History VideoGame / TheLastGuardian

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The companions manage to escape the ruins, albeit injured. Trico takes the boy back home, but the latter is forced to make him leave as the villagers fear him. Years later, the now-adult boy finds the magic shield and as he aims it to the sky, Trico -living in its original cell- wakes up with eyes glowing, implying they'll reunite again, this time the boy has told other's Trico's story so villagers won't fear him this time. Also, Trico is implied to [[BabiesEverAfter have had a baby]].]]

* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler:The companions manage to escape the ruins, albeit injured. Trico takes the boy back home, but the latter is forced to make him leave as the villagers fear him. Years later, the now-adult boy finds the magic shield and as he aims it to the sky, Trico -living in its original cell- wakes up with eyes glowing, implying they'll reunite again. Also, Trico is implied to [[BabiesEverAfter have had a baby]].]]

Team ICO began developing the game in 2007, and it was announced at [[UsefulNotes/ElectronicEntertainmentExpo E3]] 2009 with a planned release in 2011 exclusively for the Platform/PlayStation3. Unfortunately, the game suffered many delays and a generation jump in addition to Fumito Ueda, head of Team ICO and director of all of the team's games including this one, departing from Creator/{{Sony}} in December 2011 along with many of the team's staff, effectively meaning it no longer exists. However, Ueda and other former Team ICO members created a new studio called [=genDESIGN=] and decided to finish the game, further opting to commit themselves to helping Sony complete it through contract and working alongside Sony's internal Japan Studio. The game was then formally reintroduced at E3 2015.

Team ICO began developing the game in 2007, and it was announced at [[UsefulNotes/ElectronicEntertainmentExpo E3]] 2009 with a planned release in 2011 exclusively for the Platform/PlayStation3. Unfortunately, the game suffered many delays and a generation jump in addition to Fumito Ueda, head of Team ICO and director of all of the team's games including this one, departing from Creator/{{Sony}} in December 2011 along with many of the team's staff, effectively meaning it no longer exists. However, Ueda and other former Team ICO members created a new studio called [=genDESIGN=] and decided to finish the game, further opting to commit themselves to helping Sony complete it through contract and working alongside Sony's internal Japan Studio.

Team ICO began developing the game in 2007, and it was announced at [[UsefulNotes/ElectronicEntertainmentExpo E3]] 2009 with a planned release in 2011 exclusively for the Platform/PlayStation3. Unfortunately, the game suffered many delays and a generation jump in addition to Fumito Ueda, director of this game and previous Team ICO games, departing from Creator/{{Sony}} in December 2011 along with many staff of Team ICO, effectively meaning the team no longer exists. However, Ueda and other former Team ICO members created a new studio called [=genDESIGN=] and decided to finish the game, further opting to commit themselves to helping Sony complete it through contract and working alongside Sony's internal Japan Studio.

''The Last Guardian'' is an adventure game, and the third work by [[VideoGame/TeamIcoSeries Team ICO]]. This one tells the story of a young boy who awakens in a dark cavern, with no knowledge of how he got there. To his shock, sleeping next to him is a giant feathered griffin-like beast named Trico, chained to the floor and injured. Though the beast is initially hostile, the boy is slowly able to free it and win its trust - and, eventually, to work together.

They'll need to. The boy quickly discovers that he's in the midst of [[RuinsForRuinsSake an enormous ruin]] known as the Nest: a gigantic complex of towering structures and interconnecting walkways, walled off by mile-high mountains and built above a gigantic abyss. If the boy has any hope for escape, he will need Trico's help in not only traversing these crumbling ruins, but also for protection. Magically-possessed suits of armor inhabit many of the Nest's significant structures, and will try to capture the boy on sight. Only Trico can keep the boy safe from them...and from even more dangerous foes.

Team Ico began developing the game in 2007, and was announced at the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo with a planned release in 2011 exclusively for the Usefulnotes/PlayStation3. Unfortunately, the game [[DevelopmentHell suffered many delays and a generation jump]]. The development was later hampered by Ueda's departure from Sony in December 2011, along with many staff of Team Ico, effectively meaning the team no longer exists. However, Ueda and other former Team Ico members created a new studio: genDESIGN. This studio decided to finish the game and opted to commit themselves to helping Sony complete it through contract and working alongside Sony's internal Japan Studio.

After this lengthy production cycle and several delays, the game was released for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 on December 6, 2016.

The game is confirmed to be in the same continuity as ''VideoGame/{{ICO}}'' and ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus''. However, it's place in the timeline is more ambiguous than how ''ICO'' and ''Shadow'' relate to one another.

* CinematicPlatformGame: Some of the things the boy has to do in order to progress would make the ''Franchise/PrinceOfPersia'' get butterflies in his stomach. There are many, many points where the boy will have to tight rope walk and jump across large drop offs, all of which the game's camera ''loves'' to put emphasis on. If you get vertigo easily, this game is not for you.

* SavedFromDevelopmentHell: The game was in development for '''9 years'''.

* FinalDungeonPreview: You first approach the last tower from a narrow, wooden bridge but are unable to enter its interior. You and Trico are then attacked by a large group of armoured guards, which results in the bridge being destroyed and forces you to land onto another tower. After traversing through more ruins, you once again reach the Citadel's exterior [[spoiler:thanks to Trico's wings healing enough for him to make the journey]]. This time, you can enter inside and make your way up the tower in the hope that you will finally escape the Nest.

* AndYourRewardIsClothes: Beating the game and starting a NewGamePlus gives Trico the badge of honor, a collar reminiscent of of a dog collar that becomes fancier with more times you've beaten the game on NewGamePlus. Beating the game with a certain amount of barrels also news the boy variants on his clothing, two of which bring to mind [[VideoGame/{{ICO}} Ico's]] and [[VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus Wander's]] clothing. Beating the game with every barrel fed to Trico [[spoiler:lets the boy unlock a Trico plush that can be used to change the feather colors and draw on Trico himself.]]

* AndYourRewardIsClothes: Beating the game and starting a NewGamePlus gives Trico the badge of honor, a collar reminiscent of of a dog collar that becomes fancier with more times you've beaten the game on NewGamePlus. Beating the game with a certain amount of barrels also news the boy variants on his clothing, two of which bring to mind [[VideoGame/{{ICO}} Ico's]] and [[VideoGameShadowOfTheColossus Wander's]] clothing. Beating the game with every barrel fed to Trico [[spoiler:lets the boy unlock a Trico plush that can be used to change the feather colors and draw on Trico himself.]]