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The Last Guardian early copy impressions thread

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
I took notes as I played...I guess I played about 4 hours or so? I played up until just after the part they showed at E3 2015, which, by the way, is really quite fun in the game. And, as you know, I'm pro. Anyway, there is a lot going on here that Ueda and team are doing and I didn't want to forget any of it.

First, technicals for people who want it: the game itself is seriously stunningly beautiful. The indoor areas are full of richly detailed textures and great lighting effects. On the Pro, IQ is absolutely pristine. HDR really helps sell the package and really helps sell the ethereal nature of the game. The sun glistening off blades of grass is a beautiful effect. Performance is fine but I think leaves something to be desired. It's not noticeably chuggy in any particular area, but it can feel sluggish in certain scenes (I can't find any commonality between them). The animation is out of this world. I don't think I need to elaborate. The Last Guardian is absolutely drop-dead shockingly beautiful and anyone who says otherwise is a troll.

The game immediately establishes not only the size and scale of Trico but the fragility of the boy. In the very first scene, Boy (I'll call him Boy) yanks a spear out of Trico. Trico kicks and hems and haws and knocks Boy into the wall, which knocks him out cold. The game absolutely sells at every opportunity the dichotomy between the two, which makes this a real role reversal from ICO. The player is the vulnerable one and the player is the one that is useless in combat. Combat is actually taken away from the player entirely (at least so far) and the player relies on Trico for support. And Trico does not screw around! Combat is not frustrating like ICO for this reason. There are also some neat role reversals from SotC. For example, the player completes the "reverse" action on Trico in this game with the spear pulls. Whereas previously you'd be climbing all over big monsters and stabbing them, now you are climbing all over a big monster and trying to help with stab wounds. There are lots of little things that animate similarly to Ueda's old games and remind me of them.

The game frames early puzzles for players through Man's narration. If you get lost, for example, Man will chime in describing the situation and telling players what the issue was or what he did. I think this is a really effective way of helping stuck players and I haven't seen this in another game. The game will say something like, "The beast immediately became pissed off, and I searched for a way to soothe him," or something like that, which gives you the hint.

The controls feel fine. They're almost exactly like they were in SotC, with real "weight" to them and definite acceleration and deceleration periods. I don't expect anyone to have a problem with them, though the camera is more frustrating. I played for a couple of hours at the default speed; I recommend immediately turning it up until you are comfortable. It makes the game feel considerably snappier and solves a lot of issues. Fundamentally the challenge the game is dealing with is not just small rooms + big beast but that the camera is working to cinematically frame both characters to the best of its ability in a way that maintains the scale differential. Often this means Trico's head will be out of the frame. This is unsettling to players so we're constantly fudging with the stick. The camera has a definite acceleration as well so you're going to overcompensate if you start fuddling with it. I'm sort of getting used to just leaving it be and it does a fine job.

The weight of the boy feels realistic but creates awkward animation situations sometimes. His butt ends up over his head catching ledges while falling, for example. It's not a big deal but it certainly does look funny.

I took hundreds of screenshots while playing, which I have never done before. Trico will make you love him; pet lovers will be done in instantly while non-pet people will have their attention earned. Every time I look at Trico I see my Boston Terrier Max. Here is my little Last Guardian:

FbwpNTM.jpg

Maybe it is his ears? Anyway, to call Trico lifelike is to undersell Trico's animation. He's not lifelike, he's...likeexactlylike. The way he navigates small spaces, claws at things he wants to eat, the way his ears react in the wind, the way he vocalizes and draws attention, and just the way he looks at you...it is an out of body experience to play this game if you have a pet. Max himself seemed fascinated by the game and sat on the ground watching Trico on screen.

The first time Trico comes to your rescue, you will just have your heart melt. Regardless of what you think of the game, the level at which Ueda and team have executed on their goal to build a lifelike animal creature is truly something special.

The satisfaction of "training" Trico is akin to getting a new dog or puppy to do a trick for the first time. Early in the game you get the ability to issue "commands" to Trico. They are basic and unidentified by the game. You can figure out they include jump, look, smash, etc. The first time you mount Trico and say "jump!" and he does, you will feel a rush of emotion as you can feel the bond between your characters forming. Or at least I did. Trico can't speak, and really neither can Boy since Trico can't understand him, but they don't need to. Trico doesn't call Boy and ask him if he wants to go look at some titties or tell him hoo-rah or say stay frosty, but the communication between these two is strong.

The game has a real Dark Souls vibe in terms of being able to "see" the upcoming game environments as you play earlier ones. For example, you can see the demo environment as you cross through the levels "underneath" it, which is a nice touch. The game itself has a real sense of place just like the two worlds Ueda and team built before this one. Logically things flow together and logistically you can believe that things connect to other things. Critically, puzzles are extremely organic and do not feel overwrought or "puzzley." They are satisfying and the game doles them out in well paced chunks. By the time you actually start really platforming through puzzle levels with Trico, you feel like you have earned it. And it really is fun to watch Trico jump from pillar to pillar...as you hold your breath and hope he makes it OK.

Animal logic works with him. He's self sufficient mostly, so you shouldn't spend time trying to micromanage him. In fact, I was surprised often by how he was able to follow me through small areas and into places I thought I'd have to ride him or tell him how to maneuver through. Perhaps this is one area players will be frustrated by him. If you need his attention, food really works! In fact, food seems to be one of his utmost priorities at all times. There is one very neat puzzle where you need to get him to stop doing something and get him to do something else. Guess what works! Food.

I have not found it to be the case that I had to be in a particular spot or have Trico be in a particular spot in order to progress through a level. If you've explored a room entirely and get stuck, I have found that watching and listening to Trico usually gives it away. You can also mount him and give him commands to effectively steer him to where you need to go. I really haven't found him very frustrating.

Trico's tail magic reminds me a LOT of Yorda's lightning.

The subtitle font is absolutely gorgeous. Wonderful kerning. Bold. Clear. Huge.

Anyway I think I want to go play more.
 

HStallion

Now what's the next step in your master plan?
Wow Y2Kev talking about playing The Last Guardian. The times, they are a changing.
 
I was tempted to order the first press version off of Amazon, but I was a bit confused by the difference between the 6000 yen version and the 7400 yen version. If I'm understanding right, the 7400 yen version just also has a wallpaper for PC? It's nice to see the game sitting at No.6 on the best seller list, too.

ETA: Holy shit, Y2Kev impressions! Thank you for sharing, it was a great read.
 
What a GAF moment. Kev playing TLG. Happy for you man, but I don't have the game yet! I'm just as big fan as you. 3 more days.
 
Nice, Kev. Thanks.

Question: Looking to finally start playing games "with" my three year old duaghter - in other words, I play and she watches. Is TLG good for that? No really dark, violent scenes or anything?
 

silva1991

Member
Nice impressions my Lord Y2Kev! and Max looks adorable by the way <3


The game has a real Dark Souls vibe in terms of being able to "see" the upcoming game environments as you play earlier ones. For example, you can see the demo environment as you cross through the levels "underneath" it, which is a nice touch. The game itself has a real sense of place just like the two worlds Ueda and team built before this one. Logically things flow together and logistically you can believe that things connect to other thing


YES YES YES YES YES YES. In anotehr words, it's like ICO too, but with no 1 second black screen between areas?
 

Kaako

Felium Defensor
Kev playing TLG before me? Fml...I can't be mad at that though. Enjoy that first playthrough! I cannot freaking wait.
 

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
Alright so I'm about 3 or 4 hours into the game so far. Still think I'm pretty much at the beginning because I've taken it pretty slow. First off, the game is beautiful, Toriko moves amazingly, the boy does as well. I don't think I've ever seen ragdoll physics like this. I feel down a cliffside and the way the boy bounced around on the rocks was eerily realistic and a bit disturbing. Love the way Trico moves and acts like an animal. He is a bit stubborn, so you'll need a bit of patience with this game. The puzzles are also spectacular even at this early stage. Everything feels organic, like the solutions aren't spelled out to you and it feels less like a straight up puzzle-to-puzzle type game but something that flows way more naturally.

So generally positive so far. Feels like an Ueda game and the atmosphere is incredible. I'm a bit put off by the camera control, especially in tight areas. They seem to solve some of it by just making the screen fade to back if the camera goes awry, but moments like this are few and far between (so far). You can change the camera control speed in the options to help a bit, but it still feels off. The controls, as many would expect, are a bit janky. I've only really had some frustration at times with climbing Trico.

But yeah, from the first few hours, the game opens with a unique mechanic I haven't seen in any previews yet, and a bit more in-your-face storytelling than what I'm typically used to in an Ueda game (still subtle though). I can't wait to dive back in and keep going forward. Might take a bit because I love just petting Trico so much haha.

If anyone has any questions let me know. OH and also, there are, as of now, no ps4pro options in the menus that I can see. Might be automatic?

Wow I did not read these before writing mine but we are pretty synced up!
 

silva1991

Member
So Kev, I know you haven't finished both, but which one of the two feels like it lives up to your expectations over the years FFXV or TLG?

Technical issues aside of course.

OMFG, those Kev impressions.

I am pretty sure this is going to be my GOTY now.

Will probably be mine too, but then again not much competition for me this year.
 

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
So Kev, I know you haven't finished both, but which one of the two feels like it lives up to your expectations over the years FFXV or TLG?

Technical issues aside of course.



Will probably be mine too, but then again not much competition for me this year.

First, I am very sensitive to technical issues but I do not care. I never have. It is an academic concern to me as I appreciate technology but I grew up on an N64. Getting 20 fps was exceptional. I played doom 3 on low at 8 fps and stalker at 640x480 on a MacBook. Standards may change but my ability to cope has not. I have never met a control scheme I couldn't adapt to. In that sense, I am not a good barometer for the impact of technical issues (just that I can detect they exist). So that's my disclaimer.

Both games are good! Japanese developers have a lot to offer.
 
Y2K, awesome impressions.

- I read that the "combat" is
like setting up dominoes for Trico to take out
. Sounded very puzzle-like, was mainly curious if the encounters seemed varied or at least had the foundation to be diverse/remain interesting

- Also was curious how the sense of it being journey is. Ico was awesome in that regard, much like Dark Souls. So it's basically Ico's castle on a much larger scale and more diversity?
 

FingerBang

Member
I was tempted to order the first press version off of Amazon, but I was a bit confused by the difference between the 6000 yen version and the 7400 yen version. If I'm understanding right, the 7400 yen version just also has a wallpaper for PC? It's nice to see the game sitting at No.6 on the best seller list, too.

The most expensive option is the one containing the Amazon limited bonus, that it's usually not worth the price. The 6000&#20870; version is the one to choose, can't wait to get it on Tuesday.
 
Man, all these impressions keep getting me more hyped.

Was an OT name decided on? I hope the The Last Guardian |OT| &#20154;&#21936;&#12356;&#12398;&#22823;&#40434;&#12488;&#12522;&#12467; suggestion is the one they're going with. A classy minimalist title seems much more fitting than using a joke/meme/pun
 

Ostinatto

Member
Holy shit, i love my dog and i love ueda games, can't wait to play this game.

i love animals in general, even bengal tigers.

tigrez2sip.jpg
 
Man, all these impressions keep getting me more hyped.

Was an OT name decided on? I hope the The Last Guardian |OT| &#20154;&#21936;&#12356;&#12398;&#22823;&#40434;&#12488;&#12522;&#12467; suggestion is the one they're going with. A classy minimalist title seems much more fitting than using a joke/meme/pun

I was saying the same thing

The Last Guardian | OT |

Plain and simple. but as far as any references go, I figured an ICO reference would be best:

The Last Guardian | OT | Say Nonomori

What's your Subtitle mean?
 

dmr87

Member
The Last Guardian |OT| There and Back Again, by Fumito Ueda
The Last Guardian |OT| Team ICO's Swan Song
The Last Guardian |OT| Team ICO's Legacy
The Last Guardian |OT| It's Been a Long Road..
The Last Guardian |OT| Almost Out of the Labyrinthe
The Last Guardian |OT| We Never Gave Up
The Last Guardian |OT| You Thought All Hope Was Lost
The Last Guardian |OT| You And Me, We Endured

Ok, I'm going to bed now.
 

Adryuu

Member
I took notes as I played...I guess I played about 4 hours or so? I played up until just after the part they showed at E3 2015, which, by the way, is really quite fun in the game.

Well I played for 4h almost and I'm still seeing that in the distance. :) or was, I'm indoors now and I suspect I'll rise to that section really soon. I also agree with most of your post. Oh and Max is very cute, I've myself a tekkel kind of crossbreed and I've definitely recognized a lot of his behaviours and natural movements in Trico's patterns and animation. Forgot to mention that, but when I said I loved Trico, I meant that as in actively wanting to take care of him (I always feed him even if it's not necessary to go forward and most of the time I don't think it is) and wanting only good for him. And that's because he is so uncanny. You can of course recognize a videogame in his character but so far it's the best tamagotchi EVER and it being a non real creature based on multiple real life animal behaviours and movements helps a lot. Ueda really paid attention to that cat he got and saw grow old and to many dogs too, for sure. And its animations don't ever feel repeating like videogames unless he's eating or doing some special and specific thing, and even then it seems independent from other parts of the body like the boy. Oh and he has learnt to take food barrels on the fly a lot better with very little time, something he would not ever catch more early in the game. Cute.


Nice, Kev. Thanks.

Question: Looking to finally start playing games "with" my three year old duaghter - in other words, I play and she watches. Is TLG good for that? No really dark, violent scenes or anything?

About playing with children, Trico suffers wounds and gets bloody from it and smashes opponents (who are not human so far). You decide. Try by yourself first.


YES YES YES YES YES YES. In anotehr words, it's like ICO too, but with no 1 second black screen between areas?

I said previous page there's not a single loading screen in gameplay. The game loads are hidden well enough and if you don't die you don't see black screens if not in cut scenes. Loading after dying does not even take long.


Will I have trouble completing the game if I import the Japanese version? Will I miss any important story/plot if I import?

I wouldn't do it. There's text in these games, and this one has the most. Spoken language is either Japanese or more probably invented gibberish so everyone needs text to fully understand and the game doesn't even let you deactivate text.


- Also was curious how the sense of it being journey is. Ico was awesome in that regard, much like Dark Souls. So it's basically Ico's castle on a much larger scale and more diversity?

Yeah I said it, the game's pretty much the same in regards to it being a big fortress like place with gardens, caves, etc but you go seeing next places in the distance. The scale of the place is crazy.
Also, combat for me is just get Trico to where the baddies are. I'm slower than the rest though so it could change.
 

silva1991

Member
I said previous page there's not a single loading screen in gameplay. The game loads are hidden well enough and if you don't die you don't see black screens if not in cut scenes. Loading after dying does not even take long.




.

Pretty damn cool and immersive.
 

Batman7

Banned
I took notes as I played...I guess I played about 4 hours or so? I played up until just after the part they showed at E3 2015, which, by the way, is really quite fun in the game. And, as you know, I'm pro. Anyway, there is a lot going on here that Ueda and team are doing and I didn't want to forget any of it.
.

Oh man sounds good. Can't wait to hear more. Excite levels through the roof. I've been waiting so very long for this game.
 

Adryuu

Member
Oh I forgot. For those playing, I think the game doesn't mention it but L1 focuses the camera on Trico if he's around and visible. He's still too big for the camera most of the time but it helps a bit to not lose track of some animations.

Camera still a bitch in low ceiling indoors.
 

Chirotera

Banned
I really want to play this game but I feel like they're going to kill Trico (or your character), and either moment is going to be heartbreaking and I don't think I can handle that.

So, maybe I'll spoil myself to see if that's the case before I actually plunk down on it. It sounds stupid, but I can see myself getting really emotionally invested in that dog bird.
 

silva1991

Member
Dont know if have been posted yet, but in a list of the best games of 2016 a journo from The Guardian has called TLG the ''standout game of 2016''

https://www.theguardian.com/technol...r-watch-dogs-2-dishonored-2-the-last-guardian



Its-hot-gif.gif


How does the soundtrack stack up to the first two games?

One person on gameFAQs said that it's a step up from the other two games.

That's his opinion, but we'll see. SoTC soundtrack is next to impossible to beat
 
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