The big media press conferences are a lean 90 minutes long. It’s certainly impossible to cram all the game announcements we’d want into that short of a timeframe, but there are a few big games that were strangely not part of the media blitz.
Sony seems to have a few skeletons in its closet, and they don’t appear to be getting any fresher. The Last Guardian, The Witness and FFX (I know, not an exclusive) were, once again, no shows at the big show.
Tired of everyone mentioning The Last Guardian? Well, until Sony outright says the game has ceased development, the chatter will continue. There’s a reason TLG is the topic on everyone’s mind, and that’s because the devs, Team Ico, have created such fantastic games previously. Ico was somewhat of a cult classic, and Shadow Of The Colossus is a keystone game in the industry. Many devs point to SotC as a game from which they drew inspiration, and that’s why it’s frustrating that the game missed an entire console gen and is starting on number two. The reveals more than piqued everyone’s interest, and, every year, the glimmer of hope remains. But, after each E3, the talk begins of it making more sense to re-reveal at TGS.
The Last Guardian is a tale about a boy finding his way through lost ruins. With enemies abound, the boy must find a way though the castle, getting help along the way. Trico, a griffin-like animal will be the focal friendship point of the game, but the boy will have to earn the friendship. As you progress through the game, the bond between the boy and Trico will grow, and Trico will begin to help you in your battle against enemies. It’s in this bond between the two characters that Team Ico does so well. Few games have what amounts to a special, meaningful relationship between an NPC and a playable character.
Although we haven’t seen much of the game, it’s safe to postulate that there will be an abundance of puzzles to solve, as that is one of Team Ico’s staples. Ueda has also stated many times that, to gain and maintain the friendship with Trico, the boy must take care of him. Pulling arrows from his body that struck him in battle and feeding him are some of the few ways to enhance the bond between the characters.
Few games that have been in development hell have ever come out, and when they do, they generally aren’t that good. The hill is steep, and it doesn’t seem to be leveling out any time soon for Team Ico. Missing the PS3 release was a huge set-back, as it’s architecture is quite different to the PS4’s. Sony execs keep insisting that the game is still alive and in active development, but continually hearing phrases like, “We’ll give it a reveal when it’s ready,†from various Sony higher-ups, makes me think it will never be ready. Here’s to TGS 2014, I guess.
Enjoy the trailer for The Last Guardian below, but try not to get too attached.
http://www.viddler.com/v/c889573
Part two and three will be posted in the coming days.
