10 Most Essential PS4 Exclusives - Ranked

2. The Last Guardian

The reception to The Last Guardian was the answer to that age-old question of "Why we can't have nice things". Because to a tee, Team ICO's latest masterwork is a very nice thing indeed; the story of one imprisoned boy waking up to find a giant cat lying in pain next to him, before plucking some thorns from its paw and learning how to escape together.

In another set of cross-medium hands it would be a Studio Ghibli flick, yet in game form, you get what is one of the most poignant and well-realised depictions of a creature in gaming. The beast, Trico, has all the attention-darting tendencies of a feline, with the loyalty and soul-stirring eyes of a loyal hound. He'll hop up on towering stone structures, bend down for a chin-rub (after he's learned to trust you) and even leap into great bodies of water - before realising he's just sent you flying in the opposite direction.

It's like The Iron Giant meets Shadow of the Colossus; a potent mix that relies on a purely instinctual control method - one where you'll have to take the fact you're conversing with a beast into account. Berating Trico with repeated commands will only confuse him, but that moment when he finally does exactly what you want feels like the real-world equivalent of a pet responding to its name for the first time.

The Last Guardian didn't anywhere near a fair shake in the press, and more that deserves your time, especially if you're anything of an animal lover.