Monday, June 25, 2018

The Last Guardian VR Demo (PS4 / PSVR)


The Last Guardian VR Demo is a tech demo for the PlayStation VR.  It utilizes the same setting as The Last Guardian with the player as the boy, interacting with the creature Trico.  The player plays from a first-person perspective.  To minimize motion sickness, you cannot walk freely, only look around.  To get to another point, there are specific teleport points where if you look at it, you can decide to warp there (the screen fades to black before reappearing at the different spot).


The gameplay is very light.  Apart from teleporting from place to place (and as you advance the game, you cannot return to previous spots, they just disappear), there will be opportunities to call for Trico, pick up and throw barrels, and pull levers.  The main aim is to just immerse yourself into its world.


Being on PlayStation VR, the resolution and graphics takes a huge hit compared to the main game.  This can be jarring at first (and especially in the outdoor environments where it is really fuzzy) but once Trico appears, it is really impressive.  Why?  Because when Trico comes up close and nuzzles you, it truly feels that you are right next to it and you expect that if you reach out a hand, you'll be able to feel the fur.


The quiet surreal sounds of the ancient ruins around you, with just you and Trico, evoke quite the atmosphere.  At various points, you'll be able to jump onto Trico and ride him.  These sections are short at only a few seconds, any longer and they'll likely to cause motion sickness for some players.  The usage of the rumble at key moments keeps you within its world and enhances the experience.  As it is only a demo, it is very short.  Depending on how much you stay in one spot to look around, it can take you 20 to 30 minutes to finish it.


Overall, The Last Guardian VR Demo isn't a full experience but it is a worthwhile one.  The magical moment when Trico appears, jumps in front of you and then comes really close is unparalleled in terms of immersion and surprise.  As the demo is free anyway and doesn't take much of your time, it's definitely worth the download.

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