First Runner Up: The Last Guardian
Nearly a decade is how long fans of Shadow of the Colossus waited for Fumito Ueda’s following project. The Last Guardian, for a while at least, seemed like it was never going to be. After being announced for the PS3, the developers went silent and there was a lot of confusing circling around the PlayStation exclusive title. Team Ico was no more, and Fumito Ueda was no longer an employee of Sony. As far as fans were concerned, the project was doomed to the annals of development hell history. Fast forward to 2015, and The Last Guardian was reintroduced, this time as a PS4 exclusive with an even more beautiful Trico.
Still, even though it was confirmed to be alive, and releasing soon, there was always that worry that it simply wouldn’t stand up to everything else that has released since. Thankfully, the mind that brought us the beautiful worlds and companions that made Ico and Shadow of the Colossus instant classics didn’t let us down. One need only spend a few minutes with the boy who serves as The Last Guardian’s protagonist and Trico, the huge griffin/cat beast, to see that this PS4 title is something truly special.
Throughout the adventure, you’ll build a relationship with your new, beastly friend. It’s not one that is forced or is set before the game ever actually releases. When the boy meets Trico for the first time, you do as well. Your caution and perseverance, your desire to care, and your curiosity will drive the story and build what is easily one of the most well-done relationships to have graced a video game in quite some time. And that bond that grows is surrounded by a beautiful world that pulls you in every direction, as you endeavor to escape its confines while solving the mystery of what brought you here in the first place.
Admittedly, The Last Guardian isn’t for everyone. It’s not full of explosions and loud noises, huge monologues, and not a lot of hand-holding as you slowly make your way through the detailed ruins with your new companion. What it does have is an experience that will tug at your heartstrings as you make a new friend in a frightening world, and that alone is something marvelous.
