The Last Guardian (2016) is getting a standalone PSVR experience to let players interact with the majestic Trico face to face.

Announced way back in 2009, The Last Guardian had an instant, if indescribable, appeal; the game promised to offer a glimpse into the adventures of a young boy who befriends a mythical (and giant) beast named Trico. After years in development hell, the long awaited game finally launched on PS4 in 2016.

Image courtesy SIE Japan Studio

In an unexpected move, developer SIE Japan Studio has announced plans to launch The Last Guardian VR Demo, a standalone experience based on the game, for free on December 12th. Japan Studio Executive Producer Yasutaka Asakura admits outright, via the official PlayStation Blog, that “The Last Guardian VR Demo is a short experience, and it is standalone; there are no larger versions of this project planned.”

Image courtesy SIE Japan Studio

Reading between the lines, it sounds like the studio wanted to experiment with bringing Trico’s immensity into VR for no reason other than it seemed worth giving players (and the developers themselves!) a chance to connect with the majestic beast from an immersive perspective. Sony’s Japan Studio has developed a number of other VR projects to date, and we’ll keep our fingers crossed that this is a sign of more to come.

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Ben Lang
Ben is the world's most senior professional analyst solely dedicated to the XR industry, having founded Road to VR in 2011—a year before the Oculus Kickstarter sparked a resurgence that led to the modern XR landscape. He has authored more than 3,000 articles chronicling the evolution of the XR industry over more than a decade. With that unique perspective, Ben has been consistently recognized as one of the most influential voices in XR, giving keynotes and joining panel and podcast discussions at key industry events. He is a self-described "journalist and analyst, not evangelist."
  • Luke

    :O

    <3 <3 <3 <3

  • Lucidfeuer

    Wow, Sony are getting really committed, which means they somehow might have realise they have an edge on the market. And the know-how which they hopefully use to release a more advanced PSVR in 2018, otherwise it’ll become moot as soon as after christmas.

    • Th_e Dude

      Indeed, at this rate, VR PC users may start to be envious.
      Now if we could have at least a more modern tracking and controllers…

      • sebrk

        Thats cute

        • Th_e Dude

          ??

  • iUserProfile

    Wow – it’s an awesome experience for free. Sadly no Move support nor free locomotion but you can interact with trico, ride a little on his back and gaze at one of the most beautiful enviroments and certainly the most majestic creature I’ve ever seen in VR.
    Seeing the little boys hands interacting with the world sometimes is a little weird though.