motivation up. But my other games have also had long development periods, so in that sense, I think I've been able to keep my motivation quite high," he added. Many thought the project had quietly died but it was reintroduced at E3 2015 with a fresh trailer.
Let's hope E3 2016 can finally shed real light on The Last Guardian, which runs June 14-16.
