REVIEW : The Last Friend (PC)
Not all games need to be complex or have epic storylines. In reality, some of the most famous titles are born from simple, extremely simple ideas, which manage to leave a mark in the imagination and, above all, in the hearts of gamers. The Last Friend reminds me a lot of one of these titles, Plants VS Zombies, although, of course, I have no way of knowing if it will share its success.
The game by Ludus Games / Stoneboat Studio appears at first glance like a rather classic “line” tower defence, with the battlefield divided into three areas (which will become five as the adventure progresses). The plot is the simplest that can exist: the protagonist, a wiry individual with a vague metalhead appearance who responds to the name of Alpha, accompanies a crazy and tech-savvy Chihuahua on a long mission to free dogs held captive by thugs of various nature. There are some secondary characters and sporadic dialogue, but the plot never gets complicated and always stays light in an attempt to snatch a smile from the player.
In a game of this type, variety is everything. The Last Friend is managed with the constant introduction of new dogs/turrets and in some levels that have particular rules or unique gameplay elements. Furthermore, unlike how it normally happens in a tower defence, you are physically present on the battlefield, and you can fight at any time more directly, with the sound of right on the snout. There is no shortage of special levels to be concluded uniquely: for example, you may have to deactivate electric generators by hitting them with very specific combos, and if you manage to do it in time, the protagonist receives a permanent enhancement to his characteristics.
The turrets themselves vary and range from the classics that shoot lightning or “icy” bullets to secondary structures, shields, power-ups, traps of various kinds. In reality, those who have had the opportunity to play other more famous titles belonging to this genre will find themselves at home with practically no learning curve, with one exception: since you are physically present on the battlefield in the role of the metalhead above. , this means that if you want to build a turret at a specific point, you have to physically move the character to the area in question, an action that prevents dealing with threats in other areas of the battlefield. This feature adds an extra element to the strategy, as it may be worth giving up placing a new turret to take the time to reshape an enemy’s face with the help of the good old slaps.
Another novelty of The Last Friend is the presence of some dogs that do not become available as turrets but offer additional abilities to the protagonist, such as allowing him to create a large explosion of water with one of his special moves, which an, in turn, it is useful for slowing down the advance of enemies and for putting out fires. Finding the right balance between turrets and special abilities is very important, but the variety is so great that it can implement very different tactics. I have successfully faced levels both by creating offensive turrets and taking care only of the maintenance behind the lines of my canine army and by only preparing a series of traps and then facing the various enemies with combos and melee attacks. Commendable, in this regard, the number, and variety of moves available to the protagonist, which I would judge in line with a good scrolling fighting game.
The enemies are themselves very varied. They range from the typical soldiers that can be eliminated with two well-placed punches to giants that require advanced combos and perhaps the use of parries at the right time to be defeated. From what I have seen, it is more than possible to concentrate above all on the “fighting” side of the game, but it is practically impossible to win if you do not create at least some turrets to defend the camper on the base for the protagonist. In other words, a certain balance between the two styles of gameplay is necessary to win.
There is not much to say; by its very nature, the game is extremely simple. This is also reflected in its artistic style composed of drawings that could recall a comic or a Saturday morning cartoon broadcast on some network. American. I’m not saying it’s graphically bad. Some designs are interesting or “nice,” but the developers didn’t focus on graphics when designing their game. The same goes for the soundtrack and sounds in general: I can’t remember a single tune or song even if I commit myself.
