Video game review: The Last Guardian a sublime adventure and well worth the wait

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      Ever since I played Shadow of the Colossus, I've been waiting for The Last Guardian. Both games were created by Fumito Ueda, who's first game was 2001's Ico.

      There's a common thread with these games. They are sparsely populated, they are subtle, and they create strong emotions in players.

      The Last Guardian begins much the same as Ueda's other two games. There's no preface or preamble. You are thrown into the world, and it's up to you to sort out what to do.

      It's not so hard, because you can take all the time you need. There are no shootouts here, nothing that presses you for time. When you get into conflict, it's your guardian who does the fighting.

      The guardian is a massive, catlike creature that is called Trico by the young boy who befriends it. The two of them roam through a huge ruin, slowly finding their way to someplace.

      Using a shield, the boy can direct the flow of electricity from Trico's tail, and he can call the creature, too, in the same way you'd call a pet or other companion.

      That Trico resembles a cat is significant, because sometimes the creature behaves like a feline, seemingly ignoring the player.

      Although the game is relatively easy to play, it's less easy to find meaning in it all.

      There's enough detail for players to pull together their own understanding of the story. This kind of space in the narrative is where games like The Last Guardian become something majestic, because we imprint ourselves onto the game.

      Almost like the boy and Trico.

      The Last Guardian, 18 minutes of gameplay

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