The Last Guardian

It seems like we've been waiting an eternity for The Last Guardian, and at this E3 not only was the PS4 title's release date of October 25 announced, but we got to play the game's first 30 minutes. It's the beginning of the title as well as a special friendship.

Note: I'm going to talk about the game's beginning, but this isn't a moment-by-moment account. However, if you want to know absolutely nothing about the game, then stop reading now.

In the world of The Last Guardian, the Trico is a beast of legend. A feared creature with horns and impressive size. When the boy wakes up next to the creature, shackled and bleeding, its horns cut, he is terrified.

As well he should be. Apart from its reputation, the Trico is a formidable presence in the game. In the interior environments it fills rooms and you want to watch its every movement. Sometimes it barely fits through an opening, other times it nimbly follows the boy on steep and narrow paths. Outside (which we've seen in last year's trailer, too) the beast moves with the spirit of a freed animal. It paces, scratches it feathers, and seems to have a mind of its own. It squeaks, growls, and bellows with a mighty gust. The color of its eyes appear to reflect its mood, sometimes changing wildly.

The boy's relationship with the Trico isn't an instant friendship. Once the animal is freed and fed it starts to warm up to the boy, and this opens up different interactions between the two such as the boy calling for the Trico, feeding it to spur it on, or climbing on it to reach new places. It will be interesting to see what other actions will occur between the two as the game progresses and how it influences the world.

Because the Trico isn't a servant or something you directly control, a natural symbiotic bond is created. At first you need each other to escape the dungeon, and then you find a friend you don't want to be without.

So far the boy himself has a few simple commands. Apart from the interactions with the Trico, he can jump, climb on ledges, and pick up or push objects. The game uses the L1 to do multiple tasks, and the controls took a little getting used to (triangle is jump, for example). However, it didn't get in the way of navigating the environment or enjoying the title. Similarly, occasionally the boy felt a little loose when running around the environment or had trouble grabbing onto the Trico, but these were minor issues.

In my relatively short time with the game, I'm already endeared to the animal, and look forward to what is sure to be a deepening connection.