I’ve always been hesitant when it comes to dogs in video games. Are they getting hurt? Can i be the one that will be instructed to hurt them to defend myself (thanks Doesthedogdie.com for all the spoiler-free warnings ahead of time)? Thankfully, that is a non-issue in The Last Friend, a tower defense/beat-em-up through the Stonebot and published by Skystone Games.
The Last Friend puts you in control of Alpha, a silent-type protagonist whose one goal would be to save all dogs inside a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Alpha isn't about this journey alone though. His right-hand closest friend is T. Juan, a chihuahua that does all the talking for the duo. With 40 dogs in order to save, Alpha and T. Juan traverse four different themed areas within their trusty R.V. to fight baddies, make dog-loving friends, and free/pet each and every dog.
What may be the very first thing to leap out is how similar the game would be to Plants vs. Zombies, this year's mobile game by Popcap. Rather than planting sentient attack plants, Alpha builds turrets that the dogs digitally control (there are no dogs hurt throughout the playtime of the game), inside a familiar 3 to 5 lanes arena. However, there's one major difference between the most popular tower defense game and this one. Alpha is actively involved in each fight.
He punches, kicks, and throws the enemies around to assist his pets fight various kinds of baddies. Alpha also plays a vital role in the various kinds of fights that happen. For example, in a single level, you're defending your R.V. from bandits with the aid of your dogs, the next, you're running through a maze, and occasionally, fighting bosses alone as Alpha. I loved the range of levels because each type never felt stale. After i got tired of defending the R.V., I found myself trying to solve a puzzle or running through a gauntlet.
Next, let's talk about my favorite topic, dogs. Things i felt most while playing is that The Stonebot clearly are dog lovers. Each dog breed in the Corgi (my personal favorite) towards the Pug looks cartoony while also fitting perfectly within the universe. Plus, after i found out what each breed could do, my first immediate thought was, “oh, that makes so much sense. That's clever”. What do I mean with this? Well, go ahead and take Newfoundland for instance.
Newfoundlands are famous for being water rescue dogs and they’re a passive healer. Using the Newfoundland equipped, Alpha has the capacity to heal other units. Then there’s the feisty Pomeranian, THE definition of big dog energy condensed into a tiny creature that's 90% fur. They control a fireplace turret. Each of the 40 dogs that you save doesn’t overlap, is upgradable, and has abilities that make sense for which that breed is renowned for.
Each dog, Alpha, and also the R.V. could be upgraded to fit your playstyle. And upgrades become very important when you get to the later levels. Upgrades aren't tricky to find, thankfully. Dogs are upgraded with dog treats, the R.V. is upgraded with stars you get for completing side objectives, and challenge rooms to upgrade Alpha. Many upgrades aren’t probably the most exciting however they do add up quickly. Particularly using the dogs, the upgrades activate a second form that may be built mid-combat or enhance a passive ability.
However, heed my warning. Spend the upgrades wisely since you may end up in a sticky situation whenever you proceed to the next area as those are the moments which have the roughest difficulty curves. While the new enemies are manageable and different, the problem comes from learning how to handle all the new ones. Thank heavens with this shakeup though even if it does get tough. Immediately throwing 3-4 new enemies to you in a new area eliminates my one big problem from Plants vs. Zombies getting stale from knowing how to deal with easier enemies and becoming overpowered prior to the harder enemies show up. It’s a fantastic mix that always kept me on my toes.
As for the story, it’s unmemorable, and that is OK. There isn't any real grand quest, no greater mystery. The story really is just about a dog lover saving dogs. There is dialogue in the beginning and end of most levels. However, it doesn't really build on itself. It's more funny quips or threats that T. Juan and also the looming enemies are throwing at one another prior to the fight begins. The real growth and joy come from freeing each cutie and having them join your team!
This may be the long-delayed switch port, and also the wait was worthwhile. The Last Friend feels at home here. I previously played farmville on the PC when it first launched. As the mouse and keyboard worked fine, nothing matches playing a game like this on the controller. Specifically, from my experience, the sport just plays better around the Switch. This can be because there are just fewer buttons to make use of the controller layout based on how to do each action just will work better. Plus, it runs great too! In my playthrough, I didn’t encounter any hitches which feels odd for any port, and could attest to the job The Stonebot has done since delaying this release.
While not memorable for its story, The Last Friend shines brightly using its mixture of level variety, beat-em-up combat, and dogs. There aren't any stale moments, that is difficult to pull off for a Tower Defense-style game. Despite thinking you have a handle on how to conquer a level, a brand new curveball is thrown the right path. Overall, Every dog lover in the Stonebot just showed how great your four-legged friend truly is. There's love and care in almost every aspect of farmville that can make The Last Friend stick with me for a long, long time.
The Last Friend is available now on PC and will release on Nintendo Switch on April 21st, 2023.
