The Last Guardian
Thursday, May 28th, 2009
A trailer has appeared for Fumito Ueda and Team Ico’s next project. The third game developed by the team is now known as “The Last Guardian” and looks to continue the companionship theme seen in their earlier projects.
Ico
Ico, their first game, presented players with the task of protecting and escaping with a young, often defenseless girl named Yorda. She hindered the player, yet was necessary to progress. A complicated set of emotions emerged from the frustration of keeping her safe while going on the treacherous journey together. It was character development at a minimalistic level. Not many stories feature deep character development without the use of spoken dialogue.
Shadow of the Colossus continued the theme with a horse named Agro, the hero’s sole ally. Staying in line with the frustration (and depth) that comes with a realistic ally, Ueda noted that, “a real horse … doesn’t always obey. It’s not like a car or a motorcycle, it won’t always turn when you say ‘turn!’” Yet, Agro is essential in taking down some of the faster moving colossi. After the fall of these titans, there’s a feeling of accomplishment and joy from working together with Agro, crushing any previous resentments towards the horse.
The Last Guardian, at this point, looks to blend Agro’s functionality with Yorda’s fragility. The creature gently lifts the boy back to safety and transports him to a range of different areas. Arrows can be seen sticking out of the creature’s side, implying there will be some sort of conflict. I can only imagine the feeling of watching this creature become gravely injured after bonding with it. Is Ueda developing a tragedy?