Test: The Last Guardian – The masterpiece flawed – The Official blog of Julien Tellouck (Blog)

It was in 2011. Two years after its formalization, The Last Guardian was pushed back to an undetermined date. What looked like a descent to hell was in fact the beginning of a resurrection. Too cramped on the PlayStation 3, The Last Guardian would finally switch a few months later on PS4 so that they can fully realize the vision of Fumito Ueda. And almost a decade after the beginning of its development, thanks to the determination of Japan Studio and its talented creator, The Last Guardian is finally here, ready to fulfill his destiny: to be one of the games most memorable of his generation, if not more.

The Last Guardian starts with a rude awakening for this little boy as tall as three apples. At his side, terribly weakened, Trico, lying on the floor, a chain around the neck. the Trico is an immense creature, man-eater, a kind of chimera with the body of a cat covered in feathers with a beak as snout and sharp claws at the end of the legs. The objective during the first few seconds is to help Trico, then get out of this cave. It is then that will give birth to an incredible relationship between this little guy who has no name and this gigantic monster. Each needs the other to progress within this huge fortress of stone, and each watches over the other in its own way. the Trico is an animal, powerful and agile, useful to reach of the passages raised or get rid of the mysterious knights in armor. The small boy takes advantage of his size to sneak around and unlock mechanisms. But it also protects a gainst Trico in its own way, reassuring, calming.

The simplest way to describe The Last Guardian would be to evoke a cross between Shadow Of The Colossus and Ico, with the exception that the beautiful has been replaced by the beast. The whole adventure takes the form of a platform game where you must jump, grab, explore, climb. But it is mostly a puzzle game where each piece is a sort of puzzle where it requires to succeed in finding an exit door, both for the boy and Trico. Everything is in the end very logical, even if some passages can give a hard time. The visual indications are very light and the game has the intelligence not to suggest any vision of detective. It draws a line on all the modern elements of design: no minimap, no XP points to each action, no skill tree. . . The Last Guardian looking simplicity with a button to jump, a to grab objects, another for down, and one to give orders to Trico.

the progress of The game can seem classic. After all, we only pass from room to room by opening portals or via hidden paths. But in spite of simple mechanical, the title of Japan Studio manages to never be repetitive, both in terms of its places and of its puzzles. The Last Guardian is a brilliant game, as much by his genius as by his story that manages to combine moments intimate with passages of poignant, intense, dramatic, poignant, or heartbreaking. The last work of Fumito Ueda is a accuracy incredible.

The relationship between Trico and this little boy is of course the big strong point of this The Last Guardian that manages to create a real empathy for his characters. This is in part related to the immense work done on the animations that are of a fluidity. The rendering of Trico is sublime. His slightest gestures, her slightest gestures, her slightest reactions. . . It all seems incredibly natural and true. This huge creature is also of a rare elegance when she moves or jumps up. The Last Guardian also knows how to take advantage of its artistic direction is unassailable, its original soundtrack fascinating or of some landscapes of a beauty without a name —especially those bathed in a divine light— to create a unique atmosphere. The game of Japan Studio remains uneven from a technical point of view during the dozen hours required to complete this fabulous epic.

We will pass on the textures sometimes a bit fuzzy, but rather talk about the problems of collisions, a few bugs or this framerate that, too many times, dropped sharply. Has this, one can also add a Trico that is by the time indomitable, the gameplay is sometimes a little vague or worry about cameras that make the final a part of the experience annoying and frustrating. And yet. . . Despite its share of imperfections, The Last Guardian remains a wonderful tale, as bewitching, remarkable, intelligent, and of a breathtaking beauty.

The Last Guardian is developed by GenDesign and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Game available on December 7 on the PlayStation 4. Version tested on a PlayStation 4 classic. PEGI 12.