Can he do it again?

It is a cold hard fact. Video game design is a business that counts way more talented engineers than gifted storytellers. Among the small crowd of narrative artists stands one underrated, unsung star. Fumito Ueda. The quiet, but effective designer is the bulk behind Team Ico's all-time greats such as Playstation 2's Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. As much as Ueda and his crew love to cultivate mystery about their upcoming games, The Last Guardian is going to hit the shelves in a few months. Gamers are in the right to ask themselves what they can possibly expect from the developers of two of the most unexpected successes in recent video game history. Yours truly put on his Phillip Marlowe hat and trench coat and investigated one of the most interesting mysteries of 2010.

What's the game about?

There is nothing straightforward about The Last Guardian, yet the premise looks simple. This is the story of a boy and a giant griffin-like creature. There is little yet known about their relationship, but recently details gave been released that hint towards a general idea of the plot. Hinting towards a general idea of the plot... yep... this is SO you Ueda! We have seen the creature, referred to as being a sea eagle, attacking an armoured soldier. We have also seen the boy avoiding the soldiers, so there appears to be an armed conflict. Whether or not that is the conflict that makes the game, we would be giving up on Team Ico if we were to conclude that that is what it is all about.

A big emphasis is put on atmosphere and sound. The lair of the creature seems to be central to the game as emphasis is put on its immensity and supernatural aspect in the game's promotion. The central theme of the game is the relationship between a young boy and a supernatural creature in times of war. No one really knows, but here is how you can logically deduct this.

A game where you do what?

Fortunately, director Ueda has been a lot less subtle about the gameplay details of his new opus. The gameplay is usually what makes or breaks a game and The Last Guardian is no different than the others on this. The game has been described as being a third person action/puzzle game and the main questions raised are about the puzzles in the game. See, there are few things that are less threatening than children in video games. You have no power of your own but speed, stealth and your relationship with the sea eagle. If you are looking to gun down aliens, look somewhere else. But if you are even more intrigued by the idea of Team Ico, good news, because this is where things get really interesting.

The bulk of the work that Ueda put in the game is around the creature. Your main job, as the little boy will be to try to make the most of your giant friend's natural reactions. You will have to make him perform actions by gaining its trust and train him to exhibit certain behaviours, the way to can train a dog for example. You will have to conquer the creature's heart, make it your pet, make it your friend, whatever is needed to get the job done. The game is about emotional attachment and how well you can handle it in order to complete tasks.

The Last Guardian obviously won't be of any appeal to all the Rambo wannabees that are handling a controller in order to vent their frustrations and kill as much as they can within a certain time window. This is a game structured around puzzles that will force its players to think outside the box in order to survive. Considering that many games have been struggling in the past to incorporate puzzles and keep an entertaining pace (games usually stop for the time it takes you to resolve them) and it is going to be interesting to see how Team Ico engineers the action around the puzzles.

The bits and pieces we have seen, despite being very scarce on details, don't lie. It is a game about a boy and a creature. It is a completely new way to approach gaming mechanics. The Last Guardian will be linear in the sense that it will offer you a tale, but the way you will experience it will be different than what you have come to expect. You will have to rely on your wits and on others. Will you be up to the challenge?

Ben, why should I buy this title?

I am rarely a hundred percent sure that a game will hit the mark. Most of the time, confidence rises when reliable developers and creative individuals are behind a project. The Last Guardian is the new baby of one of the smartest, creative, patient and detail oriented developing team on the videogame market. Team Ico has always chosen to go with quality over quantity, over monetary gain, over anything. They are passionate about the art of making games, always searching for ways to push back boundaries and offer the gamers new experiences. People like that will give you quality games time after time.

I would recommend The Last Guardian to aficionados of puzzle games, action/adventure games or just seekers of new experiences. If you are jaded with the concept of genres in gaming, give The Last Guardian a try.