The Defeated: The Last Guardian – Jan. 5th, 2017

Of all of the games I played in 2016, none made a grander impression on my feels than the Last Guardian. While it wasn’t my game of the year, it did so much right for me that I couldn’t avoid talking about it, thinking about it, and enjoying the ever-evolving relationship between Trico and the Young Boy.

Most importantly, The Last Guardian stands as an amazing technical and engineering achievement. On more than one occasion, due in no small part to how well Trico is designed and programmed, I found myself talking to Trico as if it were actually in the room. How does a game do that? How does a game make me believe I’m interacting with a real creature and forget that it, like everything else, is a construct of a game?

Perhaps that’s why it took so long to be released.

Whatever the reason, the proof is in the final product. It is a great experience, flaws, warts, blemishes and all. When something is as moving, touching, and inspiring as The Last Guardian, I can look past some of the rougher edges and revel in the amazing and unique relationship between two very unexpected friends. It was a wonderful experience and I’m glad I was able to play and defeat it!

If you want to hear my full video reaction to “The Last Guardian”, be sure to skip to the end of the video. And, as always, here there be spoilers!