18 minutes of Last Guardian gameplay looks amazing!

[hermes]

I agree with the above. Had it been released 5 years ago this game would be seen as amazing. But these days...it just looks like a generic environmental puzzle game. The environments and creature still look beautiful, but the graphics are clearly a bit dated. And it doesn't look like it does anything really special.

As for that 'lonely' feeling, it has been done before as well. This game is giving me shadow of the colosses vibes in that regard. And lets not forget dark souls for that lonely feeling.

Also, as said above, learn from duke nukem and other such games. If a game needs this much development time it is a clear sign of a doomed to fail project. Plus it just can't keep up with current software/game engines.

But how many of those generic environmental puzzle games have a companion AI as detailed and complex as this? I get the wow factor has subsided over the course of two generations, but there sure isn't a lot else out there like it. When I think of more recent games with companion AI, nothing really stands out as being exceptional or innovative.

*Check on my own list* About half of them.

I look at the gameplay, and I see a more expensive Papo & Yo. You can argue that the graphics are better, but that is what a new generation, 10 years of development, a whole studio and a big budget would give you. Also notice the graphics are not a lot better considering this was shown to run on a PS3...

I am not saying it will be bad, just that it has lost most of the shine since announced because indie developers have filled the genre in the following years. Have this game been released in 2009, it could have been truly revolutionary; now, it seems like a game they pushed out the door as an afterthought just to strikethrough it from a list, but still sell at retail price.

 

[Here Comes Tomorrow]

It looks it's age.
I mean that in the nicest possible way. I can't really say more than what's been said. It's not really a unique style of gameplay anymore so it doesn't look like something that has taken 10 years to make. After Ico and SotC you'd think Ueda would want to try a different look. I suppose he's just happy in his comfort zone?

It also ABSOLUTELY looks like it could have been done on the PS3. I have no idea what they've been doing all this time.

Not with the PS3's memory issues. The systems involved with that creature alone, from graphics to animation to AI, navigation, etc. are probably equal to any thing we saw in Uncharted, Killzone, God of War, The Last of Us, etc. The closest we got to this on PS3 was TLoU's giraffe, which we could barely even call interactive.

Games older than this have had good creature AI.

Black and White springs to mind and that predates the PS3

 

[Casual Shinji]

I look at the gameplay, and I see a more expensive Papo & Yo. You can argue that the graphics are better, but that is what a new generation, 10 years of development, a whole studio and a big budget would give you. Also notice the graphics are not a lot better considering this was shown to run on a PS3...

That was Sony making a very, very lenient estimation as to how it would look on the PS3, i.e. it was bullshit. They admitted themselves that they sped up the framerate in that initial footage. When they were in the midst of developement they discovered that the PS3 just couldn't handle the game without taking a massive shit. Hence why moved developement over to the PS4.

Whether the game will end up good or not, through all this sudden negativity people seem to forget that there's still no other game out there with the level of Boss interaction as Shadow of the Colossus (a game which at the time also wasn't the most graphically impressive), and I suspect the same will hold true for the interaction with Trico in regards to escort missions/A.I. companions.

 

[hermes]

I look at the gameplay, and I see a more expensive Papo & Yo. You can argue that the graphics are better, but that is what a new generation, 10 years of development, a whole studio and a big budget would give you. Also notice the graphics are not a lot better considering this was shown to run on a PS3...

That was Sony making a very, very lenient estimation as to how it would look on the PS3, i.e. it was bullshit. They admitted themselves that they sped up the framerate in that initial footage. When they were in the midst of developement they discovered that the PS3 just couldn't handle the game without taking a massive shit. Hence why moved developement over to the PS4.

That seems like a very specific and informed source, specially when the game was presented a long time before the PS4 was even announced. Also, if what you say is true, and they knowingly advertise the game for years after they knew they couldn't deliver it in the current generation, that is barely an excuse and doesn't paint a positive light in the entire endeavor.

Whether the game will end up good or not, through all this sudden negativity people seem to forget that there's still no other game out there with the level of Boss interaction as Shadow of the Colossus (a game which at the time also wasn't the most graphically impressive), and I suspect the same will hold true for the interaction with Trico in regards to escort missions/A.I. companions.

For starters, Shadow of the Colossus was very impressive graphically. It was a PS2 game, in the same year games like God of War 1, Gran Turismo 4 and Tekken 5 were released to great critical acclaim. By any standard, Shadow of the Colossus was a technically impressive game at the time.

And that is kind of the point. By the time Shadow of the Colossus was released, there was nothing close to it. Not only it literally broke new ground that few games even venture to imitate in the future, it created a genre of one game. By the time Last Guardian is going to be released, the market is full of third person physics based puzzle and platform games, some of them with their own escort/A.I. companions. They are showing the same basic game they showed 10 years ago, and they are either not breaking any new ground or choosing to showcase the most generic sections possible, because there is nothing there I haven't seen in Majin or Papo, 5 years ago.

 

[Here Comes Tomorrow]

Whether the game will end up good or not, through all this sudden negativity people seem to forget that there's still no other game out there with the level of Boss interaction as Shadow of the Colossus (a game which at the time also wasn't the most graphically impressive), and I suspect the same will hold true for the interaction with Trico in regards to escort missions/A.I. companions.

While the graphics are unimpressive, most peoples critisism is about the gameplay looking pretty "meh".

I honestly hadn't looked into the game too much prior to this, only knowing that it was by the SotC and Ico guy, it was delayed forever and you had a gryphon thing as a companion. I had zero expectations and was still dissapointed.

And we should know by now that two decent games (let's not pretend that Ico and SotC didn't have their problems) doesn't mean making a third game of the same type will be good. In fact, the third game is probably where the formula begins to wear thin.

 

[stroopwafel]

I agree with the above. Had it been released 5 years ago this game would be seen as amazing. But these days...it just looks like a generic environmental puzzle game. The environments and creature still look beautiful, but the graphics are clearly a bit dated. And it doesn't look like it does anything really special.

As for that 'lonely' feeling, it has been done before as well. This game is giving me shadow of the colosses vibes in that regard. And lets not forget dark souls for that lonely feeling.

Also, as said above, learn from duke nukem and other such games. If a game needs this much development time it is a clear sign of a doomed to fail project. Plus it just can't keep up with current software/game engines.

But how many of those generic environmental puzzle games have a companion AI as detailed and complex as this? I get the wow factor has subsided over the course of two generations, but there sure isn't a lot else out there like it. When I think of more recent games with companion AI, nothing really stands out as being exceptional or innovative.

*Check on my own list* About half of them.

I look at the gameplay, and I see a more expensive Papo & Yo. You can argue that the graphics are better, but that is what a new generation, 10 years of development, a whole studio and a big budget would give you. Also notice the graphics are not a lot better considering this was shown to run on a PS3...

I am not saying it will be bad, just that it has lost most of the shine since announced because indie developers have filled the genre in the following years. Have this game been released in 2009, it could have been truly revolutionary; now, it seems like a game they pushed out the door as an afterthought just to strikethrough it from a list, but still sell at retail price.

It looks it's age.
I mean that in the nicest possible way. I can't really say more than what's been said. It's not really a unique style of gameplay anymore so it doesn't look like something that has taken 10 years to make. After Ico and SotC you'd think Ueda would want to try a different look. I suppose he's just happy in his comfort zone?

It also ABSOLUTELY looks like it could have been done on the PS3. I have no idea what they've been doing all this time.

Not with the PS3's memory issues. The systems involved with that creature alone, from graphics to animation to AI, navigation, etc. are probably equal to any thing we saw in Uncharted, Killzone, God of War, The Last of Us, etc. The closest we got to this on PS3 was TLoU's giraffe, which we could barely even call interactive.

Games older than this have had good creature AI.

Black and White springs to mind and that predates the PS3

To each their own I suppose. I get the similarities, but it kinda reminds me of the time someone compared Diablo 3 and God of War 3, because they were both hack n slash. There isn't anything close to the level of detail on the Trico creature in terms of visuals, animation, how it physically interacts with the environment and player, etc. I can see how it was designed to be the next evolution of what was done in SotC, where there really wasn't any notable creature AI.

Granted, TLG's AI doesn't seem that much better than what's in those other two games, but it's the way it blends together with everything else that could be something exceptional; as long as they can fine tune the controls and keep the creature from being too frustrating to interact with.

 

[Casual Shinji]

That seems like a very specific and informed source, specially when the game was presented a long time before the PS4 was even announced. Also, if what you say is true, and they knowingly advertise the game for years after they knew they couldn't deliver it in the current generation, that is barely an excuse and doesn't paint a positive light in the entire endeavor.

They hadn't exactly been advertizing the game for the last couple of years before E3 '15, apart from claiming the game was still being worked on. In fact nobody heard much about it apart from that, which is why it was deemed lost in developement hell.

For starters, Shadow of the Colossus was very impressive graphically. It was a PS2 game, in the same year games like God of War 1, Gran Turismo 4 and Tekken 5 were released to great critical acclaim. By any standard, Shadow of the Colossus was a technically impressive game at the time.

And that is kind of the point. By the time Shadow of the Colossus was released, there was nothing close to it. Not only it literally broke new ground that few games even venture to imitate in the future, it created a genre of one game. By the time Last Guardian is going to be released, the market is full of third person physics based puzzle and platform games, some of them with their own escort/A.I. companions. They are showing the same basic game they showed 10 years ago, and they are either not breaking any new ground or choosing to showcase the most generic sections possible, because there is nothing there I haven't seen in Majin or Papo, 5 years ago.

SotC was and still is technically impressive. And seeing as TLG is working with the same climbing interaction minus the stamina meter, that gives it one up on most clambering games today. The fact that games like Ico and SotC are still remembered foundly today is because in the realm of escort/companion games they stand head and shoulders above the rest. This is mainly due to the A.I. feeling like a seperate, interactable individual, as opposed to being an invicible non-entity, or being context sensitive only, like with most games today.

You can claim that the rise of the indie "emotion" games will make TLG feel less unique, but in terms of gameplay I don't really see what's that generic about it, other than climbing a chain, pulling a lever, and carrying a barrel. In which case, what game isn't generic?

 

[stroopwafel]

SotC was and still is technically impressive. And seeing as TLG is working with the same climbing interaction minus the stamina meter, that gives it one up on most clambering games today. The fact that games like Ico and SotC are still remembered foundly today is because in the realm of escort/companion games they stand head and shoulders above the rest. This is mainly due to the A.I. feeling like a seperate, interactable individual, as opposed to being an invicible non-entity, or being context sensitive only, like with most games today.

You can claim that the rise of the indie "emotion" games will make TLG feel less unique, but in terms of gameplay I don't really see what's that generic about it, other than climbing a chain, pulling a lever, and carrying a barrel. In which case, what game isn't generic?

Excellent points! I'll also add that rather than judging the game on it's disparate parts it's the entire mood and experience that makes these games so unique. It is this intangible element, this signature style perhaps, that can't be replicated since it's so inherent to this one creator. Like, even if I didn't know this game was a 'successor' to Ico/SotC I would immediately recognize that the same people are behind it. Even if the gameplay isn't perfect, you can still be really drawn into a certain game b/c the world is so genuinely mysterious, intriguing and compelling.

Also the bump in framerate really made SotC better on PS3 where it wasn't taxing the hardware to it's limits like on PS2. Similarly I can see Last Guardian having such complex AI calculations that PS3(already known for it's poor system memory) couldn't handle it other than perhaps stripping the game of it's entire aesthetic sensibilities(and thus destroying the game's atmosphere). I can see the team aim too high and not being able to deliver on their ambition or having to make too many concessions to make it work(*cough* watch dogs, dark souls 2, no mans sky etc.) I don't think any developer has intention to call it quits years in development, so I think it actually really shows Ueda's artistic integrity by not having pushed the game through no matter what. Fortuntaly though, the team soldiered on with the next generation.

 

[CaitSeith]

It looks it's age.
I mean that in the nicest possible way. I can't really say more than what's been said. It's not really a unique style of gameplay anymore so it doesn't look like something that has taken 10 years to make. After Ico and SotC you'd think Ueda would want to try a different look. I suppose he's just happy in his comfort zone?

It also ABSOLUTELY looks like it could have been done on the PS3. I have no idea what they've been doing all this time.

It seems it wants to give what their fans wanted when they were teased the first time. Well, at least this looks better than the trend-chasing train-wreck that Duke Nukem Forever was.

 

[Skatalite]

I see a lot of Shadow of the Colossus in this game's mechanics. Like too much. I am not downing on SotC but the controls felt fluttery and unpolished and TLG looks like it controls just as wonky as SotC did. Its not a turnoff so much as incredible that the devs couldn't tighten up the feel just a bit.

Its controls aren't supposed to be tight, they're supposed to be realistic. Tight controls would make it feel like some kind of arcade platformer to me, not at all what they're going for.

And we should know by now that two decent games (let's not pretend that Ico and SotC didn't have their problems) doesn't mean making a third game of the same type will be good. In fact, the third game is probably where the formula begins to wear thin.

So that automatically makes Ico and SotC only decent? Because they had their problems?
Hell I don't think the formula is wearing thin either... Games like these are still by FAR in a minority. The more the better.

I look at the gameplay, and I see a more expensive Papo & Yo. You can argue that the graphics are better, but that is what a new generation, 10 years of development, a whole studio and a big budget would give you. Also notice the graphics are not a lot better considering this was shown to run on a PS3...

Well, it was shown to run on a PS3, but it really didn't [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-06-17-ps3-last-guardian-trailer-was-specced-up-for-the-occasion].

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

I see a lot of Shadow of the Colossus in this game's mechanics. Like too much. I am not downing on SotC but the controls felt fluttery and unpolished and TLG looks like it controls just as wonky as SotC did. Its not a turnoff so much as incredible that the devs couldn't tighten up the feel just a bit.

Its controls aren't supposed to be tight, they're supposed to be realistic. Tight controls would make it feel like some kind of arcade platformer to me, not at all what they're going for.

I honestly don't feel that at all. "Realistic" controls don't explain away janky controls, and making them a bit tighter isn't going to kill realism in a game that has fantastic shit in it anyway, the whole realistic factor is blown away by a dog/griffon thing in the first place. But in terms of controls, its just annoying as hell to have a floaty character. I don't find it challenging when inputs feel like they're laggy or unresponsive.

 

[Zombie Proof]

Oh look, a game already hated by part of the community due to it's exclusivity is getting more hate for being years late (c'mon, dont they know how easy games are to make *stupid asshole devs*).

The time has come internet! Shed thine objectivity and bask in the hatred! Rip apart every detail and remove them from the context of the game's design! Compare these elements to other games as proof that this late pile of fetus derived stem cells was the abomination we knew it to be all along!
Destroy it!
Bathe in it's blood!

That's what they get for being late and giving us, "the entitled" less than absolute perfection. These devs are overrated shit!
*walks away with long coat blowing in the wind*

...on topic, I agree OP. This joint looks pretty damn good. More Ico than Shadow of the Colossus (which I was never really a fan of) and that suits me just fine.

 

[Marik2]

Well get it once the price drops as usual

 

[CaitSeith]

Oh look, a game already hated by part of the community due to it's exclusivity is getting more hate for being years late (c'mon, dont they know how easy games are to make *stupid asshole devs*).

The time has come internet! Shed thine objectivity and bask in the hatred! Rip apart every detail and remove them from the context of the game's design! Compare these elements to other games as proof that this late pile of fetus derived stem cells was the abomination we knew it to be all along!
Destroy it!
Bathe in it's blood!

That's what they get for being late and giving us, "the entitled" less than absolute perfection. These devs are overrated shit!
*walks away with long coat blowing in the wind*

...on topic, I agree OP. This joint looks pretty damn good. More Ico than Shadow of the Colossus (which I was never really a fan of) and that suits me just fine.

Give that animated man a fedora, and you get what probably will be the Zero Punctuation review for the game.

 

[Here Comes Tomorrow]

Oh look, a game already hated by part of the community due to it's exclusivity is getting more hate for being years late (c'mon, dont they know how easy games are to make *stupid asshole devs*).

The time has come internet! Shed thine objectivity and bask in the hatred! Rip apart every detail and remove them from the context of the game's design! Compare these elements to other games as proof that this late pile of fetus derived stem cells was the abomination we knew it to be all along!
Destroy it!
Bathe in it's blood!

That's what they get for being late and giving us, "the entitled" less than absolute perfection. These devs are overrated shit!
*walks away with long coat blowing in the wind*

...on topic, I agree OP. This joint looks pretty damn good. More Ico than Shadow of the Colossus (which I was never really a fan of) and that suits me just fine.

Wooooooow...projecting much?
I must say, the defenders are reacting much, much more strongly than the people saying it doesn't look that exciting.

Literally no one has "hated" it yet. The strongest thing said against it is that it looks generic.

 

[Zenja]

Wow comparing this to the shallow Duke Nukem and Mighty Number Nine. Oddly enough ICO and Shadows of the Colossus are popular not because of their mechanics, but because of the stories they tell. One through gameplay, and one through story arc. Meaning that based on their track record, this isn't "just a game with gates and jumping puzzles". It probably has a great story behind it too. If anything, there is plenty of reason to look forward to its release to see what they do this time.

Oh look, a game already hated by part of the community due to it's exclusivity is getting more hate for being years late (c'mon, dont they know how easy games are to make *stupid asshole devs*).

The time has come internet! Shed thine objectivity and bask in the hatred! Rip apart every detail and remove them from the context of the game's design! Compare these elements to other games as proof that this late pile of fetus derived stem cells was the abomination we knew it to be all along!
Destroy it!

Yep, the console wars are apparently far from gone. This gen especially has made many bitter about it considering that technology really has yet to advance this generation. The "next gen" games are being released on last gen consoles with minimal differences. The new consoles cant do 1080p at 60FPS. As well, the graphical fidelity having barely improved is a big argument against this gen, thus the PS4 Pro & Scorpio. So the "5 years earlier" argument makes zero sense. As well, given PS4 Pros new stance of mandatory 4k releases means this will be released in 4k but its another graphics vs. aesthetics argument because 4k isnt going to make this style look like what they want it to.

Odds are people like us who are looking forward to the release will get another great addition to the ICO library and those squawking will refuse to give it any merit on the sheer principle they decided to hate it. I would prefer having another game I enjoy over another game I choose to see as shit in the sea of them.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

I see a lot of Shadow of the Colossus in this game's mechanics. Like too much. I am not downing on SotC but the controls felt fluttery and unpolished and TLG looks like it controls just as wonky as SotC did. Its not a turnoff so much as incredible that the devs couldn't tighten up the feel just a bit.

Its controls aren't supposed to be tight, they're supposed to be realistic. Tight controls would make it feel like some kind of arcade platformer to me, not at all what they're going for.

I honestly don't feel that at all. "Realistic" controls don't explain away janky controls, and making them a bit tighter isn't going to kill realism in a game that has fantastic shit in it anyway, the whole realistic factor is blown away by a dog/griffon thing in the first place. But in terms of controls, its just annoying as hell to have a floaty character. I don't find it challenging when inputs feel like they're laggy or unresponsive.

I don't understand how the controls are an issue in either ICO or SotC. I never had issues with the controls nor did I ever die due to the controls in either game. If the controls are objectively bad then how do people succeed at the time attack modes on SotC? It was actually quite refreshing to play the ICO collection on PS3 because it reminded me how awful most games with platforming are due to the game making all the jumps for you nowadays. For example in Uncharted, you just go to the area near the edge, point in the direction where you want to go, and an animation takes you to the other side. Actually having FULL control over you character and actually having to make the jumps yourself is actual fucking platforming unlike the shit we have now. Just because the character has weight to him doesn't mean the controls are laggy. Dark Souls has more control issues than SotC.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

I see a lot of Shadow of the Colossus in this game's mechanics. Like too much. I am not downing on SotC but the controls felt fluttery and unpolished and TLG looks like it controls just as wonky as SotC did. Its not a turnoff so much as incredible that the devs couldn't tighten up the feel just a bit.

Its controls aren't supposed to be tight, they're supposed to be realistic. Tight controls would make it feel like some kind of arcade platformer to me, not at all what they're going for.

I honestly don't feel that at all. "Realistic" controls don't explain away janky controls, and making them a bit tighter isn't going to kill realism in a game that has fantastic shit in it anyway, the whole realistic factor is blown away by a dog/griffon thing in the first place. But in terms of controls, its just annoying as hell to have a floaty character. I don't find it challenging when inputs feel like they're laggy or unresponsive.

I don't understand how the controls are an issue in either ICO or SotC. I never had issues with the controls nor did I ever die due to the controls in either game. If the controls are objectively bad then how do people succeed at the time attack modes on SotC? It was actually quite refreshing to play the ICO collection on PS3 because it reminded me how awful most games with platforming are due to the game making all the jumps for you nowadays. For example in Uncharted, you just go to the area near the edge, point in the direction where you want to go, and an animation takes you to the other side. Actually having FULL control over you character and actually having to make the jumps yourself is actual fucking platforming unlike the shit we have now. Just because the character has weight to him doesn't mean the controls are laggy. Dark Souls has more control issues than SotC.

Before you get too intense, please know that I enjoy SotC, but feel its controls could be tightened a bit to make it less annoying. I'm not asking for Uncharted handholding "press 'X' to jump to the other side" style, but rather just some tightening overall to make the character feel less squirrely at times. Not "objectively bad" but just feel a bit floaty at times. I've had more than one instance in SotC where it felt like the character's movement hampered my input, not because of anything but the controls being a bit too loose. TLG looks from the video to have very similar controls, but it could be tighter, I don't know. I'm only hoping some refinement has come along because it'd be a shame if they just ported the old engine over without a little tinkering.
So please, before you go off, realize that not everyone likes the same things you do, nor is SotC a pinnacle of perfection that couldn't stand some improvement.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Before you get too intense, please know that I enjoy SotC, but feel its controls could be tightened a bit to make it less annoying. I'm not asking for Uncharted handholding "press 'X' to jump to the other side" style, but rather just some tightening overall to make the character feel less squirrely at times. Not "objectively bad" but just feel a bit floaty at times. I've had more than one instance in SotC where it felt like the character's movement hampered my input, not because of anything but the controls being a bit too loose. TLG looks from the video to have very similar controls, but it could be tighter, I don't know. I'm only hoping some refinement has come along because it'd be a shame if they just ported the old engine over without a little tinkering.
So please, before you go off, realize that not everyone likes the same things you do, nor is SotC a pinnacle of perfection that couldn't stand some improvement.

I'm not implying SotC is perfect but really the main issue I had with the controls was my initial adjustment phase as the game used different buttons for certain actions (than the industry standard) and the game did a few things its own way. That's pretty much it. I could go into very deep and elaborate detail about how Uncharted literally does have shit controls from improper shoulder swapping to no camera sensitivity option (besides the 4th game) to the obvious roll/cover being the same button (for every fucking game) and all the way down to nonexistent aim acceleration. Literally the only thing I could recall being a bit frustrating in SotC was killing those lizards on the stone save point structures. Modern games in comparison have way more control issues due to games using context sensitive controls and trying to anticipate what I want to do vs giving me full control over everything. Full control does make for slightly clunkier controls but when you get the controls down, you can actually do things faster and more exact than having any context sensitive-ness/automation.

 

[Zombie Proof]

Oh look, a game already hated by part of the community due to it's exclusivity is getting more hate for being years late (c'mon, dont they know how easy games are to make *stupid asshole devs*).

The time has come internet! Shed thine objectivity and bask in the hatred! Rip apart every detail and remove them from the context of the game's design! Compare these elements to other games as proof that this late pile of fetus derived stem cells was the abomination we knew it to be all along!
Destroy it!
Bathe in it's blood!

That's what they get for being late and giving us, "the entitled" less than absolute perfection. These devs are overrated shit!
*walks away with long coat blowing in the wind*

...on topic, I agree OP. This joint looks pretty damn good. More Ico than Shadow of the Colossus (which I was never really a fan of) and that suits me just fine.

Wooooooow...projecting much?
I must say, the defenders are reacting much, much more strongly than the people saying it doesn't look that exciting.

Literally no one has "hated" it yet. The strongest thing said against it is that it looks generic.

Put your tits away sweet pea, I was jokin (kinda).