Summary
Upstart studio Lightspeed LA has revealed its first major title,Last Sentinel, a slick cyberpunk-themed open-world game. The game was announced via a cinematic trailer during this year’s Game Awards.
The pedigree behindLast Sentinelis nothing to scoff at. It’s being developed by Lightspeed LA, the California branch of one of Chinese giant Tencent’s game development divisions LightSpeed Studios, which is headed by game industry veteran Steve C. Martin. Martin has over 25 years of experience handling AAA titles, includingGrand Theft Auto 5,Red Dead Redemption 1and2, Need For Speed: Underground 1and2, andBully. The Lightspeed LA team itself has members who have worked on games such asGod of War,The Last of Us,Uncharted, andJedi: Fallen Order, to name a few.Tencent has been pretty aggressive within the game industryas of late, andLast Sentinelcould be one of its biggest pushes in the mainstream.
Last Sentinel’s almost two-minute trailer gives a good glimpse of what the game is about. Set in a dystopian future version of Tokyo, a group of menacing robots surround and try to force their way into what looks like an orphanage tended by more human-like androids. As the invaders almost get through, another woman—referred to as “The Demon” by one of the nanny androids, and who appears to be the game’s protagonist Hiromi Shoda—appears and guns them down to save the children, leading them into the rainy night.
Last Sentinelwas reported to be in developmentback in January 2022 as a cinematic open-world game and original IP, though after two years, there’s still not much to say and glean from this first look. For what it’s worth, Lightspeed LA said that the game will feature a unique cast, environment, story, and gameplay experience. It’s tough to judge anything about the title, other than drawing obvious comparisons to other cyberpunk-genre games likeCyberpunk 2077orDeus Exfor the open-world elements andthe look and feel of the game’s universe.
AndLast Sentinelmay be coming at a great time, too. With CD Projekt Redreportedly done working on any newCyberpunk 2077content, fans of the genre may soon find themselves itching for a new take on the popular category. Lightspeed LA hasn’t yet announced a release date for this, but a good bet could be the first half of 2025 at the latest.
Last Sentinelwas far from the only surprise dropped at this year’s The Game Awards, and definitely not the only original project revealed—there’s also a shockingHideo Kojima and Jordan Peele teamup in Xbox exclusiveOD. As always, the event was full of big announcements, especially from big franchises, developers, and publishers, leaving gamers excited for the near future.
