Here's the adorable PlayStation game Sony's been working on for the past 8 years

Sony's got a secret up its sleeve for its massively popularly video game console, the PlayStation 4.

It's not an exclusive blockbuster franchise, and it's not a huge price drop: it's a weird cat with feathers. Seriously!

This is "The Last Guardian," a game that Sony's been making in-house in Japan for the past eight years. It was first announced in 2009 during the annual video game industry trade show. Back then, it looked like this:

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Not terrible, right? The game was a looker even back then, and the basic staples are all there: a young boy, a bird-like cat creature, and their co-dependent, affectionate relationship. But it isn't just that (admittedly intriguing) stuff that's drawing in fans.

"The Last Guardian" is being created by a beloved creative director named Fumito Ueda. He's responsible for two previous PlayStation games that set the bar for creative, beautiful games: "Ico" and "Shadow of the Colossus." Here's a look at the HD re-release those two games got on the PlayStation 3, back in 2011:

Ueda is the real secret weapon, as his games are memorable, beautiful, and unique. What Sony's shown of "The Last Guardian" promises to be as good or better.

"The Last Guardian" is exclusive to Sony's PlayStation 4, and will (supposedly) arrive some time in 2016. What's another year after eight, right?