Team ICO concluded its trilogy with the long-awaited The Last Guardian after more than a decade of development issues and console jumps. The Last Guardian features a gigantic creature named Trico who doesn't follow obvious prompts given by the player, meaning progress can sometimes be difficult.
Trico can assist the human protagonist across puzzle-platforming sections in The Last Guardian, but the lack of direct tutorials has skewed players' opinions. Knowing which actions reliably influence Trico can avoid frustrating playthroughs for players.
What Trico's Eyes, Sounds, And Movements Mean
Despite tutorials being provided at the start of the game for things like movement and calling Trico, learning how to actually control the creature is based on player intuition. Early on, the beast's eyes are one of the first visible cues that determine how Trico is feeling; different colors represent different emotions, and can be a useful hint at what's going on.
The normal state of Trico's eyes are the large black orbs usually visible during normal gameplay, showing that the creature is content and happy.
This can change to a yellow luminous color once Trico notices something eye-catching like a food barrel, or other mesmerizing items that can be located later in the game. In turn, the eyes will turn pink once Trico and/or the boy are being threatened or in pain as an instinctive response.
Being sure to regularly check on Trico's eyes can warn the player of impending danger before it is immediately apparent, but another cue relies on the creature's animalistic grunts and whines. Similar to most domesticated pets, stomping and grunting indicate that Trico is trying to get the boy's attention, which is often triggered by waiting in one place for a long time.
Pitiful whining sounds also can be heard if the player strays too far away from the beast, or if given a command that cannot be completed. Making an effort to explore The Last Guardian's stunning visual aesthetic with Trico is doubly rewarding for players, allowing them to discover more secrets as well as strengthen the bond between human and beast.
How to Command Trico After Bonding
Bonding is achieved through various gestures and actions, such as feeding Trico with glowing barrels and petting its neck if upset by enemies. Once this bonding level is reached, it becomes easier to direct Trico through the sprawling architecture. Practicing these commands is possible in a special training area nearby the broken bridge which appears roughly a third of the way through the game.
Pressing R1 allows the boy to direct Trico in the direction he is facing, with additional button presses becoming useful commands:
R1 + X = Trico jumps
R1 + Square = Trico attacks enemies
R1 + Circle + direction = Trico goes in that direction
R1 + Triangle – Trico returns to the boy's position / Trico gets on his hind legs
It is worth remembering that Trico's AI is designed to not be perfect. Spamming the R1 button can lead to confused responses from Trico, who may end up jumping on the spot instead of attacking nearby enemies. There are other context-specific environments throughout The Last Guardian where Trico can splash about in the water, relax in the sun, and even ask for pets from the boy.
Putting up with the temperamental AI means players will find themselves empathizing with the friendly bond between Trico and the boy. The Last Guardian is a powerful story for many players, so learning how to control Trico early on can be all the difference between a heartwarming experience and a hair-pulling exercise.
The Last Guardian is available on PS4.