The Last Guardian Director's Note Acknowledges "Twists and Turns" of Game's Development

After years of development and multiple delays, The Last Guardian finally comes out next week on PlayStation 4. It's now been revealed that the game comes with a note written by director Fumito Ueda, in which he acknowledges the "twists and turns" of the game's development.

Ueda goes on to call The Last Guardian an "experience unlike any other," adding that he hopes people take their time playing the game to take in the scenery. Ueda also said he hopes fans finish the game, as it has an ending he said players won't want to miss.

The full note (via Eurogamer) reads: "Dear Adventurers, It's been a long time coming, but I take great pleasure (and relief!) in knowing that The Last Guardian is in your hands. When we first began work on The Last Guardian, I intended it to take from and build on our experience working in Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, making it something akin to a greatest hits album. Unfortunately, as you know, we ran into a few twists and turns along the way, and the title took longer than anyone expected.

Still, just as Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are truly unique games, so too is The Last Guardian an experience unlike any other. As you play, take the time to stop and enjoy the scenery as you follow these unlikely companions on their journey. And you definitely won't want to miss the ending! The development team and I hope you all have a wonderful time with The Last Guardian. Nothing would make us happier. Fumito Ueda."

The Last Guardian was announced at E3 2009, when it was a PlayStation 3 game. After that, on multiple occasions, it had been thought that the project was abandoned. Ueda left Sony is 2011, though he continued to work on the game on a freelance basis. At E3 2015, Sony announced that the game shifted to PS4, going on to schedule it for an October release. That didn't happen, as the project was pushed back to its current December 6 release date.

Watch the first nine minutes of The Last Guardian here.

This post has been updated.