Very interesting video about how the mechanics and systems of TLG tell its story more than cutscenes or even simple dialogue. It's a unique way of upending the traditional role of the NPC companion, even if it does strip the player of virtually all agency in combat, but that's the area Ueda tries to explore. Co-dependence is key, and it's a rare achievement in gaming when two characters rely on each other as much as this. I've said before that TLG uses player failure as a game and story mechanic, showing that your tangible videogame progress - and the boy and Trico's desperate escape from the crater - are tied to their shared bond. It could be argued that this dependence on what amounts to a piece of intentionally-unreliable script is frustrating, and many players say exactly that, but in forcing us to rely on Trico's inconsistencies and foibles, his tics and sometimes irrational behaviours, we ultimately forge a more forgiving relationship with something that is capable of its own choices and ignoring it's masters... like we do. Maybe our irritation with Trico's disobedience is how game designers sometimes look at us. Thoughts?