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The Last Guardian |OT| In my memories, the monster always has kind eyes
- Thread starter Agram
- Start date
Jawbreaker
Member
badcrumble
Member
Man, I think this game was SUPER clumsy in a lot of ways (see: every situation where you can be chain-grabbed by armor suits and need to make progress an inch at a time), but it still managed to hit those concluding emotional notes insanely effectively. Sobbed through the ending despite hating a lot of moments during the game.
This isn't official art, but it's the closest I could think of.
That is so perfect. Thanks a bunch
sackboy2197
Member
Finished it today. What a good game. Had some control issues here and there (actually mostly with the boy, rather than Trico), but it was a great experience nonetheless.
Do you guys have any recommended readings? Anything about the making of the game, the lore, the background story, how it relates to Ico and SotC. I'll get "An extraordinary story" sooner or later.
Do you guys have any recommended readings? Anything about the making of the game, the lore, the background story, how it relates to Ico and SotC. I'll get "An extraordinary story" sooner or later.
Jawbreaker
Member
You know, despite all the control issues that get cited, playing it again after having finished RiME really amplified how much character, life, and weight the boy has in The Last Guardian. The difference is stark, and despite the more conventional approach in Tequila's game, it felt joyless to move around; it was lifeless and mechanical.
Y2kev pressured me to power through and finish the game. What a journey. Ueda still managed to pull off a masterpiece even with 12 years of development troubles. Totally worth buying a PS4 Pro for. It's one of those games.
I'm kinda surprised by the stuff that usually isn't in Ueda's previous games though. Not only does the game have really direct and obvious tutorial prompts, but it also keeps reminding the player what the current goal is and sometimes what is happening in the scene, with a narrator who is actually subtitled. The flashback sequences and ending are also very unUeda. Straightforward and easy to follow. All the really obtuse stuff seem to be left for the world setting and all the things unsaid about the whys and hows of the nest valley. That's all very Ueda and super interesting to take apart and speculate on.
The game also has by far the best leaps of faith in gaming ever. The way it trains you to start to trust Trico more and more as you progress, until you start doing crazy stuff that will certainly get you killed and seeing it actually WORK.... is very impressive.
I'm kinda surprised by the stuff that usually isn't in Ueda's previous games though. Not only does the game have really direct and obvious tutorial prompts, but it also keeps reminding the player what the current goal is and sometimes what is happening in the scene, with a narrator who is actually subtitled. The flashback sequences and ending are also very unUeda. Straightforward and easy to follow. All the really obtuse stuff seem to be left for the world setting and all the things unsaid about the whys and hows of the nest valley. That's all very Ueda and super interesting to take apart and speculate on.
The game also has by far the best leaps of faith in gaming ever. The way it trains you to start to trust Trico more and more as you progress, until you start doing crazy stuff that will certainly get you killed and seeing it actually WORK.... is very impressive.
It's even better when it doesn't work! I was sure they were all scripted "epic" slowmo moments. Until I ended up falling to my death, even though it had the exact same presentation of the other jumps. The fact that this was also procedural, and the reason it worked flawlessly all those times prior to that moment is because I worked well with Trico was really impressive.
This was a really impressive game. Shame about the technical issues, but what it accomplishes largely justifies it. AI, animation, physics - some of the best ever seen in gaming. I think it struggled with some monotony in the third quarter of the game, but ultimately this will be looked at as another Ueda classic
Trico is a real accomplishment, though it can be frustrating trying to communicate the solution to a puzzle to a pet. Arguably it adds to the experience, though.
Glad they got it out. Hopefully Ueda has another one in him.
Trico is a real accomplishment, though it can be frustrating trying to communicate the solution to a puzzle to a pet. Arguably it adds to the experience, though.
Glad they got it out. Hopefully Ueda has another one in him.
He is apparently already working on a new game. Not much info other than that.
Oh, that's a relief.
I wouldn't have been surprised if a project like this broke his resolve.
He's done several interviews and seems to be a pretty laid back and pretty well adjusted guy. He even mentions that people seem to think of him as some avant garde tortured artist when he lives in a modest home and drives a Volvo.
RedSparrows
Member
So i got this and whilst Trico is absolutely lovely, as is the boy's clumsy mannerisms (i love his tip toe!) I findthe actual playing pretty tedious. Climbing on Trico is a chore for one, and whilst his independence is charming too, it can really grate at times.
I know the answer to the implicit question: surely worth playing on. Just finding it hard to muster the enthusiasm. Is this common or am I being too grumpy?
I know the answer to the implicit question: surely worth playing on. Just finding it hard to muster the enthusiasm. Is this common or am I being too grumpy?
I can't say that the tedium ever disappeared for me, but I feel like the experience overall is worth it. It has a really spectacular finale.
As the game progresses your bond with Trico improves, and a synergy can develop. But ultimately you have to accept that you don't command him - you merely give him suggestions and hope for the best. If you can roll with that the game will deliver some of the most beautiful sequences I've ever seen in a game.
RedSparrows
Member
Thanks. I will try. Just find it hard to get interested when i have limited time and so much else to play...!
So i got this game in the sale around E3 iirc
I started playing it immediately, and finished it over the course of a weekend. i didn't want to share my feelings/thoughts about the game then because it felt so emotional and personal, but i feel that now is the best time for me to share - for a reason i'll be explaining later in my post.
let me first start with a backstory: i had a 45 days Labrador puppy at college, and he has been my bestfriend till i lost him about 3 years ago, when he was 9 years old.
playing this game made me have the same feelings i had with my dog, how you build your bond with Trico, how you earn his love and respect, how he still has his own mind and doing his own thing even when you're asking him to do something, and how you need to get his attention.
i understand that this AI has been dubbed as "frustrating" by many players, but for me, it was just like re-living a concentrated dosage of my time with my dog. in every situation it would bring me a smile and a tear because i can relate what just happened to something that we've been through - me and my bestfriend.
i've been never touched by a game like this game had, and for that i thank everyone who has worked on it, thank you for giving me all these incredible amazing feelings once again.
And to end on a more positive note - and explain why i chose to share this now - i knew after finishing the game that i'm ready to have a new bestfriend, something i've been unsure about since i lost my dog;
Tomorrow, i'll go pick up me new soon to be bestfriend, a beautiful female Japanese Akita who i'll name "Kori", which in a way is a tribute to both my first dog's name "Kenji" and Trico's name!
again, i can't thank you enough, everyone who contributed to this beautiful game, you've touched my heart and my life in a way i'll always be grateful for
I started playing it immediately, and finished it over the course of a weekend. i didn't want to share my feelings/thoughts about the game then because it felt so emotional and personal, but i feel that now is the best time for me to share - for a reason i'll be explaining later in my post.
let me first start with a backstory: i had a 45 days Labrador puppy at college, and he has been my bestfriend till i lost him about 3 years ago, when he was 9 years old.
playing this game made me have the same feelings i had with my dog, how you build your bond with Trico, how you earn his love and respect, how he still has his own mind and doing his own thing even when you're asking him to do something, and how you need to get his attention.
i understand that this AI has been dubbed as "frustrating" by many players, but for me, it was just like re-living a concentrated dosage of my time with my dog. in every situation it would bring me a smile and a tear because i can relate what just happened to something that we've been through - me and my bestfriend.
i've been never touched by a game like this game had, and for that i thank everyone who has worked on it, thank you for giving me all these incredible amazing feelings once again.
And to end on a more positive note - and explain why i chose to share this now - i knew after finishing the game that i'm ready to have a new bestfriend, something i've been unsure about since i lost my dog;
Tomorrow, i'll go pick up me new soon to be bestfriend, a beautiful female Japanese Akita who i'll name "Kori", which in a way is a tribute to both my first dog's name "Kenji" and Trico's name!
again, i can't thank you enough, everyone who contributed to this beautiful game, you've touched my heart and my life in a way i'll always be grateful for
So i got this game in the sale around E3 iirc
I started playing it immediately, and finished it over the course of a weekend. i didn't want to share my feelings/thoughts about the game then because it felt so emotional and personal, but i feel that now is the best time for me to share - for a reason i'll be explaining later in my post.
let me first start with a backstory: i had a 45 days Labrador puppy at college, and he has been my bestfriend till i lost him about 3 years ago, when he was 9 years old.
playing this game made me have the same feelings i had with my dog, how you build your bond with Trico, how you earn his love and respect, how he still has his own mind and doing his own thing even when you're asking him to do something, and how you need to get his attention.
i understand that this AI has been dubbed as "frustrating" by many players, but for me, it was just like re-living a concentrated dosage of my time with my dog. in every situation it would bring me a smile and a tear because i can relate what just happened to something that we've been through - me and my bestfriend.
i've been never touched by a game like this game had, and for that i thank everyone who has worked on it, thank you for giving me all these incredible amazing feelings once again.
And to end on a more positive note - and explain why i chose to share this now - i knew after finishing the game that i'm ready to have a new bestfriend, something i've been unsure about since i lost my dog;
Tomorrow, i'll go pick up me new soon to be bestfriend, a beautiful female Japanese Akita who i'll name "Kori", which in a way is a tribute to both my first dog's name "Kenji" and Trico's name!
again, i can't thank you enough, everyone who contributed to this beautiful game, you've touched my heart and my life in a way i'll always be grateful for
This is a beautiful story, and I'm sure you'll be very happy with your new friend! It really warms my heart that this game could help you make that decision.
It's ok if you feel like it would be too personal, but otherwise I'd love to read your impressions on the ending. Going by what you just shared, I can only imagine how powerful that last phrase was.
Thank you for sharing this.
BanjoLayleeYookaKazooie
Banned
So i got this game in the sale around E3 iirc
I started playing it immediately, and finished it over the course of a weekend. i didn't want to share my feelings/thoughts about the game then because it felt so emotional and personal, but i feel that now is the best time for me to share - for a reason i'll be explaining later in my post.
let me first start with a backstory: i had a 45 days Labrador puppy at college, and he has been my bestfriend till i lost him about 3 years ago, when he was 9 years old.
playing this game made me have the same feelings i had with my dog, how you build your bond with Trico, how you earn his love and respect, how he still has his own mind and doing his own thing even when you're asking him to do something, and how you need to get his attention.
i understand that this AI has been dubbed as "frustrating" by many players, but for me, it was just like re-living a concentrated dosage of my time with my dog. in every situation it would bring me a smile and a tear because i can relate what just happened to something that we've been through - me and my bestfriend.
i've been never touched by a game like this game had, and for that i thank everyone who has worked on it, thank you for giving me all these incredible amazing feelings once again.
And to end on a more positive note - and explain why i chose to share this now - i knew after finishing the game that i'm ready to have a new bestfriend, something i've been unsure about since i lost my dog;
Tomorrow, i'll go pick up me new soon to be bestfriend, a beautiful female Japanese Akita who i'll name "Kori", which in a way is a tribute to both my first dog's name "Kenji" and Trico's name!
again, i can't thank you enough, everyone who contributed to this beautiful game, you've touched my heart and my life in a way i'll always be grateful for
It's great to read stories like this, it does seem like the game resonates with players sometimes in an immensely different way, and yours is not the first tale of positivity that this game has brought in relation to Trico and how he can be very relatable to people who've loved a pet animal in their lives.
I unfortunately lean more towards the other side of things, for full clarity I have never had a pet (not that we're seriously going to have that ever be a recommended prerequisite to enjoying a video game) and I suppose it does speak volumes that I had many positive moments with Trico throughout the game, however due to the many varying issues that have been discussed to death I was never able to see him as a digital pet with brilliant instincts and intelligence, but rather by the end especially as another AI controlled partner character that hindered, annoyed and ignored at frequent intervals.
The game was ultimately split into two halves for me, the first where I was enamoured with Trico yet unimpressed with anything else in particular in that slow and unexciting first half of the game, then once Trico stared dumbfounded at another barrel I placed in front of him around halfway through (I can even remember the surroundings of the area as it's unfortunately my abiding memory of the game) and just wandered ignoring it in favour of doing nothing in particular, the wonder was broken and I got fed up of searching for barrels to feed him only for him to ignore them so I gave up on that neat element entirely and could only focus on getting through the game with each Trico-sized roadblock only increasing my frustration and desire to get it over with. A shame indeed because the second half of the game is by far the most enjoyable, I just found Trico's AI untenable after that breaking point.
It's great that this game pleased so many and even I can't say it's truly a bad game, but considering I love Shadow of the Colossus as much as anybody does, I can't help but feel this game was disappointing and not what I wanted to see the director of one of my favourite ever games working on.
So yeah that's my summary of the game now that I'm here and the thread was bumped, I will still be there to play Ueda's next game despite the disappointment I feel towards his most recent game.
Thank you
I'm assuming the last phrase you mean is the one
just before the credits, when Trico "delivered" the boy back to his village
starting when Trico defends the boy and gets attacked
this actually worked in my favor, seeing the post credit's scene
i'm not very good at giving impressions, but i hope you got your answer
I totally understand what you're saying, i mean i'm biased but i think it's more of an emotional game than a technical one - though i must say i'm really impressed by the AI - so it's always going to be a hit or miss
In all cases i'm sharing your enthusiasm for Ueda's next game, let's hope it gets everyone this time!
Thank you
I'm assuming the last phrase you mean is the one, it hit me really hard specially after all the build up in the ending partjust before the credits, when Trico "delivered" the boy back to his villagethat i actually sat through the credits (just trying to process all these feelings i had in this short amount of time) and didn't even try to skip it, which was probably the first time i ever do that. lolstarting when Trico defends the boy and gets attackedthis actually worked in my favor, seeing the post credit's scene
i'm not very good at giving impressions, but i hope you got your answer
Truly an extraordinary story.
paragonpro
Banned
You knlw, i have no desire to play this game again, not because it was bad, but because that first playthrough meant so much to me, it was a one and done experience ill never forget
Some sales notes from this thread:http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=249215986&posted=1#post249215986
I wonder what total sales are at this point. We have some vaguer sales notes like it selling more in its release month that a combination of Ico's entire life time sales combined with like the first 9 months of SotC's and that was a $40 game at launch.
I wonder what total sales are at this point. We have some vaguer sales notes like it selling more in its release month that a combination of Ico's entire life time sales combined with like the first 9 months of SotC's and that was a $40 game at launch.
Was going to make a LTTP but since it was bumped...started this last night and I am probably stuck already in one of those places a lot of people hated because you are not sure if Trico is buggy or if you are not doing the right thing or whatever...
Like 30 minutes in,he still cant fly and I am in the large room where he squeezes his head through a crawl place trying to follow you...I managed to make him come in some other way but now I climbed up using a hanging chain among other things,found another barrel but dropped down and now,even if I get back on him to jump to the ledge like I did initially,he doesnt get close enough for me to make it lol...annoying,I just quit,wondering where my checkpoint will be...
Like 30 minutes in,he still cant fly and I am in the large room where he squeezes his head through a crawl place trying to follow you...I managed to make him come in some other way but now I climbed up using a hanging chain among other things,found another barrel but dropped down and now,even if I get back on him to jump to the ledge like I did initially,he doesnt get close enough for me to make it lol...annoying,I just quit,wondering where my checkpoint will be...
Jawbreaker
Member
katsubento
Member
It's worth it.
I am in a section where I have to roll a wheel on top of a ramp,push it down and then push it under a gate that Trico is playing with,raising it up now and then...its just not working so far lol,been trying for the last 15 minutes...I mean jesus...
If you stay near the gate Trico will be distracted. Go away a little so that he plays with the chain again, then go back and place the wheel under the gate.
Yep,took a while but he did it...now I am stuck in water,cant get deep enough but Trico can...I hate having to go search on Youtube to see the solution,and its just because he doesnt do it at first,and when you reload the checkpoint,it works...
Finished it this past weekend. Nice game, but I found it infuriating to play as I progressed given how terribly the main character controlled, which I know is a topic that has been discussed to death. This really soured the experience for me as I neared the end of the game, which is quite a shame. Also the camera was a real pain in the ass at times. I enjoyed the story and setting, and interacting with Trico and the relationship there, but man actually playing the game was rough.
LOL. Dude IS pretty enigmatic though. Makes some of the most artistically ambitious games in the industry and then casually mentions one of his favorite games to play is Burnout. Says he also wants to make a kart racer, FPS and zombie game like The Last of Us. Seems so gentle, but also filmed himself in a damn near Harmony Korine-esque streetfight as an art project.
Just realised something trying to find a barrel to feed Trico...guess I missed a whole bunch of doing that
...oh well,its not I will get the platinum in this,they look hard and random af to get...the only one I got is something they said I saw but I didn't even see it lol...for all the hard work in this game,you should get a trophy for every step he takes lol...
Seriously this...if it wasnt for the relation between the 2 and some cool set pieces and all,I would of stopped a long time ago but I want to keep truggling on to see what happens next.
putting the broken heads on the pinkish statues with no head
Seriously this...if it wasnt for the relation between the 2 and some cool set pieces and all,I would of stopped a long time ago but I want to keep truggling on to see what happens next.
It's a very bizarre game in that sense. I consider it a positive experience overall based on a few really strong sequences and a great ending, but there was a lot of frustration involved between those great moments.
I think someone above mentioned this, but I honestly would've been fine with it being a movie. I don't think being a game really added too much to the experience, which is kind of disappointing since ICO and SotC are both great examples of how video-games can tell stories and convey themes through gameplay and mechanics rather than conventional storytelling.
The Last Guardian had shades of that, sure, but I'd argue a lot of the better moments were actually heavily-scripted and cinematic. There was no "a-ha" moment with the mechanics, except for (ending spoilers)
the very end where he calls out to Trico to run away
Lord Error
Insane For Sony
I finished it a few days ago, and I found it incredibly memorable, and just as emotionally charged as Uedas previous two games. Its so cool that he had another one in him and it turned out so good after all this time. It goes without saying that Trico is an incredible accomplishment, and is perhaps a first animal in any game that has an actual sense of life.
Theres another thing that this game conveys better than just about any other - and thats the sense of dread coming from the overwhelmingly near-familiar yet very alien surroundings. Even the calm moments in the game dont feel truly relaxing. This dread just becomes greater and greater as the game progresses.
Visually, the game is really unlike anything else. AI driven animation of Trico is in a class of its own, not worth comparing with anything else really. The lack of clipping, the planned feet planting and overall body movement, and so much more. The architecture also has the feel of weight and volume that nothing else I can think of quite matches. Even visual heavyweights like Uncharted 4 or The Order, somehow dont quite measure up in that department.
Overall a highly impressive game, that Im happy I experienced on Pro. With a few performance drops even on it, and in 1080p, I cant even imagine how bad must it be on regular ps4. The performance issues never seem unearned though, with how complex scenes are on display.
Theres another thing that this game conveys better than just about any other - and thats the sense of dread coming from the overwhelmingly near-familiar yet very alien surroundings. Even the calm moments in the game dont feel truly relaxing. This dread just becomes greater and greater as the game progresses.
Visually, the game is really unlike anything else. AI driven animation of Trico is in a class of its own, not worth comparing with anything else really. The lack of clipping, the planned feet planting and overall body movement, and so much more. The architecture also has the feel of weight and volume that nothing else I can think of quite matches. Even visual heavyweights like Uncharted 4 or The Order, somehow dont quite measure up in that department.
Overall a highly impressive game, that Im happy I experienced on Pro. With a few performance drops even on it, and in 1080p, I cant even imagine how bad must it be on regular ps4. The performance issues never seem unearned though, with how complex scenes are on display.
Its not worse than it was in SOTC on PS2. You should wait until you can play it on Pro. The situation is better there, as higher frame rate lowers the input lag.I wish I could play this game but the input lag is way too much for me and I love Ueda games.
I tried and tried and I can not get past the lag.
So almost a year later I got the game and finished it. Played 2 days only (separated by a few weeks), probably around 5-7 hours in each day.
I love SotC but I never played ICO though. No other game can compare with The Last Guardian. It's beyond my understanding how a game with Japanese voice, a kid and a cat/chicken/griffin/whatever can make you care so much about them. The plot is as simple as that.
The first half of the game is good, but it can get a little boring as you are still starting to understand each other and create a relationship. But without this first part you wouldnt have the emotions the second half of the game brings.
The puzzles in the game are all quite simple. Yes, all of them. Even those that you spend 10+ minutes to get, once you understand it, you feel like you are stupid for not doing it earlier lol. I think I got stuck in only 3 parts of the game for long periods of time.
3 things that could be better: the controls, the camera and the commands you give to Trico. I would say 90% of the time all these parts work fine, but the other 10% can make you angry easily. Probably a lot of people already commented that so I wont be writting details here.
Now I dont understand why the game looks so pale during 80% of the game (looking nice still, despite some PS2 textures), only to bring all the glory of the light and colorful areas in the last hours of the game. The scale is huge, I took lots of screenshots while playing. Music is very nice, helps build excitement (and sadness).
I dont know if the game deserves a 9 or an 8, but what really matters is that it is an unique experience. Wont be forgotten.
Now just waiting to replay SotC Remake/Remaster. It was my favorite PS2 single player game.
I love SotC but I never played ICO though. No other game can compare with The Last Guardian. It's beyond my understanding how a game with Japanese voice, a kid and a cat/chicken/griffin/whatever can make you care so much about them. The plot is as simple as that.
The first half of the game is good, but it can get a little boring as you are still starting to understand each other and create a relationship. But without this first part you wouldnt have the emotions the second half of the game brings.
Yes the game ended and I had wet eyes. The last scene of Trico being eaten is probably THE most dramatic moment of my video game life. You want to help, you want to save him, but you just know you cant, and you have to just watch him die - or almost die. Fuck, I thought he was about to die at least 4 times during the game, such a wierd feeling for this adorable wierd digital creature.
The puzzles in the game are all quite simple. Yes, all of them. Even those that you spend 10+ minutes to get, once you understand it, you feel like you are stupid for not doing it earlier lol. I think I got stuck in only 3 parts of the game for long periods of time.
3 things that could be better: the controls, the camera and the commands you give to Trico. I would say 90% of the time all these parts work fine, but the other 10% can make you angry easily. Probably a lot of people already commented that so I wont be writting details here.
Now I dont understand why the game looks so pale during 80% of the game (looking nice still, despite some PS2 textures), only to bring all the glory of the light and colorful areas in the last hours of the game. The scale is huge, I took lots of screenshots while playing. Music is very nice, helps build excitement (and sadness).
I dont know if the game deserves a 9 or an 8, but what really matters is that it is an unique experience. Wont be forgotten.
Now just waiting to replay SotC Remake/Remaster. It was my favorite PS2 single player game.
I wish I could play this game but the input lag is way too much for me and I love Ueda games.
I tried and tried and I can not get past the lag.
Is ist really lag though? I started playing this today and I think it's just that the deadzone (most noticeably on the right stick for camera movement) is just fucking HUGE. Like you have to move it almost all the way for it to register the input.
Also maaaaan that framerate is complete fucking garbage. Like I thought I was ready for some console jank but that shit is sub 30 CONSTANTLY to a point where it'S kinda hard to look at for longer periods of time. Ugh
I think I like the game though, I loved ICO and SotC and I hope this will hit a similar tone.
But goddamn that tech...
Has the game ever been on sale below $40 on PSN? If not, I'll probably just get the disc version from Best Buy for $32 with GCU.
Hearing Nick Suttner talk about his book on a recent Game Informer podcast reminded me that I wanted to play it once I got a PS4 Pro, which I got back in May but I'm not at the point where I've finished all the new games I bought since then.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/3869930799/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Hearing Nick Suttner talk about his book on a recent Game Informer podcast reminded me that I wanted to play it once I got a PS4 Pro, which I got back in May but I'm not at the point where I've finished all the new games I bought since then.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/3869930799/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Mr Branding
Member
Sorry for the necrobump, but seeing as this is the game's OT, I figured I provide my impressions after wrapping it up last night.
First of all, I've got the game discounted on the PSN Christmas Sale for something like 10$. I always wanted to play it being a very big Ueda fan, liking Ico well enough and loving the shit out of SOTC at their time.
After not enjoying my time with a modern open-world busywork game such as Horizon ZD, I decided to drop that and get on something a bit more focused.
All in all, I have mixed feelings on the controls and general responsiveness of the game. While I know most panned it for this, I grew accustomed to it's weight-like feeling and rarely have I had a problem with the input of the game (some weird jumps to my death here and there but that's about it).
Even the "infamous"
.
The enemies in the game were oddly spooky and also cute, really good job for the designers on that part, and Trico felt like a real living being. In all my "escort" type games I've played, Trico is by far the most "real" of companions and seems to have a mind of it's own. That's a real accomplishment on the team, so kudos to that.
I also didn't saw the end coming. END SPOILERS :
. The epilogue was cute too.
The puzzle elements were a bit brain-dead, to be honest, but that's not really a bad thing since if they were harder, they would have definitely halted the game flow. Graphically, the game looked as I expected, but the framerate was a bit iffy, especially since I've played it on a Slim PS4.
To be honest, I expected to not like it as much as I did, due to the kind of "dated" design but this gem of a game came at exactly the right time for me to experience it. It would be hard to recommend it because I know most folk want ultra-responsive-gameplay nowadays, but for anyone thirsty for a heart-warming gaming experience, I say go for it, especially at a discount price.
First of all, I've got the game discounted on the PSN Christmas Sale for something like 10$. I always wanted to play it being a very big Ueda fan, liking Ico well enough and loving the shit out of SOTC at their time.
After not enjoying my time with a modern open-world busywork game such as Horizon ZD, I decided to drop that and get on something a bit more focused.
All in all, I have mixed feelings on the controls and general responsiveness of the game. While I know most panned it for this, I grew accustomed to it's weight-like feeling and rarely have I had a problem with the input of the game (some weird jumps to my death here and there but that's about it).
Even the "infamous"
push the barrel up the platforms section was easily doable, because you don't really have to throw it but just walk with it up the platforms
There is a later section in which you really need to throw a barrel from a ramp to another and then two more platforms but that was easy also because the barrel tends to stay put after being thrown, except the first ramps. It can be done with a modicum of patience
The enemies in the game were oddly spooky and also cute, really good job for the designers on that part, and Trico felt like a real living being. In all my "escort" type games I've played, Trico is by far the most "real" of companions and seems to have a mind of it's own. That's a real accomplishment on the team, so kudos to that.
I also didn't saw the end coming. END SPOILERS :
with the brain-like presence on top of the tower, and the mind-controlled Tricos and thought for sure that Trico's gonna die there and then
The puzzle elements were a bit brain-dead, to be honest, but that's not really a bad thing since if they were harder, they would have definitely halted the game flow. Graphically, the game looked as I expected, but the framerate was a bit iffy, especially since I've played it on a Slim PS4.
To be honest, I expected to not like it as much as I did, due to the kind of "dated" design but this gem of a game came at exactly the right time for me to experience it. It would be hard to recommend it because I know most folk want ultra-responsive-gameplay nowadays, but for anyone thirsty for a heart-warming gaming experience, I say go for it, especially at a discount price.
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Heimdall_Xtreme
Jim Ryan Fanclub's #1 Member
Is a game from Japan Studio... Of course it's worth it,
I also bought it at Christmas. First of all I know that coming from Japan Studio there is no doubt that it is a wonderful game.
Mr Branding
Member
I see your bias but not everything JapanStudio is great by default. For example, the Knack games are also JapanStudio and ehm....
Also, from my knowledge, wasn't this a TeamIco game until they disbanded and reuninted under the GenDesign moniker?
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Heimdall_Xtreme
Jim Ryan Fanclub's #1 Member
Well I agree that always in each company there may be an exception, but I can not say why I honestly could not play 100% Knack
Even though I have Knack in my hard disk thanks to PS Plus, I have not yet been able to give a chance to give a critique.
The main disappointmen for me came from the obvious casualisation of the gameplay and not utilising of the systems that were in place. The platforming was extremely dumbed down compared to Ico and SoTC, with no stamina and almost zero risk of falling off ledges etc. It almost seemed like there was a stamina grip in the game, what with numerous prolonged sequences where Trico jumped from one place to another, with zero involvement from the player, but was then removed for some reason.
For all the different commands they put in the game you could solve almost all puzzles by simply spamming forward. For example, there were never a case of helping Trico to navigate some dangerous place by giving him different comands in different successions etc. The puzzles werent designed around your tools in most cases.
People said that Trico not always listened to you like a real pet, but i didnt find it to be the case. He always did what i told him to without any problem. In fact, im pretty sure there is not even a sytem in the game where Trico behaves better and better depending on his treatment.
For all the different commands they put in the game you could solve almost all puzzles by simply spamming forward. For example, there were never a case of helping Trico to navigate some dangerous place by giving him different comands in different successions etc. The puzzles werent designed around your tools in most cases.
People said that Trico not always listened to you like a real pet, but i didnt find it to be the case. He always did what i told him to without any problem. In fact, im pretty sure there is not even a sytem in the game where Trico behaves better and better depending on his treatment.
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Mr Branding
Member
I can agree with this. Trico always, and I mean always, did what I told him to do be it to stand, go over there, stomp on something, get up on his two feet so I can reach higher, etc.
I guess the people that say he didn't always listen are the "impatient" ones. I dunno. Still, he's still a great achievement in my opinion.
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