Is this a tease for ‘The Last Guardian’ creator Fumito Ueda’s next game?

By Garrett Hulfish January 2, 2018

the last guardian fumito ueda next game teaser

January 1 marked the beginning of a new year, and possibly a new beginning for game developer Fumito Ueda. An image appeared on genDESIGN’s website, an independent team formed by Ueda, potentially teasing the fourth game from the creator of ICO, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian.

On the updated website, scrolling past four birds brings visitors to the image posted above. It depicts a long-haired, childlike figure sitting on a stone altar. To her right is a large fist or paw that belongs to a mostly obscured giant figure. Neither figure is immediately recognizable from any of Ueda’s previous games, leading some to speculate that this is from his studio’s next project. According to ResetEra user Rösti, the image’s source code reveals some interesting text. This text labels the image as “Beauty and the Beast 2018.”

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Going further into speculation, the birds could be another hint that this is more than just a nice image capturing several themes that made Fumito Ueda famous. As VG 24/7 points out, birds and feathers are a motif that Ueda has used in all of his games. The number of birds in the image could be a clue towards a fourth game.

As a counterpoint to all this speculation, the childlike figure bears a striking resemblance to one of the silhouettes in the genDESIGN logo. Rather than a teaser image, this could very well be more of an expressive image about the studio.

Whether this is a new game or not, history tells us that fans likely won’t see a new game release anytime soon. The Last Guardian took almost 10 years to be released, with many believing it to be canceled throughout development. Fumito Ueda even left Sony in 2011 after the game was delayed, forming genDESIGN a few years later with some of his core members from Team ICO. In the same year, genDESIGN took over the development of The Last Guardian, working with Sony on a contract basis.

For now, fans have plenty of opportunities to visit Ueda’s past projects. The Last Guardian can be finished in a few gaming sessions as long as players are patient when controlling a wild animal. A complete remake of Shadow of the Colossus also releases next month, giving newcomers the best opportunity to play a classic.

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Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is the first great game of 2023

Moonrider approaches the first boss in Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider.

Are you looking for that first great game of the year to play before 2023's AAA heavy hitters arrive? Check out Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider - Release Date Reveal Trailer
That title is a mouthful, but this is a straightforward 16-bit action-platformer inspired by classic series like Ninja Gaiden, Shinobi, and Mega Man. It hits all the proper retro gaming notes, like being easy to pick up but tough to master gameplay and having a delightful 16-bit visual style.
The teams behind 2019's fantastic Contra-like Blazing Chrome -- Brazilian developer JoyMasher and Dotemu's indie publishing label The Arcade Crew -- reunited for the project, cementing themselves as some of the best retro throwback studios out there. If you're wondering if there are any great 2023 games to play ahead of highly anticipated games like Forspoken, then you won't want to ignore Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider.
Thoughtful throwback
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider nails its 16-bit setup right out of the gate. Its opening cutscene sets the stage for the dire, totalitarian world where the game takes place. Within moments of the start of the first level, the titular Moonrider defies his initial programming as a guardian of the totalitarian state and goes on a vengeful rampage to kill other super soldiers, bring down the current regime, and give people the freedom to make decisions for themselves.
Its story elements in surprisingly cinematic 16-bit cutscenes provide a compelling narrative backdrop for the adventure, much like the stories of the original Ninja Gaiden games did. That said, most of the Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider knows it can take a step back and let the game's beautiful visuals and gameplay sing.
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Shinobi is also an evident influence in that the player character is quite large on the screen and that JoyMasher put a lot of effort into attack animation. Even when enemies are defeated, there's an impressive amount of detail as you see them sliced in pieces and falling apart, not just flicking away and disappearing in an explosion of pixels. And those who want the game to look even more retro can turn on its CRT filter, which looks excellent but does lower the typically smoother 60 frames-per-second frame rate.
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A 16-bit classic boiling pot
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider's combat and platforming also call back to Shinobi. Despite the main character's size, platforming is a significant element of the game, and players have many options in the air as they can wall jump, dive kick, and more. Meanwhile, its nonlinear level structure that lets players choose which boss they want to fight to get a special weapon is very reminiscent of Mega Man games.

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Sam Bridges stands with the child he must carry with him.

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New art for The Last of Us multiplayer spinoff teases its seaside setting

The second piece of The Last of Us multiplayer concept art shows two players walking toward a beached yacht.

Naughty Dog reaffirmed that it will share more details about The Last of Us' multiplayer game this year and released new concept art for it. The image gives a better sense of its setting, with a massive boat serving as a key set piece.
The new image shows two players as they approach a giant beached yacht. Rusted vehicles, palm trees, and a flooded street surround them, suggesting that this is in some sort of seaside town. Earlier concept art for the game seemed to indicate a San Francisco setting, though it's unclear if the new image is from the same location.
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