<s>
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2016	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Japan	O
Studio	O
and	O
GenDesign	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Sony	O
Interactive	O
Entertainment	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
began	O
developing	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
in	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
designed	O
and	O
directed	O
by	O
Fumito	O
Ueda	O
,	O
and	O
shares	O
stylistic	O
,	O
thematic	O
,	O
and	O
gameplay	O
elements	O
with	O
his	O
previous	O
games	O
,	O
Ico	B-Application
(	O
2001	O
)	O
and	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
(	O
2005	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
announced	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
at	O
E3	O
2009	O
with	O
a	O
planned	O
release	O
in	O
2011	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
suffered	O
numerous	O
delays	O
;	O
Ueda	O
and	O
other	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
members	O
departed	O
Sony	O
,	O
forming	O
the	O
studio	O
GenDesign	O
,	O
and	O
hardware	O
difficulties	O
moved	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
in	O
2012	O
,	O
drawing	O
speculation	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
not	O
see	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
was	O
reintroduced	O
at	O
E3	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
its	O
predecessors	O
Ico	B-Application
(	O
2001	O
)	O
and	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
(	O
2005	O
)	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
is	O
a	O
third-person	O
game	O
that	O
combines	O
action-adventure	O
and	O
puzzle	O
elements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardians	I-Application
story	O
is	O
framed	O
as	O
a	O
flashback	O
told	O
by	O
an	O
older	O
man	O
(	O
voiced	O
by	O
Hiroshi	O
Shirokuma	O
)	O
recounting	O
his	O
experience	O
as	O
a	O
boy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
his	O
previous	O
game	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
,	O
director	O
Fumito	O
Ueda	O
had	O
intended	O
to	O
create	O
an	O
emotional	O
interaction	O
between	O
Mono	O
,	O
the	O
character	O
that	O
Wander	O
wants	O
to	O
save	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
colossi	O
that	O
Wander	O
must	O
fight	O
to	O
save	O
her	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ueda	O
found	O
that	O
people	O
were	O
drawn	O
to	O
games	O
with	O
lifelike	O
creatures	O
,	O
and	O
felt	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
needed	O
something	O
similar	O
to	O
attract	O
a	O
broad	O
audience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
used	O
programmed	O
key	O
frame	O
animations	O
instead	O
of	O
more	O
common	O
motion	B-Application
capture	I-Application
techniques	O
,	O
allowing	O
them	O
to	O
capture	O
subtleties	O
that	O
would	O
be	O
difficult	O
using	O
live	O
animal	O
subjects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Trico	O
functions	O
similarly	O
to	O
the	O
colossi	O
the	O
player	O
climbs	O
in	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
,	O
journalists	O
have	O
described	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
as	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
Ico	B-Application
and	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
;	O
Ueda	O
stated	O
there	O
was	O
"	O
a	O
bit	O
of	O
each	O
of	O
those	O
 [ games ] 	O
in	O
there	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
Ico	B-Application
and	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
have	O
a	O
similar	O
changing	O
connection	O
between	O
pairs	O
of	O
characters	O
,	O
Ueda	O
said	O
there	O
was	O
more	O
"	O
dynamic	O
range	O
"	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
is	O
the	O
first	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
game	O
to	O
use	O
voice-over	O
narration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Whereas	O
the	O
team	O
had	O
designed	O
the	O
areas	O
of	O
previous	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
characters	O
they	O
had	O
designed	O
in	O
advance	O
,	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
they	O
made	O
Trico	O
as	O
flexible	O
as	O
possible	O
,	O
allowing	O
them	O
to	O
create	O
levels	O
and	O
have	O
Trico	O
adapt	O
to	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
animation	O
system	O
uses	O
layers	O
of	O
animation	O
that	O
mimic	O
real-life	O
physics	O
,	O
taking	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
greater	O
processing	O
power	O
of	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
create	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
art	O
and	O
architecture	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
used	O
the	O
same	O
"	O
design	O
through	O
subtraction	O
"	O
method	O
they	O
had	O
used	O
to	O
develop	O
Ico	B-Application
and	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
,	O
removing	O
elements	O
they	O
felt	O
distracted	O
from	O
the	O
core	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
game	O
engine	O
builds	O
on	O
the	O
team	O
's	O
previous	O
development	O
of	O
AI	O
processing	O
from	O
Ico	B-Application
and	O
transformative	O
collisions	O
from	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
game	O
to	O
use	O
a	O
full	O
physics	O
engine	O
,	O
Havok	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yasuhide	O
Kobayashi	O
,	O
vice	O
president	O
of	O
Japan	O
Studio	O
,	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
title	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
was	O
chosen	O
to	O
appeal	O
to	O
the	O
larger	O
demographic	O
markets	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
and	O
Europe	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
hoping	O
to	O
avoid	O
the	O
cultural	O
problems	O
in	O
title	O
and	O
artwork	O
blamed	O
for	O
Icos	O
low	O
sales	O
in	O
western	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2019	O
interview	O
Fumito	O
Ueda	O
mentioned	O
that	O
Trico	O
they	O
were	O
creating	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
actually	O
had	O
more	O
motion	O
patterns	O
than	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
version	O
did	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
were	O
unable	O
to	O
transfer	O
everything	O
due	O
to	O
transition	O
time	O
issues	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
initial	O
ideas	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
envisioned	O
by	O
Ueda	O
since	O
around	O
2005	O
after	O
completing	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
in	O
active	O
development	O
since	O
2007	O
,	O
a	O
year	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
working	O
title	O
was	O
Project	B-Application
Trico	I-Application
,	O
revealed	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
due	O
to	O
a	O
leaked	O
video	O
posted	O
at	O
PlayStation	O
Lifestyle	O
in	O
2008	O
that	O
showed	O
the	O
current	O
"	O
Target	O
Render	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
at	O
that	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ueda	O
had	O
long	O
considered	O
the	O
development	O
time	O
for	O
Ico	B-Application
and	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
,	O
and	O
had	O
anticipated	O
being	O
able	O
"	O
to	O
create	O
something	O
good	O
in	O
a	O
short	O
period	O
of	O
time	O
"	O
with	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
at	O
the	O
onset	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ueda	O
had	O
considered	O
including	O
this	O
demo	O
on	O
the	O
then-upcoming	O
remastered	O
The	B-Application
Ico	I-Application
&	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
Collection	I-Application
,	O
though	O
it	O
was	O
ultimately	O
not	O
included	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Behind	O
the	O
scenes	O
,	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
was	O
considered	O
slow	O
by	O
Shuhei	O
Yoshida	O
,	O
the	O
president	O
of	O
Sony	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
Worldwide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yoshida	O
explained	O
that	O
the	O
vision	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
was	O
based	O
on	O
a	O
video	O
prepared	O
by	O
Ueda	O
to	O
demonstrate	O
the	O
concepts	O
and	O
style	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
a	O
process	O
Ueda	O
had	O
used	O
for	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Sony	O
wanted	O
to	O
stay	O
true	O
to	O
that	O
vision	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
small	O
studio	O
compared	O
to	O
other	O
Sony	O
studios	O
in	O
Japan	O
or	O
other	O
Western	O
developers	O
,	O
were	O
struggling	O
with	O
achieving	O
Ueda	O
's	O
vision	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2015	O
Yoshida	O
revealed	O
that	O
the	O
previous	O
2009	O
trailer	O
was	O
"	O
specced	O
up	O
"	O
,	O
running	O
at	O
a	O
much	O
lower	O
frame	O
rate	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
sped	O
up	O
for	O
the	O
presentation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2012	O
,	O
with	O
Sony	O
preparing	O
to	O
announce	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
still	O
recognizing	O
the	O
sluggish	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
decided	O
to	O
change	O
the	O
target	O
platform	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
so	O
that	O
Ueda	O
's	O
concept	O
could	O
be	O
fully	O
realized	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ueda	O
stated	O
that	O
this	O
choice	O
was	O
primarily	O
Sony	O
's	O
decision	O
,	O
speculating	O
that	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
at	O
this	O
point	O
would	O
still	O
have	O
been	O
sufficient	O
to	O
convey	O
his	O
concept	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
target	O
platform	O
switch	O
,	O
Ueda	O
and	O
other	O
members	O
of	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
were	O
not	O
as	O
involved	O
with	O
the	O
process	O
,	O
as	O
other	O
teams	O
worked	O
to	O
take	O
the	O
highly	O
customized	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
code	O
to	O
adapt	O
it	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
;	O
this	O
included	O
the	O
help	O
of	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
lead	O
architect	O
Mark	O
Cerny	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
reintroduction	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
at	O
the	O
E3	O
2015	O
,	O
Yoshida	O
explained	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
engine	O
is	O
now	O
fully	O
running	O
at	O
speed	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
that	O
the	O
remainder	O
of	O
the	O
development	O
lies	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
designers	O
to	O
complete	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
Sony	O
's	O
decision	O
to	O
delay	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
early	O
that	O
year	O
,	O
Ueda	O
and	O
other	O
Sony	O
and	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
employees	O
opted	O
to	O
leave	O
Sony	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
executive	O
producer	O
Yoshifusa	O
Hayama	O
joined	O
Bossa	O
Studios	O
to	O
work	O
on	O
social/mobile	O
games	O
,	O
while	O
two	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
artists	O
joined	O
an	O
indie	O
startup	O
studio	O
Friends	O
&	O
Foes	O
to	O
develop	O
their	O
first	O
game	O
,	O
Vane	O
,	O
which	O
has	O
been	O
compared	O
visually	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ueda	O
and	O
other	O
former	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
members	O
,	O
including	O
Jinji	O
Horagai	O
,	O
the	O
lead	O
programmer	O
from	O
Ico	B-Application
and	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
,	O
created	O
a	O
new	O
studio	O
,	O
GenDesign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
founding	O
the	O
studio	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
faced	O
with	O
a	O
choice	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Ueda	O
:	O
"	O
Do	O
we	O
try	O
to	O
create	O
something	O
new	O
,	O
or	O
do	O
we	O
keep	O
going	O
,	O
providing	O
support	O
on	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
?	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
GenDesign	O
opted	O
to	O
commit	O
themselves	O
to	O
helping	O
Sony	O
complete	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
through	O
contract	O
and	O
working	O
alongside	O
Sony	O
's	O
internal	O
studio	O
,	O
Japan	O
Studio	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ueda	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
final	O
game	O
,	O
as	O
of	O
June	O
2016	O
,	O
still	O
represents	O
the	O
initial	O
vision	O
he	O
had	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
at	O
its	O
onset	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
transition	O
from	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
to	O
4	O
only	O
improved	O
how	O
the	O
game	O
looked	O
,	O
but	O
did	O
not	O
change	O
how	O
it	O
played	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardians	I-Application
original	O
score	O
was	O
written	O
,	O
orchestrated	O
,	O
conducted	O
,	O
and	O
co-produced	O
by	O
Takeshi	O
Furukawa	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Furukawa	O
had	O
joined	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
development	O
around	O
2011	O
,	O
near	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
being	O
transitioned	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Furukawa	O
had	O
been	O
invited	O
to	O
participate	O
by	O
Tommy	O
Kikuchi	O
,	O
the	O
music	O
director	O
for	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
he	O
was	O
aware	O
of	O
the	O
reputation	O
of	O
the	O
soundtracks	O
by	O
Michiru	O
Oshima	O
and	O
Kow	O
Otani	O
for	O
Ico	B-Application
and	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
,	O
respectively	O
,	O
and	O
wanted	O
to	O
have	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardians	I-Application
soundtrack	O
to	O
be	O
similarly	O
unique	O
,	O
Furukawa	O
opted	O
to	O
avoid	O
using	O
these	O
previous	O
works	O
and	O
instead	O
drew	O
his	O
own	O
inspirations	O
primarily	O
from	O
works	O
with	O
a	O
"	O
muted	O
aesthetic	O
"	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Impressionist	O
art	O
and	O
music	O
and	O
French	O
cinema	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
19-track	O
Composer	O
's	O
Choice	O
Edition	O
soundtrack	O
was	O
released	O
digitally	O
alongside	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
Music	O
App	O
,	O
and	O
later	O
on	O
other	O
digital	O
retailers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shawn	O
Layden	O
formally	O
reintroduced	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
at	O
the	O
beginning	O
of	O
Sony	O
's	O
E3	O
2015	O
conference	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
affirmed	O
that	O
that	O
game	O
was	O
now	O
slated	O
for	O
release	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
with	O
a	O
2016	O
release	O
date	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ueda	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
fundamentals	O
of	O
the	O
gameplay	O
had	O
not	O
changed	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
only	O
that	O
with	O
the	O
more-powerful	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
they	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
put	O
more	O
detail	O
into	O
the	O
characters	O
and	O
the	O
environment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
the	O
game	O
demo	O
was	O
not	O
playable	O
at	O
the	O
2015	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
,	O
part	O
of	O
Sony	O
's	O
display	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
including	O
a	O
full-screen	O
version	O
of	O
Trico	O
that	O
would	O
respond	O
in	O
real	O
time	O
to	O
the	O
actions	O
of	O
the	O
attendees	O
as	O
captured	O
by	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Move	I-Device
camera	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yoshida	O
stated	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
not	O
shown	O
much	O
additional	O
footage	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
since	O
the	O
E3	O
2015	O
announcement	O
as	O
they	O
believed	O
that	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
is	O
story-heavy	O
and	O
feared	O
showing	O
too	O
much	O
beyond	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
does	O
exist	O
and	O
is	O
playable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
for	O
a	O
25	O
October	O
2016	O
release	O
in	O
Japan	O
and	O
North	O
America	O
during	O
Sony	O
's	O
presentation	O
at	O
E3	O
2016	O
in	O
June	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
available	O
in	O
a	O
playable	O
form	O
to	O
attendees	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
21	O
October	O
2016	O
,	O
development	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
concluded	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
submitted	O
for	O
manufacturing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
patch	O
enabled	O
high	B-General_Concept
dynamic	I-General_Concept
range	I-General_Concept
and	O
added	O
4k	B-Architecture
resolution	I-Architecture
support	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
Pro	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
standalone	O
demo	O
version	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
VR	I-Device
on	O
12	O
December	O
2017	O
;	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
reality	I-Application
version	O
allows	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
experience	O
interacting	O
with	O
Trico	O
from	O
the	O
viewpoint	O
of	O
the	O
boy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
in	O
November	O
2020	O
,	O
players	O
discovered	O
that	O
this	O
game	O
runs	O
at	O
60	O
frames	O
per	O
seconds	O
when	O
playing	O
an	O
unpatched	O
version	O
from	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
disc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
"	O
reviews	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
video	O
game	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
also	O
noted	O
performance	O
problems	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
running	O
on	O
default	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eurogamers	O
Digital	O
Foundry	O
determined	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
ran	O
into	O
rendering	O
issues	O
and	O
framerate	O
drops	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
while	O
running	O
at	O
1080p	O
on	O
the	O
newer	O
PlayStation	B-Device
4	I-Device
Pro	I-Device
provided	O
a	O
stable	O
framerate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Philip	O
Kollar	O
of	O
Polygon	O
compared	O
technical	O
aspects	O
to	O
its	O
predecessors	O
release	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
due	O
to	O
the	O
long	O
development	O
across	O
multiple	O
generations	O
of	O
Sony	O
consoles	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
at	O
times	O
did	O
take	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
hardware	O
while	O
in	O
others	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
framerate	O
and	O
control	O
issues	O
made	O
its	O
age	O
more	O
noticeable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sam	O
Byford	O
of	O
The	O
Verge	O
commented	O
that	O
while	O
framerate	O
drops	O
were	O
common	O
in	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
,	O
they	O
were	O
more	O
acceptable	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
hardware	O
of	O
the	O
time	O
and	O
the	O
extent	O
the	O
game	O
maximized	O
out	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
hardware	O
,	O
while	O
such	O
issues	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
for	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
were	O
less	O
forgivable	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
feel	O
like	O
"	O
a	O
PS3	B-Operating_System
game	O
that	O
never	O
really	O
came	O
together	O
until	O
the	O
brute	O
force	O
of	O
new	O
hardware	O
allowed	O
the	O
team	O
to	O
ship	O
"	O
;	O
he	O
contrasted	O
this	O
to	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XV	I-Application
which	O
had	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
engine	O
rebuilt	O
after	O
its	O
target	O
platform	O
was	O
switched	O
to	O
eighth-generation	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
named	O
on	O
several	O
year-end	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
lists	O
,	O
including	O
The	O
New	O
Yorker	O
,	O
Engadget	B-Application
,	O
GameSpot	O
,	O
VG247	O
,	O
and	O
Polygon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Because	O
of	O
the	O
development	O
delays	O
in	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
and	O
lack	O
of	O
updates	O
from	O
Sony	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
was	O
considered	O
to	O
have	O
been	O
in	O
development	O
hell	O
over	O
its	O
eight-year	O
development	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Journalists	O
also	O
expressed	O
concern	O
with	O
the	O
potential	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
when	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
trademark	O
had	O
hit	O
some	O
critical	O
milestones	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2012	O
,	O
about	O
three	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
trademark	O
had	O
been	O
filed	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
Sony	O
had	O
yet	O
to	O
produce	O
a	O
viable	O
product	O
under	O
trademark	O
law	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
February	O
2015	O
,	O
Sony	O
failed	O
to	O
renew	O
the	O
North	O
American	O
trademark	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
the	O
reintroduction	O
in	O
2015	O
,	O
some	O
journalists	O
expressed	O
concern	O
if	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
would	O
be	O
as	O
much	O
a	O
landmark	O
game	O
as	O
initially	O
seen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Evan	O
Narcisse	O
for	O
the	O
website	O
Kotaku	O
opined	O
that	O
the	O
lengthy	O
delay	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardians	I-Application
release	O
since	O
the	O
2009	O
reveal	O
may	O
have	O
been	O
harming	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
relevance	O
on	O
the	O
contemporary	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Narcisse	O
considered	O
that	O
the	O
landscape	O
of	O
games	O
had	O
vastly	O
changed	O
since	O
2009	O
,	O
during	O
which	O
"	O
by-the-numbers	O
racers	O
,	O
shooters	O
and	O
action-adventure	O
games	O
dominated	O
"	O
the	O
market	O
and	O
the	O
expected	O
emotional	O
impact	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
would	O
have	O
made	O
it	O
a	O
stand-out	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
then	O
,	O
the	O
rise	O
of	O
more	O
independent	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Papo	B-Application
&	I-Application
Yo	I-Application
,	O
Bastion	B-Application
,	O
The	B-Application
Walking	I-Application
Dead	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Journey	B-Application
had	O
created	O
similar	O
experiences	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
,	O
according	O
to	O
Narcisse	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Leigh	O
Alexander	O
of	O
Boing	O
Boing	O
agreed	O
,	O
noting	O
that	O
the	O
delay	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
had	O
spanned	O
a	O
console	O
generation	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
emotionally	O
filled	O
games	O
have	O
been	O
offered	O
in	O
lieu	O
of	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
GamesIndustry.bizs	O
Rob	O
Fahey	O
considered	O
that	O
both	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
and	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XV	I-Application
,	O
which	O
also	O
had	O
a	O
protracted	O
development	O
cycle	O
lasting	O
nearly	O
a	O
decade	O
,	O
represent	O
the	O
last	O
remnants	O
of	O
game	O
development	O
practices	O
from	O
the	O
early	O
2000s	O
,	O
challenged	O
by	O
the	O
rise	O
of	O
mobile	O
gaming	O
,	O
independent	O
game	O
development	O
,	O
and	O
more	O
efficient	O
software	O
development	O
practices	O
that	O
change	O
the	O
nature	O
and	O
role	O
of	O
auteurs	O
like	O
Ueda	O
and	O
Final	O
Fantasys	O
Tetsuya	O
Nomura	O
in	O
game	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
News	O
writers	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
play	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
at	O
E3	O
2016	O
and	O
the	O
2016	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
in	O
the	O
months	O
before	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
,	O
and	O
several	O
expressed	O
further	O
concerns	O
about	O
the	O
nature	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
lengthy	O
development	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Patrick	O
Garrett	O
,	O
writing	O
for	O
VG247	O
,	O
found	O
that	O
the	O
visuals	O
felt	O
flat	O
and	O
aged	O
considering	O
modern	O
hardware	O
capabilities	O
,	O
and	O
expressed	O
concern	O
that	O
while	O
older	O
gamers	O
would	O
readily	O
purchase	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
may	O
not	O
draw	O
in	O
enough	O
newer	O
gamers	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Philip	O
Kollar	O
for	O
Polygon	O
,	O
though	O
still	O
impressed	O
with	O
the	O
characters	O
,	O
graphics	O
,	O
and	O
core	O
gameplay	O
,	O
found	O
controlling	O
the	O
character	O
difficult	O
and	O
managing	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
camera	O
tricky	O
,	O
elements	O
that	O
made	O
the	O
game	O
feel	O
like	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
game	O
rather	O
than	O
something	O
on	O
modern	O
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
UK	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
suffered	O
lower	O
than	O
expected	O
sales	O
,	O
debuting	O
at	O
number	O
7	O
in	O
the	O
weekly	O
game	O
sales	O
charts	O
.	O
</s>
