Ico is the type of game I dread to play, critically acclaimed, landmark classic of the medium, influenced various games and designers I love. I dread playing those because of a fear I have, a fear that's come true : I don't like ICO, in fact, I think I might hate ICO. And now I will have to carry that like a millstone around my neck, "that asshole who doesn't like ICO". Its not even really that external disapproval I dread, its the very reputation that causes me to second guess my own sincerely held opinions. I thought I liked minimalism in game design, and cut-scene light storytelling and relationships explored through mechanics but I guess I don't. There's some kinda dissonance, cognitive or otherwise reading reviews by friends and writers I respect and wondering if there's something wrong with me or if I didnt get it or played it wrong or any other similar foolishness that gets bandied around in Internet discussions. "I wish we could have played the same game" I think, reading my mutuals' reviews of ICO. Not in a dismissive asshole way of accusing them of having a warped perception, but moreso in frustration that I didnt have the experience that has clearly touched them and countless others.
But enough feeling sorry for myself/being insecure, what is my problem with ICO exactly? I don't really know. Genuinely. I wasnt even planning on writing a review originally because all it would come down to as my original unfiltered reaction would be "Playing it made me miserable". Thankfully the upside of minimalism in game design is that its easier to identify which elements didnt work for me because there are few in the game. I think the people who got the most out of ICO developed some kind of emotional connection to Yorda, and thats one aspect which absolutely didn't work for me. As nakedly "gamey" and transparently artificial as Fallout New Vegas' NPCs (and Skyrim and F3 etc) locking the camera to have a dialogue tree, they read to me as infinitely more human than the more realistic Yorda; for a few reasons. Chief among them is that despite some hiccups and bugs the game is known for, you are not asked to manage them as a gameplay mechanic beyond your companions and well, my main interaction with Yorda was holding down R1 to repeatedly yell "ONG VA!" so she'd climb down the fucking ladder. She'd climb down, get halfway through and then decide this was a bad idea and ascend again.
ICO has been to me a game of all these little frustrations piling up. Due to the nature of the puzzles and platforming, failing them was aggravating and solving them first try was merely unremarkable. It makes me question again, what is the value of minimalism genuinely? There was a point at which I had to use a chain to jump across a gap and I couldnt quite make it, I thought "well, maybe theres a way to jump farther" and started pressing buttons randomly until the circle button achieved the result of letting me use momentum to swing accross. Now, if instead a non-diegetic diagram of the face buttons had shown up on the HUD instead what would have been lost? To me, very little. Sure, excessive direction can be annoying and take me out of the game, but pressing buttons randomly did the same, personally. Nor did "figuring it out for myself" feel particularly fulfilling. Thats again what I meant, victories are unremarkable and failures are frustrating. The same can be said for the combat which, honestly I liked at first. I liked how clumsy and childish the stick flailing fighting style was, but ultimately it involved hitting the enemies over and over and over and over again until they stopped spawning. Thankfully you can run away at times and rush to the exit to make the enemies blow up but the game's habit of spawning them when you're far from Yorda or maybe when she's on a different platform meant that I had to rely on her stupid pathfinding to quickly respond (which is just not going to happen, she needs like 3 business days to execute the same thing we've done 5k times already, I guess the language barrier applies to pattern recognition as well somehow) and when it inevitably failed I would have to jump down and mash square until they fucked off.
I can see the argument that this is meant to be disempowering somehow but I don't really buy it. Your strikes knock these fuckers down well enough, they just keep getting back up. Ico isnt strong, he shouldnt be able to smite these wizard of oz monkeys with a single swing, but then why can they do no damage to ICO and get knocked down flat with a couple swings? Either they are weak as hell but keep getting remotely CPRd by the antagonist or they're strong but have really poor balance. In the end, all I could really feel from ICO was being miserable. I finished the game in 5 hours but it felt twice that. All I can think of now is that Im glad its done and I can tick it off the bucket list. I am now dreading playing shadow of the colossus even harder, and I don't think I ever want to play The Last Guardian, it just looks like ICO but even more miserable. I'm sure I've outed myself as an uncultured swine who didnt get the genius of the experience and will lose all my followers but I'm too deflated to care. If there is one positive to this experience is that I kept procrastinating on finishing the game that I got back into reading. I read The Name of the Rose and Rumble Fish, pretty good reads. Im going to read Winesburg Ohio next I think.
But enough feeling sorry for myself/being insecure, what is my problem with ICO exactly? I don't really know. Genuinely. I wasnt even planning on writing a review originally because all it would come down to as my original unfiltered reaction would be "Playing it made me miserable". Thankfully the upside of minimalism in game design is that its easier to identify which elements didnt work for me because there are few in the game. I think the people who got the most out of ICO developed some kind of emotional connection to Yorda, and thats one aspect which absolutely didn't work for me. As nakedly "gamey" and transparently artificial as Fallout New Vegas' NPCs (and Skyrim and F3 etc) locking the camera to have a dialogue tree, they read to me as infinitely more human than the more realistic Yorda; for a few reasons. Chief among them is that despite some hiccups and bugs the game is known for, you are not asked to manage them as a gameplay mechanic beyond your companions and well, my main interaction with Yorda was holding down R1 to repeatedly yell "ONG VA!" so she'd climb down the fucking ladder. She'd climb down, get halfway through and then decide this was a bad idea and ascend again.
ICO has been to me a game of all these little frustrations piling up. Due to the nature of the puzzles and platforming, failing them was aggravating and solving them first try was merely unremarkable. It makes me question again, what is the value of minimalism genuinely? There was a point at which I had to use a chain to jump across a gap and I couldnt quite make it, I thought "well, maybe theres a way to jump farther" and started pressing buttons randomly until the circle button achieved the result of letting me use momentum to swing accross. Now, if instead a non-diegetic diagram of the face buttons had shown up on the HUD instead what would have been lost? To me, very little. Sure, excessive direction can be annoying and take me out of the game, but pressing buttons randomly did the same, personally. Nor did "figuring it out for myself" feel particularly fulfilling. Thats again what I meant, victories are unremarkable and failures are frustrating. The same can be said for the combat which, honestly I liked at first. I liked how clumsy and childish the stick flailing fighting style was, but ultimately it involved hitting the enemies over and over and over and over again until they stopped spawning. Thankfully you can run away at times and rush to the exit to make the enemies blow up but the game's habit of spawning them when you're far from Yorda or maybe when she's on a different platform meant that I had to rely on her stupid pathfinding to quickly respond (which is just not going to happen, she needs like 3 business days to execute the same thing we've done 5k times already, I guess the language barrier applies to pattern recognition as well somehow) and when it inevitably failed I would have to jump down and mash square until they fucked off.
I can see the argument that this is meant to be disempowering somehow but I don't really buy it. Your strikes knock these fuckers down well enough, they just keep getting back up. Ico isnt strong, he shouldnt be able to smite these wizard of oz monkeys with a single swing, but then why can they do no damage to ICO and get knocked down flat with a couple swings? Either they are weak as hell but keep getting remotely CPRd by the antagonist or they're strong but have really poor balance. In the end, all I could really feel from ICO was being miserable. I finished the game in 5 hours but it felt twice that. All I can think of now is that Im glad its done and I can tick it off the bucket list. I am now dreading playing shadow of the colossus even harder, and I don't think I ever want to play The Last Guardian, it just looks like ICO but even more miserable. I'm sure I've outed myself as an uncultured swine who didnt get the genius of the experience and will lose all my followers but I'm too deflated to care. If there is one positive to this experience is that I kept procrastinating on finishing the game that I got back into reading. I read The Name of the Rose and Rumble Fish, pretty good reads. Im going to read Winesburg Ohio next I think.
a little quaint but very much a beautiful work of art that i adore. i had a conversation with a friend about how brain rotting fortnite is and it deeply depresses me that hardly anyone touches this masterpiece. the puzzles are challenging but never impossible, even an idiot like me was able to complete it without a single use of any guide. playing it made me realize this must be an amazing game to experience as a kid; puzzle solving, keeping track and caring for another that helps your patience and to completely immerse yourself in a mostly quiet ambience. some moments of silence that is elevated with a rush of ocean wind should not only be much appreciated in video games but also in todays world especially with how chaotic everything has been (i sound dumb as hell but i hope my point comes across).
log this one because it has the good cover
Definition of masterpiece.
The soft summer wind that glides through the grass and quietly envelopes you.
What is destiny?
To some, its the path they seek to forge for themselves, a future that quenches their every desire in life.
Whereas for some others, its the path they have no control of - a fate chosen for them due to circumstances beyond their control, an ending that ultimately leaves them languishing in despair and tragedy.
Both Ico and Yorda fit the latter definition. Initially, at least. Ico, condemned to an eternal prison of misery within the shackles of a tomb, purely because of the two horns on his head; Yorda, bound to the whims of her mother's selfish desire for eternity, born merely to serve a vessel to the Queen's means.
And yet it is also destiny that brings them together. It was destiny that lead to a small tremor that fateful day that released Ico from his prison, and destiny that led him to Yorda's cage in his attempt to escape. From that point onward, their destinies are intertwined.
Ico isn't just a game entirely about trust, or subtractive design, no: it's also a subtly told, well-executed tale of breaking free of destiny. These themes are used in tandem to construct the core foundation of Ico. Without the other beside them, neither Ico nor Yorda can successfully escape the castle, and their mutual trust in one another as well as their individual strengths allows them to constantly punch destiny in the face figuratively. It is their bond that allows them to overcome every obstacle laid before them in the castle. One might even argue that it was destiny that every tool they needed to bypass an area was laid out before them in a visible manner.
Yet, destiny does not relent that easily. Towards the end of the game, the Queen once again interferes with Yorda's fate by turning her into stone, leaving her helpless once again in the strings of her mother's greed. And as Ico rushes back into the castle to save her, he is greeted by the shadows of every child encased in tombs before him, a reminder of his supposed destiny of eternal torture and futility in their efforts to protect a soul they will never truly comprehend. Perhaps, then, is it fitting that Ico slashes them down one by one, as their tombs glow in response. Ico, much like what he did with Yorda, ultimately sets them free from their imprisonment, and saves them from their own destiny.
The story of a hero overcoming their destiny and finding their own path is a tale countless times, Ico does things differently. It allows its subtle animations and the experience of its gameplay tell the entire story, all with barely a line of dialogue from either protagonist. But somehow, by chance, the bond that they share doesn't need that dialogue at all to speak volumes.
All of this makes the ending of the game more rewarding, as Ico and Yorda, whose bond had carried them past the most challenging barriers imaginable, finally reunite on a sandy beach, the shackles of the fates that bound them shattered. Their surroundings are serene, quiet... peaceful. When Yorda awakens from her slumber and sees Ico beside her, we see nothing but a smile.
A smile that promises a future where they can shape their own destiny.
Final rating: 10/10
Focus: The subtle themes of overcoming destiny in Ico
Theme: Destiny.
To some, its the path they seek to forge for themselves, a future that quenches their every desire in life.
Whereas for some others, its the path they have no control of - a fate chosen for them due to circumstances beyond their control, an ending that ultimately leaves them languishing in despair and tragedy.
Both Ico and Yorda fit the latter definition. Initially, at least. Ico, condemned to an eternal prison of misery within the shackles of a tomb, purely because of the two horns on his head; Yorda, bound to the whims of her mother's selfish desire for eternity, born merely to serve a vessel to the Queen's means.
And yet it is also destiny that brings them together. It was destiny that lead to a small tremor that fateful day that released Ico from his prison, and destiny that led him to Yorda's cage in his attempt to escape. From that point onward, their destinies are intertwined.
Ico isn't just a game entirely about trust, or subtractive design, no: it's also a subtly told, well-executed tale of breaking free of destiny. These themes are used in tandem to construct the core foundation of Ico. Without the other beside them, neither Ico nor Yorda can successfully escape the castle, and their mutual trust in one another as well as their individual strengths allows them to constantly punch destiny in the face figuratively. It is their bond that allows them to overcome every obstacle laid before them in the castle. One might even argue that it was destiny that every tool they needed to bypass an area was laid out before them in a visible manner.
Yet, destiny does not relent that easily. Towards the end of the game, the Queen once again interferes with Yorda's fate by turning her into stone, leaving her helpless once again in the strings of her mother's greed. And as Ico rushes back into the castle to save her, he is greeted by the shadows of every child encased in tombs before him, a reminder of his supposed destiny of eternal torture and futility in their efforts to protect a soul they will never truly comprehend. Perhaps, then, is it fitting that Ico slashes them down one by one, as their tombs glow in response. Ico, much like what he did with Yorda, ultimately sets them free from their imprisonment, and saves them from their own destiny.
The story of a hero overcoming their destiny and finding their own path is a tale countless times, Ico does things differently. It allows its subtle animations and the experience of its gameplay tell the entire story, all with barely a line of dialogue from either protagonist. But somehow, by chance, the bond that they share doesn't need that dialogue at all to speak volumes.
All of this makes the ending of the game more rewarding, as Ico and Yorda, whose bond had carried them past the most challenging barriers imaginable, finally reunite on a sandy beach, the shackles of the fates that bound them shattered. Their surroundings are serene, quiet... peaceful. When Yorda awakens from her slumber and sees Ico beside her, we see nothing but a smile.
A smile that promises a future where they can shape their own destiny.
Final rating: 10/10
Focus: The subtle themes of overcoming destiny in Ico
Theme: Destiny.
3 anos pra subir uma escada yorda pqp...
There are always those monumental works within their respective mediums that I encounter from time to time. Each instance is a hard challenge when it comes to deconstruction, at least from my perspective. Whether I'm trying to outline my thoughts or writing down all my collective reflections, serving them justice becomes a tough task to do so.
No matter how hard I attempt to pen-down my thoughts about the game, Capturing my feelings becomes more complex. "Ico" undoubtedly stands as a masterpiece within its genre, largely due to its exceptional atmosphere that's constructed through various artistic elements. The impeccable interplay of sound design, the expansive yet isolating design of the castle, the vividly expressive animations of the characters – all of these combine to create an experience that invokes a powerful blend of hopelessness and determination. Furthermore, the game's exceptional cinematic camera work immerses players even further. My memory fails to recall a gaming experience evoked feelings of both hopelessness and nervous anticipation. The struggle to navigate the game armed solely with a stick, while simultaneously solving puzzles that practically rewired my approach, was truly stress-inducing. The philosophy approached here was pure minimalism, universal gameplay design choices weren't a thing which made the game feel unique and unforgettable.
This game stands as a remarkable experience that defies conventions. Incredible & exceptional design and storytelling, leaving me a profound impact that's hard to express.
No matter how hard I attempt to pen-down my thoughts about the game, Capturing my feelings becomes more complex. "Ico" undoubtedly stands as a masterpiece within its genre, largely due to its exceptional atmosphere that's constructed through various artistic elements. The impeccable interplay of sound design, the expansive yet isolating design of the castle, the vividly expressive animations of the characters – all of these combine to create an experience that invokes a powerful blend of hopelessness and determination. Furthermore, the game's exceptional cinematic camera work immerses players even further. My memory fails to recall a gaming experience evoked feelings of both hopelessness and nervous anticipation. The struggle to navigate the game armed solely with a stick, while simultaneously solving puzzles that practically rewired my approach, was truly stress-inducing. The philosophy approached here was pure minimalism, universal gameplay design choices weren't a thing which made the game feel unique and unforgettable.
This game stands as a remarkable experience that defies conventions. Incredible & exceptional design and storytelling, leaving me a profound impact that's hard to express.
any criticisms you could levy at the game for being "unfun" or "dogwater to actually play through" are made irrelevant for the simple fact that in it you get to hold a girls hand
yall dont understand this game like I do man
i vibe with this shit
Imagina fazer algo tão simples e tão revolucionário, só um momento Fumito, fazendo a coisa mais simples ser perfeitinha. A relação do Ico com a Yorda é super bonitinha, ainda mais com o jogador precisando segurar o R1 para segurar a mão dela, criando maior imersão e conexão entre o jogador e as personagens.
No se que nota darle a este juego, nisiquiera se si debería darle una nota, este juego me hizo sentir cosas muy curiosas, no sabría decir si me gustó o no , por un lado el juego es hermoso y me gusta mucho su filosofía minimalista y de limpieza, el juego se deshace del Hub, no hay barras de vida o interfaz de ningún tipo, utiliza una paleta de colores simple ,su sistema de combate es muy sencillo y apenas hay diálogos. El juego no necesita nada de eso para construir la relación entre tú y Yorda, simplemente el caminar juntos tomados de las manos va poco a poco fortaleciendo su relación, al menos así lo sentí yo, al principio no la agarraba mucho de la mano y siempre la llamaba mientras caminaba pero con el tiempo empecé a soltarla menos cada que una de las sombras se la llevaba , me preocupaba cada vez más, sin decir una palabra pude sentirme su amigo, su compañero, sentir que estaba ahí con ella haciendo todo lo posible por escapar y creo que esa sensación no se hubiese conseguido sin esa filosofía de limpieza. Es muy catartico y emocionante ver que cuando te encuentras en un aprieto ella te salve tomándote de la mano mostrando el avance en su relación y la importancia de ese gesto. Por otro lado no negare que a la largo del juego sentí una sensación de incomodidad, no por controles sino por el diseño del escenario, es muy ridículo y muchas veces me sacaba por completo de onda, es cierto que el lugar es una prisión pensada para que no escapes lo cual podría justificar algunas cosas pero en general la poca coherencia del escenario me provocó una gran incomodidad al jugar, se siente muy extraño. No creo que este error dañe lo que el juego hace bien y Admito que es uno de los juegos que más me han emocionado de todo lo que he jugado estos últimos meses, es un juego en el que seguiré pensando de aquí a un tiempo, no puedo olvidarme de la belleza de sus paisajes ni de mi amistad con Yorda, de la misma forma que no podré olvidar la incomodidad de recorrer el castillo.
Eso sí el final es hermoso y hacerte recorrer una playa iluminada con un sol radiante casi sintiendo como el aire te da en la cara es increíble.
Edit: Creo que ya se de donde viene esa incomodidad, el juego me hace sentir pequeño, muy pequeño, la cámara se va lejos y te hace ver como algo pequeño e insignificante, he estado rejugando a Shadow of the colosus y sentí lo mismo. Ahora entiendo mejor ese sentimiento, me sentía pequeño en un espacio claustrofobico, de ahí venía mi incomodidad , este juego es fascinante.
Eso sí el final es hermoso y hacerte recorrer una playa iluminada con un sol radiante casi sintiendo como el aire te da en la cara es increíble.
Edit: Creo que ya se de donde viene esa incomodidad, el juego me hace sentir pequeño, muy pequeño, la cámara se va lejos y te hace ver como algo pequeño e insignificante, he estado rejugando a Shadow of the colosus y sentí lo mismo. Ahora entiendo mejor ese sentimiento, me sentía pequeño en un espacio claustrofobico, de ahí venía mi incomodidad , este juego es fascinante.
Ico is an exceptional work of art, and is among the greatest games of all time. There is a magic to Ico that got me to invest heavily in its characters, to feel the thins the characters felt. When the story required me to leave Yorda behind, even if only for a little bit, I was always extremely anxious because I was worried something might happen to her. Ico could be described as a game about what it truly means to care for another person, going out of your way to bond with another to fight against evil forces.
The storytelling of Ico is amazing in its minimalism. There are very few lines of dialogue, but the game suggests so much with its few simple elements. The empty castle invites questions about how it was used, and what it's purpose was. You are invited to think about why the Queen does what she does. Do the spirits work for her, and if so, why? Why was Ico sacrificed? If you pay attention there are small repeated details that aren't enough to form a whole picture, but in suggesting that there are patterns, that the world is deliberately designed, it invites players to think about the castle and what it means for themselves. And the fact that it can convey its story primarily through interactive elements speaks to the strength of Ico's storytelling chops and the potential for games as a whole. "Story" in games is often thought of as all of the stuff that is there to be experienced but not interacted with. Cutscenes, data logs, journal entries, these are what people usually point to when they discuss "narrative" in games, but Ico is light on that. Rather its story is felt in the actions you perform. Its in the tension of a perilous jump from a chain high above a court yard. Its in the terror of watching Yorda get carried away by a bird spirit.
The architecture of the game helps significantly as well. The castle's architecture has a natural sense to it, while also feeling otherworldly and distant. The tall rooves and anxious spires make the protagonists feel small and fragile in the shadow of such a formidable structure. One could break down the architecture in a full video or article, and maybe I will. I'll save that for a future time though.
There are some issues with Ico, some that are quite noticeable, but I find myself very willing to forgive these mistakes. Some are technical. Yorda's AI sometimes is a bit odd and can feel a bit artificial at times as you wait for her to get the idea that she has to jump across a gap to join you. It's not bad because its slow, but it reveals a bit of the illusion that this is just a computer game. However, being on the PS2, this is an understandable issue. Making fully convincing human AIs in games is still hard today, let alone back then. Secondly, there are a decent number of puzzles that I got stuck on, not because I had not figured out the solution, but because I didn't know about a mechanic. I hadn't realized that I could swing on chains, which made one puzzle impassible until I looked it up. Another example is more egregious. After getting the sword you are taught it can cut ropes. Handy. However, there is a part where there is a bridge held open by a rope slightly above Ico's head. It looks like he can hit it with the sword, but swings won't damage it. I assumed I needed a new solution. I was wrong. Instead I just had to get the 3 hit combo to swing my sword in the air for the swing to connect. Even knowing about how to solve the puzzle, it was really finnicky to line up. This puzzle would be no different if you could just hit the rope with a normal swing. Thirdly, there are a few jumps that are really bad. The first is a jump that you have to make in time with a spring machine to launch yourself into the air. I was attempting this for minutes before it worked, and the timing is way too strict. I had the right idea but gave up on it because I didn't think it could throw me higher. Then, right after that the wheel jump onto the bars took me minutes of attempts, and has no right being as precise as it is. Most of the game has pretty generous and forgiving platforming, so these two examples stick out significantly, and could cause some people who would otherwise love the rest of the game to give up because they can't make the jump.
Even with these problems, Ico is a masterpiece and its hard for me to hold them against the game too much. Its easy to see why Ico is such an influence on gaming.
The storytelling of Ico is amazing in its minimalism. There are very few lines of dialogue, but the game suggests so much with its few simple elements. The empty castle invites questions about how it was used, and what it's purpose was. You are invited to think about why the Queen does what she does. Do the spirits work for her, and if so, why? Why was Ico sacrificed? If you pay attention there are small repeated details that aren't enough to form a whole picture, but in suggesting that there are patterns, that the world is deliberately designed, it invites players to think about the castle and what it means for themselves. And the fact that it can convey its story primarily through interactive elements speaks to the strength of Ico's storytelling chops and the potential for games as a whole. "Story" in games is often thought of as all of the stuff that is there to be experienced but not interacted with. Cutscenes, data logs, journal entries, these are what people usually point to when they discuss "narrative" in games, but Ico is light on that. Rather its story is felt in the actions you perform. Its in the tension of a perilous jump from a chain high above a court yard. Its in the terror of watching Yorda get carried away by a bird spirit.
The architecture of the game helps significantly as well. The castle's architecture has a natural sense to it, while also feeling otherworldly and distant. The tall rooves and anxious spires make the protagonists feel small and fragile in the shadow of such a formidable structure. One could break down the architecture in a full video or article, and maybe I will. I'll save that for a future time though.
There are some issues with Ico, some that are quite noticeable, but I find myself very willing to forgive these mistakes. Some are technical. Yorda's AI sometimes is a bit odd and can feel a bit artificial at times as you wait for her to get the idea that she has to jump across a gap to join you. It's not bad because its slow, but it reveals a bit of the illusion that this is just a computer game. However, being on the PS2, this is an understandable issue. Making fully convincing human AIs in games is still hard today, let alone back then. Secondly, there are a decent number of puzzles that I got stuck on, not because I had not figured out the solution, but because I didn't know about a mechanic. I hadn't realized that I could swing on chains, which made one puzzle impassible until I looked it up. Another example is more egregious. After getting the sword you are taught it can cut ropes. Handy. However, there is a part where there is a bridge held open by a rope slightly above Ico's head. It looks like he can hit it with the sword, but swings won't damage it. I assumed I needed a new solution. I was wrong. Instead I just had to get the 3 hit combo to swing my sword in the air for the swing to connect. Even knowing about how to solve the puzzle, it was really finnicky to line up. This puzzle would be no different if you could just hit the rope with a normal swing. Thirdly, there are a few jumps that are really bad. The first is a jump that you have to make in time with a spring machine to launch yourself into the air. I was attempting this for minutes before it worked, and the timing is way too strict. I had the right idea but gave up on it because I didn't think it could throw me higher. Then, right after that the wheel jump onto the bars took me minutes of attempts, and has no right being as precise as it is. Most of the game has pretty generous and forgiving platforming, so these two examples stick out significantly, and could cause some people who would otherwise love the rest of the game to give up because they can't make the jump.
Even with these problems, Ico is a masterpiece and its hard for me to hold them against the game too much. Its easy to see why Ico is such an influence on gaming.
This is a great example of how the atmosphere is sometimes all you need to make something engaging and thought-provoking. I didn't completely understand the story when it was over, but I think that's the point.
I'm an unapologetic cynic when it comes to artsy indie games. Games that attempt to conjure some sense of wonder by having you stand atop a sacred monument, so you can float and glow as you acquire your new power-up. It's shallow and insincere. A painting you bought at B&Q. Fucking... products. I know where it comes from, and it's fucking ICO.
This isn't a game that's dated. It's always been this unique and defiant of trends, but I think people tend to overlook its strengths on the criteria of a standard videogame. It's like a surreal, somewhat realistic version of Zelda. Like a regular kid actually had to go through all of that, panting and wheezing through every climb and fight. It's not a game that gratifies, but it's so much more tangible and relatable for that. Puzzle pieces are obscured by the imposing scale of these giant halls and walkways. You're very small, weak and unsure of where to go. You'll enter a room you don't belong in, and you feel unwelcome. That's something everyone has felt before, and the game is so effective in conveying that emotion.
ICO is a real credit to the group at SCEI that would later be known as Japan Studio. The cutscene animator from Enemy Zero on the Saturn walked in with an experimental pitch video he'd put together and they supported his project from PS1 prototype to complete overhaul and eventual release on PS2. It's no wonder that when Uncharted 2 turned Sony's fortunes around and determined the trajectory that the company would radically shift towards, would they fire every member of corporate responsible for that decision.
The game runs on a consistent sensation of weight and frailty. The boyish tug at Yorda's hand. The sense of dread whenever you have to separate. The distrust of yourself before attempting a perilous jump that might be the route forward, and the subsequent fear when you have to ask the emaciated Yorda to do the same. Ico, reassuringly holding out his hand to catch her, but shaking in fear at the uncertainty. The relatable tangibility in all of that massively benefits from Ueda's background in visual art and animation. This game is a keeper.
Ueda has described his approach as "design by subtraction". ICO was seen as shockingly sparse and minimalist in its day. Even its most influential and daring contemporaries like GTA3 and MGS2 were still utilising floating power-ups, on-screen status bars and detailed objectives, and it was strange to see a game without them. Picking up an old save today, there's an almost instinctive search for a map screen as you try to recall your bearings. Ueda has frequently cited Another World as a primary influence, and it wouldn't be right to suggest that this style of game design was entirely his invention, but for a game with this level of nuanced interaction and free movement, it was quite daring. There's no old RPG mechanics holding this thing together. You're not looking at numbers and trying to determine the best strategy you can afford. It feels physical. If you need an item, you have to go find it and pick it up. You're not told what state the protagonists are in, or how strong the enemies might be, and there's a fear in the ambiguity.
I expect this is basic knowledge to anyone with a similar attitude towards games, but so much has been lost in the utilitarian homogenisation of camera systems today. The right stick swivelling around the playable character as its constant centre. It's so boring and limiting as a design principle. Back in the early days of game design, there was real thought put into what a screen needed to show. That one screen was your whole game, so it better be good. Predetermined camera angles have as much potential to games as they have to films. It's also good when your artists don't have to piss around texturing every pebble from every conceivable angle and just focus on making each moment look as good as possible. In ICO, you're always looking down at the characters. Ico and Yorda are always very small, and the full dimensions of the giant, suffocating castle are difficult to discern. In the action scenes, you don't always know where the shadowy figures are. Yorda might turn her head towards them, as a subtle warning, but that aide is gone if she's ever taken away, and it's a scramble to determine where she is. The emotion in the game wouldn't resonate nearly as effectively if it played like Ratchet & Clank.
Then there's the sofas. A surreal sight in the middle of these stone ruins. Ico and Yorda sit side by side on them and you can save the game. They don't exist in the scenario's logic. I don't know if I even want to recognise them as canon. They're brilliantly symbolic, though. A small home comfort in this desperate, lonely situation. You don't have to suffer through this. You save and return when you want to come back. Ico and Yorda sit side by side. There's no implication of romance or anything, just mutual trust, respect and devotion. The castle is intimidating, but there's nothing to distrust in these two.
The rigid, uniform, endless brickwork you find yourself trapped within, and the rare glimpses of the boundless, vibrant forest beyond. The catharsis you feel whenever you work against the castle's symmetrical, straightline logic.
Sometimes, I like to keep the game paused and let the ambience take over. The rolling waves and birdsong. There's a mood that envelops the room whenever I turn on ICO.
ICO is in no ways a perfect game. It's easy for current fans to overlook how obtuse an old favourite can be, or even admire it for that very quality, but it's not really an aspect of game design to be applauded. Anyone who has played an old adventure game will know the frustration of not knowing how to progress, rummaging around in desperation and fighting off the growing desire to quit. A first-time ICO playthrough has plenty of those moments to offer. They add to that important sense of powerlessness, sure, but you feel you need to be very gentle in recommending the game to potential players.
I sometimes talk about the frustration and anguish in ICO's combat. How that complements the setting. You know - I'm not confident it's fully intentional. With as much as folk love ICO, we tend to forget the scene it came out of. Have you played any of those late-90s hack n slashes recently? When was the last time you had a go on T'ai Fu or Ninja: Shadow of Darkness? I'm not confident that they're a million miles away from ICO's punishing repetition. This game was made by a small, somewhat inexperienced team, and it's probably a little pretentious to suggest that everything in the game was done with great insight and intent. When there's something really great in this game, you can typically attribute that to Ueda and not the handful of software specialists under him.
The surprising thing is that ICO remains very gamey. You solve puzzles by sliding big blocks onto platforms and lighting giant Tom & Jerry bombs. Puzzles are self-contained and utilise a small selection of playing pieces. Core Design-era Tomb Raider climbing and Pikmin 1 partner management. It's good. We like games.
Ueda has frustrated interviewers who have attempted to pry into the game's setting and lore with a down-to-earth, utilitarian attitude. He insists the ruins aren't intended to suggest anything. They were just a good match for the gameplay he wanted to explore. I don't think he's being dishonest. ICO is first and foremost a video game, and seemingly, any abstractions on top of that are only intended to guide the player's emotion. I've always enjoyed reflecting on the out-there ceremonial purpose of each location in the castle, but that's really just me seeing what I want to in this series of elaborately decorated puzzles. There isn't a fantasy novel behind this, though Ueda's never deterred audiences from their interpretations. ICO is just a distinctive, ambitious artist trying to make his own version of Kula World. If this was all a serious, dour exploration of the nature of trust, do you think he'd have put a hidden lightsaber in this thing?
Even though I haven't played through the original PS2 version since getting my CRT, I found myself sucked into the PS3 HD remaster this time. What can I say? I'm weak. I like wireless controllers and an internal hard drive. There are arguments to be made against the purist approach, though. Ueda was deeply involved in the remaster, and the level of detail in some of the more ornate texturework is really something to admire. It's still his vision, even I have my reservations about the sharp, high-contrast tiling covering every floor. I think a washed-out, foggy presentation really benefits ICO's atmosphere, and if there was ever a PS2 game to play on a CRT, this is probably it (please stick with me here, Silent Hill 2 fans), but there's appealing qualities unique to the PS3 release too. Don't get too high and mighty about it. It's a fine way to play. And no matter which revision you play, jumping on that piston always blows.
ICO is just a very different idea of what games can be. What we thought they might be when the PS2 came out. It's so richly evocative of that promise. The launch-era dream that makes me cherish my Horizontal Stand so dearly. The quiet before the Vice City boys got in, and Sony went full boar on getting themselves a Halo Killer. I couldn't put my finger on what was missing from them at the time, but the market's influence on this year's Zelda and Pikmin sequels really made me appreciate another run through ICO. No matter which direction the industry goes in, this game will still exist. The dream goes on.
This isn't a game that's dated. It's always been this unique and defiant of trends, but I think people tend to overlook its strengths on the criteria of a standard videogame. It's like a surreal, somewhat realistic version of Zelda. Like a regular kid actually had to go through all of that, panting and wheezing through every climb and fight. It's not a game that gratifies, but it's so much more tangible and relatable for that. Puzzle pieces are obscured by the imposing scale of these giant halls and walkways. You're very small, weak and unsure of where to go. You'll enter a room you don't belong in, and you feel unwelcome. That's something everyone has felt before, and the game is so effective in conveying that emotion.
ICO is a real credit to the group at SCEI that would later be known as Japan Studio. The cutscene animator from Enemy Zero on the Saturn walked in with an experimental pitch video he'd put together and they supported his project from PS1 prototype to complete overhaul and eventual release on PS2. It's no wonder that when Uncharted 2 turned Sony's fortunes around and determined the trajectory that the company would radically shift towards, would they fire every member of corporate responsible for that decision.
The game runs on a consistent sensation of weight and frailty. The boyish tug at Yorda's hand. The sense of dread whenever you have to separate. The distrust of yourself before attempting a perilous jump that might be the route forward, and the subsequent fear when you have to ask the emaciated Yorda to do the same. Ico, reassuringly holding out his hand to catch her, but shaking in fear at the uncertainty. The relatable tangibility in all of that massively benefits from Ueda's background in visual art and animation. This game is a keeper.
Ueda has described his approach as "design by subtraction". ICO was seen as shockingly sparse and minimalist in its day. Even its most influential and daring contemporaries like GTA3 and MGS2 were still utilising floating power-ups, on-screen status bars and detailed objectives, and it was strange to see a game without them. Picking up an old save today, there's an almost instinctive search for a map screen as you try to recall your bearings. Ueda has frequently cited Another World as a primary influence, and it wouldn't be right to suggest that this style of game design was entirely his invention, but for a game with this level of nuanced interaction and free movement, it was quite daring. There's no old RPG mechanics holding this thing together. You're not looking at numbers and trying to determine the best strategy you can afford. It feels physical. If you need an item, you have to go find it and pick it up. You're not told what state the protagonists are in, or how strong the enemies might be, and there's a fear in the ambiguity.
I expect this is basic knowledge to anyone with a similar attitude towards games, but so much has been lost in the utilitarian homogenisation of camera systems today. The right stick swivelling around the playable character as its constant centre. It's so boring and limiting as a design principle. Back in the early days of game design, there was real thought put into what a screen needed to show. That one screen was your whole game, so it better be good. Predetermined camera angles have as much potential to games as they have to films. It's also good when your artists don't have to piss around texturing every pebble from every conceivable angle and just focus on making each moment look as good as possible. In ICO, you're always looking down at the characters. Ico and Yorda are always very small, and the full dimensions of the giant, suffocating castle are difficult to discern. In the action scenes, you don't always know where the shadowy figures are. Yorda might turn her head towards them, as a subtle warning, but that aide is gone if she's ever taken away, and it's a scramble to determine where she is. The emotion in the game wouldn't resonate nearly as effectively if it played like Ratchet & Clank.
Then there's the sofas. A surreal sight in the middle of these stone ruins. Ico and Yorda sit side by side on them and you can save the game. They don't exist in the scenario's logic. I don't know if I even want to recognise them as canon. They're brilliantly symbolic, though. A small home comfort in this desperate, lonely situation. You don't have to suffer through this. You save and return when you want to come back. Ico and Yorda sit side by side. There's no implication of romance or anything, just mutual trust, respect and devotion. The castle is intimidating, but there's nothing to distrust in these two.
The rigid, uniform, endless brickwork you find yourself trapped within, and the rare glimpses of the boundless, vibrant forest beyond. The catharsis you feel whenever you work against the castle's symmetrical, straightline logic.
Sometimes, I like to keep the game paused and let the ambience take over. The rolling waves and birdsong. There's a mood that envelops the room whenever I turn on ICO.
ICO is in no ways a perfect game. It's easy for current fans to overlook how obtuse an old favourite can be, or even admire it for that very quality, but it's not really an aspect of game design to be applauded. Anyone who has played an old adventure game will know the frustration of not knowing how to progress, rummaging around in desperation and fighting off the growing desire to quit. A first-time ICO playthrough has plenty of those moments to offer. They add to that important sense of powerlessness, sure, but you feel you need to be very gentle in recommending the game to potential players.
I sometimes talk about the frustration and anguish in ICO's combat. How that complements the setting. You know - I'm not confident it's fully intentional. With as much as folk love ICO, we tend to forget the scene it came out of. Have you played any of those late-90s hack n slashes recently? When was the last time you had a go on T'ai Fu or Ninja: Shadow of Darkness? I'm not confident that they're a million miles away from ICO's punishing repetition. This game was made by a small, somewhat inexperienced team, and it's probably a little pretentious to suggest that everything in the game was done with great insight and intent. When there's something really great in this game, you can typically attribute that to Ueda and not the handful of software specialists under him.
The surprising thing is that ICO remains very gamey. You solve puzzles by sliding big blocks onto platforms and lighting giant Tom & Jerry bombs. Puzzles are self-contained and utilise a small selection of playing pieces. Core Design-era Tomb Raider climbing and Pikmin 1 partner management. It's good. We like games.
Ueda has frustrated interviewers who have attempted to pry into the game's setting and lore with a down-to-earth, utilitarian attitude. He insists the ruins aren't intended to suggest anything. They were just a good match for the gameplay he wanted to explore. I don't think he's being dishonest. ICO is first and foremost a video game, and seemingly, any abstractions on top of that are only intended to guide the player's emotion. I've always enjoyed reflecting on the out-there ceremonial purpose of each location in the castle, but that's really just me seeing what I want to in this series of elaborately decorated puzzles. There isn't a fantasy novel behind this, though Ueda's never deterred audiences from their interpretations. ICO is just a distinctive, ambitious artist trying to make his own version of Kula World. If this was all a serious, dour exploration of the nature of trust, do you think he'd have put a hidden lightsaber in this thing?
Even though I haven't played through the original PS2 version since getting my CRT, I found myself sucked into the PS3 HD remaster this time. What can I say? I'm weak. I like wireless controllers and an internal hard drive. There are arguments to be made against the purist approach, though. Ueda was deeply involved in the remaster, and the level of detail in some of the more ornate texturework is really something to admire. It's still his vision, even I have my reservations about the sharp, high-contrast tiling covering every floor. I think a washed-out, foggy presentation really benefits ICO's atmosphere, and if there was ever a PS2 game to play on a CRT, this is probably it (please stick with me here, Silent Hill 2 fans), but there's appealing qualities unique to the PS3 release too. Don't get too high and mighty about it. It's a fine way to play. And no matter which revision you play, jumping on that piston always blows.
ICO is just a very different idea of what games can be. What we thought they might be when the PS2 came out. It's so richly evocative of that promise. The launch-era dream that makes me cherish my Horizontal Stand so dearly. The quiet before the Vice City boys got in, and Sony went full boar on getting themselves a Halo Killer. I couldn't put my finger on what was missing from them at the time, but the market's influence on this year's Zelda and Pikmin sequels really made me appreciate another run through ICO. No matter which direction the industry goes in, this game will still exist. The dream goes on.
Pretty great game, I like the hand holding physics (take notes dead rising) and the animations. The music was nice too. Give it a try.
…
April fools! What did you really think I, the great one and only elkmane would have just one sentence as my final review before my retirement? No. I’m gonna give a nice good long review.
Ico is a really nice game. It's a video game stripped down to its bare essentials and then stripped down even more. Theres no health bar or weapon switching or hud or prompts or any tutorial of any kind. Which is pretty cool and can lead to moments of discovery in puzzles which are really fun, like when i found out i could swing on chains or something. The puzzles in this game are so simple but can be so much fun. They often span a whole room or multiple, and mix cool platforming in and it always left me wanting to play more.
I did something new while playing this game. You see, the PS3 doesn't have a headphone jack on its controller, and I live in a house with other people who can't rly be quiet. Why don't i get a house for myself? because I live in ontario! FUCK YOU DOUG FORD! FUCK YOU WITH THE FREEST OF SPEECH THIS DIVIDED STATES OF EMBARRASSMENT WILL ALLOW ME TO HAVE! FUCK YOU AND THIS DEMOCRACY OF HYPOCRISY! Anyways, I decided every morning I was free to get up super early in the morning like 5 or 5:30 to play Ico. It was usually dark when I started but the sun rose through my window on the side and it was completely silent aside from the birds chirping both ingame and irl and it was a fun experience. Don't worry about me tho, i'm used to waking up at 5 to commute to uni. THANKS AGAIN DOUG FORD... FUCKING IDIOT. Anyways, the 5am complete silence helped me think a lot about what feelings this game was trying to give me. And I do feel it. It hit me when I, Ico, was trying to solve this puzzle by climbing up on this structure. Yorda was looking off into the ocean and occasionally glancing back at me to see how I was doing (yorda is the girl u escort around.) And I think I understood. This game is trying to recapture the greatest years of our lives, that being grade 3. And maybe 4 if you were lucky and privileged. Because there's such peace in meeting someone within 3 years of your age at a playground and not knowing how to speak the same language but still playing together. Hey let me show you something cool on top of this tree. You wait down there. I don't know, it was really evocative of that time for me. Like the time I was at the park at 9pm and met some guy from my class I never spoke to and we talked about owls while sitting on a tree and he told me owls are spies for demons and I believed him. This has nothing to do with the game, i'm rambling... sorry.. in my old age i've gotten sentimental for the happier days back before doug ford was premier. Maybe its good im retiring after this. im losing my marbles. Let me get back on track. Basically, this game is like meeting a new friend and helping her escape from her evil mom who wants her to stay inside and practice piano or multiplication tables.
the environments were all also great. If you liked undead parish/burg this is that but for like the whole game. Gorgeous visuals and the camera placements make this a very unique looking game. No prop or interactable item has any kind of glow or yellow paint marking that its usable or anything like that. Boxes are boxes, chains are chains, ropes are ropes, ladders are ladders, it has no regard for readability except for the fact that there is so little detail in the environment (which adds to its isolating abandoned castle atmosphere) that it really doesn't feel like a hassle or like there was something that shouldve been interactable. It's cool. The camera placement also highlights where you should go. Stepping onto a ledge brings the bottom tip of a chain into your view, prompting you to move the camera and investigate the room further. Now i'm gonna talk about the combat.
The combat is okay I guess, it's interesting and a fun idea to have the playable character be under no threat at all and have yords (me and yorda are on nickname basis) be the target. Theyll try and knock you away, but theyre going for her. Like ashley in re4 kind of. But it's more like ashley in re4 remake. The problem is theyre kind of slippery and can fly- and you have no air attacks. So, lets say I attack and they fly up. I repeat this like 20 minutes. But- if they grab yords then they stay still for a few seconds which lets you hit them as much as you like til they die. It's like re4 remake because ashley gets kidnapped 10x more in that game than she does in re4, and once she IS kidnapped then the ganado or whatever holding her is open to a stealth attack which is a one hit KO. So in that game, I didn't really mind her getting taken five times a fight because it was kind of beneficial to me. Double edged sword though. On one hand, its a way for your sidekick to be useful in their uselessness, but on the other hand it makes the times they DO get taken way less stressful. Honestly I think I would've preferred if they were just less slippery and didn't fly all the time.
I think thats pretty much all i have to say. The review is over now, so newcomers please feel free to drop your like and be on your way. My following message is for my loyal elksters regarding my retirement from backloggd.
Hey buddies. How's everyone doing? okay? i hope so. I know I'm addressing a crowd of hundreds, but honestly you're all my sons and daughters and children to me. All of you are appreciated by me equally. But I have to go now. Why? well, it's because I had a dream. What was my dream? well, I'll tell you now. I had put my copy of breath of the wild on sale in kijiji. What's kijiji? oh kiddo its like canadian craigslist. I wanted to sell my copy of breath of the wild or trade it for a copy of bayonetta 2. I did this in real life, so its interesting that it carried over in my dream. Anyways, I recieved a message (in my dream) saying they would trade me a copy of starbound for botw. I said no, considering starbound is worth like 15 dollars and I was selling botw for 45. The guy didn't like that. Not one bit. He took to backloggd and he posted something. He somehow managed to find every bad thing I've said on the internet, every weird search i've ever made, every guy i've yelled at on rainbow 6 voice chat. My elksters know I have a dark past. The comments were my beloved elksters; all of them felt so betrayed. Comments like "i cant believe elkmane would do this to us." "i can't support him anymore" "he was my idol." I tried to go back and give him my game, hoping for him to take it down but he didn't budge. It was over. My fans hated me. And that dream made it known to me that i can't be elkmane anymore. It's too much. This role isn't something i can mentally handle. The past 6 presidents of the united states have all gone on record as to saying that their job is 2nd hardest in the world right before being elkmane. And they're right. It is tough. So i've decided to hang up my elk hat and retire. And I know some shit's so hard to swallow, but I just can't sit back and wallow in my own sorrow but I know one fact: I'll be one tough act to follow. One tough act to follow. I'll be one tough act to follow. Here today, gone tomorrow - M.M
Here is my goodbye song!
wait, no. sorry. wrong one.
THIS is my goodbye song.
…
April fools! What did you really think I, the great one and only elkmane would have just one sentence as my final review before my retirement? No. I’m gonna give a nice good long review.
Ico is a really nice game. It's a video game stripped down to its bare essentials and then stripped down even more. Theres no health bar or weapon switching or hud or prompts or any tutorial of any kind. Which is pretty cool and can lead to moments of discovery in puzzles which are really fun, like when i found out i could swing on chains or something. The puzzles in this game are so simple but can be so much fun. They often span a whole room or multiple, and mix cool platforming in and it always left me wanting to play more.
I did something new while playing this game. You see, the PS3 doesn't have a headphone jack on its controller, and I live in a house with other people who can't rly be quiet. Why don't i get a house for myself? because I live in ontario! FUCK YOU DOUG FORD! FUCK YOU WITH THE FREEST OF SPEECH THIS DIVIDED STATES OF EMBARRASSMENT WILL ALLOW ME TO HAVE! FUCK YOU AND THIS DEMOCRACY OF HYPOCRISY! Anyways, I decided every morning I was free to get up super early in the morning like 5 or 5:30 to play Ico. It was usually dark when I started but the sun rose through my window on the side and it was completely silent aside from the birds chirping both ingame and irl and it was a fun experience. Don't worry about me tho, i'm used to waking up at 5 to commute to uni. THANKS AGAIN DOUG FORD... FUCKING IDIOT. Anyways, the 5am complete silence helped me think a lot about what feelings this game was trying to give me. And I do feel it. It hit me when I, Ico, was trying to solve this puzzle by climbing up on this structure. Yorda was looking off into the ocean and occasionally glancing back at me to see how I was doing (yorda is the girl u escort around.) And I think I understood. This game is trying to recapture the greatest years of our lives, that being grade 3. And maybe 4 if you were lucky and privileged. Because there's such peace in meeting someone within 3 years of your age at a playground and not knowing how to speak the same language but still playing together. Hey let me show you something cool on top of this tree. You wait down there. I don't know, it was really evocative of that time for me. Like the time I was at the park at 9pm and met some guy from my class I never spoke to and we talked about owls while sitting on a tree and he told me owls are spies for demons and I believed him. This has nothing to do with the game, i'm rambling... sorry.. in my old age i've gotten sentimental for the happier days back before doug ford was premier. Maybe its good im retiring after this. im losing my marbles. Let me get back on track. Basically, this game is like meeting a new friend and helping her escape from her evil mom who wants her to stay inside and practice piano or multiplication tables.
the environments were all also great. If you liked undead parish/burg this is that but for like the whole game. Gorgeous visuals and the camera placements make this a very unique looking game. No prop or interactable item has any kind of glow or yellow paint marking that its usable or anything like that. Boxes are boxes, chains are chains, ropes are ropes, ladders are ladders, it has no regard for readability except for the fact that there is so little detail in the environment (which adds to its isolating abandoned castle atmosphere) that it really doesn't feel like a hassle or like there was something that shouldve been interactable. It's cool. The camera placement also highlights where you should go. Stepping onto a ledge brings the bottom tip of a chain into your view, prompting you to move the camera and investigate the room further. Now i'm gonna talk about the combat.
The combat is okay I guess, it's interesting and a fun idea to have the playable character be under no threat at all and have yords (me and yorda are on nickname basis) be the target. Theyll try and knock you away, but theyre going for her. Like ashley in re4 kind of. But it's more like ashley in re4 remake. The problem is theyre kind of slippery and can fly- and you have no air attacks. So, lets say I attack and they fly up. I repeat this like 20 minutes. But- if they grab yords then they stay still for a few seconds which lets you hit them as much as you like til they die. It's like re4 remake because ashley gets kidnapped 10x more in that game than she does in re4, and once she IS kidnapped then the ganado or whatever holding her is open to a stealth attack which is a one hit KO. So in that game, I didn't really mind her getting taken five times a fight because it was kind of beneficial to me. Double edged sword though. On one hand, its a way for your sidekick to be useful in their uselessness, but on the other hand it makes the times they DO get taken way less stressful. Honestly I think I would've preferred if they were just less slippery and didn't fly all the time.
I think thats pretty much all i have to say. The review is over now, so newcomers please feel free to drop your like and be on your way. My following message is for my loyal elksters regarding my retirement from backloggd.
Hey buddies. How's everyone doing? okay? i hope so. I know I'm addressing a crowd of hundreds, but honestly you're all my sons and daughters and children to me. All of you are appreciated by me equally. But I have to go now. Why? well, it's because I had a dream. What was my dream? well, I'll tell you now. I had put my copy of breath of the wild on sale in kijiji. What's kijiji? oh kiddo its like canadian craigslist. I wanted to sell my copy of breath of the wild or trade it for a copy of bayonetta 2. I did this in real life, so its interesting that it carried over in my dream. Anyways, I recieved a message (in my dream) saying they would trade me a copy of starbound for botw. I said no, considering starbound is worth like 15 dollars and I was selling botw for 45. The guy didn't like that. Not one bit. He took to backloggd and he posted something. He somehow managed to find every bad thing I've said on the internet, every weird search i've ever made, every guy i've yelled at on rainbow 6 voice chat. My elksters know I have a dark past. The comments were my beloved elksters; all of them felt so betrayed. Comments like "i cant believe elkmane would do this to us." "i can't support him anymore" "he was my idol." I tried to go back and give him my game, hoping for him to take it down but he didn't budge. It was over. My fans hated me. And that dream made it known to me that i can't be elkmane anymore. It's too much. This role isn't something i can mentally handle. The past 6 presidents of the united states have all gone on record as to saying that their job is 2nd hardest in the world right before being elkmane. And they're right. It is tough. So i've decided to hang up my elk hat and retire. And I know some shit's so hard to swallow, but I just can't sit back and wallow in my own sorrow but I know one fact: I'll be one tough act to follow. One tough act to follow. I'll be one tough act to follow. Here today, gone tomorrow - M.M
Here is my goodbye song!
wait, no. sorry. wrong one.
THIS is my goodbye song.
Quando eu comprava jogos de PlayStation 2 em alguma banquinha suspeita por aí e ficava folheando repetidas vezes aquelas capinhas de plástico mole dentro de uma caixa de acrílico - ao ponto de irritar o dono da banquinha -, frequentemente me deparava com a capa de Ico.
A capa europeia/japonesa é uma obra de arte, uma pintura digna de ser colocada em um quadro e pendurada na parede. Por sua vez, capa americana é COLOSSALmente feia. Não vi um 3D tão esquisito nem em filmes da Vídeo Brinquedo. É muito aquém do que o jogo é, do que o jogo entrega. Qualquer print in-game seria mil vezes melhor. Essa capa é considerada como uma das mais feias da história e condenou o jogo a ter vendas fraquíssimas nos lugares que vendiam com ela. Nunca tive a sorte de ver a capa europeia/japonesa e, assim como muitos outros, julguei o jogo pela capa e nunca passei perto de Ico na vida.
Nem me culpo por me afastar e nunca ter dado chance ao jogo e, ao invés disso, ter preferido os mesmos GTAs San Andreas Modificados, o mesmo Resident Evil 4 e os dois God of War de sempre. Acabou que a versão HD de ps3 tirou aquela aberração, não fazendo os olhos de quem vê pela primeira vez sangrar, e colocou essa capa linda que sempre deveria ter sido a definitiva.
Minha primeira impressão, logo de cara, foi "WOW, o quão cativante o jogo é!". O visual dele, a atmosfera desse ambiente gigantesco tanto dentro quanto fora do castelo, com muito espaço aberto, conseguindo explorar razoavelmente tudo, deixa um ar bastante agradável. E isso vai até o fim, é raro ver um mapa e cenário tão bem-feitos assim.
Com poucas linhas de diálogo, já é possível engajar na trama e começar a se fazer perguntas: "Quem são aqueles cavaleiros cobertos de roupa? Que lugar é este que trouxeram o menino? Por que trazem para cá crianças que nasceram com chifres? Como isso protegeria o vilarejo deles? Qual língua essa menina fala e de onde ela veio? Por que prenderam ela nesse lugar, se ela não tem chifres? Por que as sombras a perseguem e tentam tirá-la dali?" etc. Com menos de 10 minutos, sendo a primeira cutscene, a narrativa te acorrenta, te intriga genuinamente, te motivando a querer descobrir mais. Não é nem um pouco comum um jogo causar isso em tão pouco tempo, com a força e competência que foi.
Depois de umas 5 horas de jogo, no entanto, tudo o que eu acabei de falar sobre a narrativa DESAPARECE literalmente. Você conseguiria entender a história de ICO apenas ao ver as cutscenes iniciais e a parte final. Simplesmente mais nada é apresentado nesse meio-tempo, é apenas gameplay. Alguns podem gostar, eu achei uma pena, porque eu amo a forma como o jogo conta sua história, de forma sutil e lenta, deixando partes cruciais subentendidas e mistério maturando com calma.
Depois de cerca de duas horas de jogo, percebi alguns pontos que me desagradaram. Às vezes o jogo reutiliza mal os cenários e outras ele reutiliza genialmente. Em alguns momentos, eu não gosto como o jogo te força a ficar dando voltas pelo mesmo cenário como uma barata tonta, muitas das vezes não sendo particularmente claro - talvez pois eu não gosto tanto de plataforma. Você basicamente fica tentando até dar certo, puzzles assim não dependem da sua habilidade, do seu raciocínio, do seu esforço. É um jogo de advinha bobinho e sem sentido, chegando até a ser frustrante. Aumenta o tempo do jogo dum jeito estranho, desnecessário. Você zera o jogo em cerca de 6-7 horas na primeira vez e em menos de duas horas e meia na segunda. Não foi você que não prestou atenção no design, é só que você não adivinhou o que era pra fazer. Isso me fez largar o jogo com quinze minutos de jogatina muitas vezes, porque em alguns dias eu só queria me divertir um pouco e aparece um bagulho imenso e pouco intuitivo... Acaba que de cabeça cheia você não vai ter saco pra experienciar o que o jogo tem de melhor. Esse definitivamente não é um jogo pra você zerar em dias seguidos, pois em muitas das vezes ele não é divertido a ponto de tu continuar disposto a jogar. Existem as partes que ele engrena, e existem essas que descrevi. Até recomendo jogar ICO em paralelo com outro jogo mais descompromissado.
Olha, provavelmente você vai passar muita raiva jogando, em várias oportunidades. Respire fundo algumas vezes, feche os olhos e conte até 30, tome um chá ou uma água e repita pra si mesmo "o jogo é de 2001". Algumas coisas são datadas e você tem a chance de perder vários minutos se você não salvou ou não achou um save point. Eu mesmo já pensei em desistir várias vezes e ir jogar outra coisa e já deixei de jogar ICO durante alguns bons dias, chegando até a uma semana, mas algo sempre me fez voltar pro jogo para tentar novamente depois de esfriar a cabeça e estar mais calmo.
Não tenha vergonha de usar guias se ficar preso em alguma parte (spoiler: você ficará). Reitero, os puzzles desse jogo e brincar de Advinhe o Que Estou Pensando com seu priminho de 6 anos é a mesma coisa. Fiquei embasbacado com uma parte específica: há uma ponte que precisa ser baixada para Yorda poder passar. Explorando para resolver este puzzle, você encontra uma salinha cheia de bombas e uma fogueira próxima para acender essas bombas. Bem, assim como 2 + 2 = 4, você logo deduz que precisa acender a bomba perto da ponte para que ela caia com o impacto da explosão, e de fato você consegue fazer isso. Quando a bomba explode, no entanto, NADA acontece. Depois de uns 20 minutos tentando novamente isso e outras coisas, eu vi em um longplay que você precisa usar uma corda num cantinho para pular em cima da ponte e ela cair... Espera aí, quer dizer que a ponte desce com o PESO DUMA CRIANÇA DE 8 ANOS, MAS NÃO COM O IMPACTO DUMA BOMBA?????? Tudo bem, eu reconheço minha burrice ao não ter achado a corda que é fácil de ser vista, mas é sério que, mesmo tendo a chance de resolver o mesmo puzzlezinho de outra forma bastante lógica, simplesmente não dá?
Eu ouvi falar no quão influente ICO foi pra indústra em geral. De fato, você consegue reconhecer em ICO coisas que outros jogos também fazem. Por exemplo, uma característica que tanto ICO quanto Dark Souls tem em comum é o fato de você conseguir ver cenários e fases que você já passou, muito tempo depois de ter as passado. Além do fato de os cenários "se encaixarem" entre si dentro de um escopo muito grande: você passa da metade do jogo e libera um caminho para você voltar lááá no início do jogo. Isso enriquece a exploração ao passo que a incentiva. Explorar o castelo é bem satisfatório.
Ainda bem que a Yorda é fofinha e o modo como sua relação com o Ico é bem interessante, porque eu me senti jogando uma versão pesadelo extremo de Resident Evil 4 na qual o jogo inteiro é unica e exclusivamente você escoltando a Ashley e impedindo os ganados levarem ela embora. Definitivamente proteger a Yorda não é a melhor parte, mas pelo menos a dinâmica de ambos falarem línguas diferentes e mesmo assim um querer ajudar o outro - afinal, você precisa da Yorda pra passar de fase - faz valer a pena e você realmente sente a necessidade de protegê-la e dá um incômodo ver as sombras a levando embora enquanto você fica um tempo deitado no chão, por ter levado porrada.
Talvez eu tenha sido bem anacrônico em alguns momentos, talvez isso possa até ser um elogio ao jogo, ele é uma fonte da qual muitos jogos de hoje beberam. Então, julgar um jogo de 2001 comparando com jogos atuais e ainda sim ter uma visão positiva em geral e recomendar, é algo considerável.
A capa europeia/japonesa é uma obra de arte, uma pintura digna de ser colocada em um quadro e pendurada na parede. Por sua vez, capa americana é COLOSSALmente feia. Não vi um 3D tão esquisito nem em filmes da Vídeo Brinquedo. É muito aquém do que o jogo é, do que o jogo entrega. Qualquer print in-game seria mil vezes melhor. Essa capa é considerada como uma das mais feias da história e condenou o jogo a ter vendas fraquíssimas nos lugares que vendiam com ela. Nunca tive a sorte de ver a capa europeia/japonesa e, assim como muitos outros, julguei o jogo pela capa e nunca passei perto de Ico na vida.
Nem me culpo por me afastar e nunca ter dado chance ao jogo e, ao invés disso, ter preferido os mesmos GTAs San Andreas Modificados, o mesmo Resident Evil 4 e os dois God of War de sempre. Acabou que a versão HD de ps3 tirou aquela aberração, não fazendo os olhos de quem vê pela primeira vez sangrar, e colocou essa capa linda que sempre deveria ter sido a definitiva.
Minha primeira impressão, logo de cara, foi "WOW, o quão cativante o jogo é!". O visual dele, a atmosfera desse ambiente gigantesco tanto dentro quanto fora do castelo, com muito espaço aberto, conseguindo explorar razoavelmente tudo, deixa um ar bastante agradável. E isso vai até o fim, é raro ver um mapa e cenário tão bem-feitos assim.
Com poucas linhas de diálogo, já é possível engajar na trama e começar a se fazer perguntas: "Quem são aqueles cavaleiros cobertos de roupa? Que lugar é este que trouxeram o menino? Por que trazem para cá crianças que nasceram com chifres? Como isso protegeria o vilarejo deles? Qual língua essa menina fala e de onde ela veio? Por que prenderam ela nesse lugar, se ela não tem chifres? Por que as sombras a perseguem e tentam tirá-la dali?" etc. Com menos de 10 minutos, sendo a primeira cutscene, a narrativa te acorrenta, te intriga genuinamente, te motivando a querer descobrir mais. Não é nem um pouco comum um jogo causar isso em tão pouco tempo, com a força e competência que foi.
Depois de umas 5 horas de jogo, no entanto, tudo o que eu acabei de falar sobre a narrativa DESAPARECE literalmente. Você conseguiria entender a história de ICO apenas ao ver as cutscenes iniciais e a parte final. Simplesmente mais nada é apresentado nesse meio-tempo, é apenas gameplay. Alguns podem gostar, eu achei uma pena, porque eu amo a forma como o jogo conta sua história, de forma sutil e lenta, deixando partes cruciais subentendidas e mistério maturando com calma.
Depois de cerca de duas horas de jogo, percebi alguns pontos que me desagradaram. Às vezes o jogo reutiliza mal os cenários e outras ele reutiliza genialmente. Em alguns momentos, eu não gosto como o jogo te força a ficar dando voltas pelo mesmo cenário como uma barata tonta, muitas das vezes não sendo particularmente claro - talvez pois eu não gosto tanto de plataforma. Você basicamente fica tentando até dar certo, puzzles assim não dependem da sua habilidade, do seu raciocínio, do seu esforço. É um jogo de advinha bobinho e sem sentido, chegando até a ser frustrante. Aumenta o tempo do jogo dum jeito estranho, desnecessário. Você zera o jogo em cerca de 6-7 horas na primeira vez e em menos de duas horas e meia na segunda. Não foi você que não prestou atenção no design, é só que você não adivinhou o que era pra fazer. Isso me fez largar o jogo com quinze minutos de jogatina muitas vezes, porque em alguns dias eu só queria me divertir um pouco e aparece um bagulho imenso e pouco intuitivo... Acaba que de cabeça cheia você não vai ter saco pra experienciar o que o jogo tem de melhor. Esse definitivamente não é um jogo pra você zerar em dias seguidos, pois em muitas das vezes ele não é divertido a ponto de tu continuar disposto a jogar. Existem as partes que ele engrena, e existem essas que descrevi. Até recomendo jogar ICO em paralelo com outro jogo mais descompromissado.
Olha, provavelmente você vai passar muita raiva jogando, em várias oportunidades. Respire fundo algumas vezes, feche os olhos e conte até 30, tome um chá ou uma água e repita pra si mesmo "o jogo é de 2001". Algumas coisas são datadas e você tem a chance de perder vários minutos se você não salvou ou não achou um save point. Eu mesmo já pensei em desistir várias vezes e ir jogar outra coisa e já deixei de jogar ICO durante alguns bons dias, chegando até a uma semana, mas algo sempre me fez voltar pro jogo para tentar novamente depois de esfriar a cabeça e estar mais calmo.
Não tenha vergonha de usar guias se ficar preso em alguma parte (spoiler: você ficará). Reitero, os puzzles desse jogo e brincar de Advinhe o Que Estou Pensando com seu priminho de 6 anos é a mesma coisa. Fiquei embasbacado com uma parte específica: há uma ponte que precisa ser baixada para Yorda poder passar. Explorando para resolver este puzzle, você encontra uma salinha cheia de bombas e uma fogueira próxima para acender essas bombas. Bem, assim como 2 + 2 = 4, você logo deduz que precisa acender a bomba perto da ponte para que ela caia com o impacto da explosão, e de fato você consegue fazer isso. Quando a bomba explode, no entanto, NADA acontece. Depois de uns 20 minutos tentando novamente isso e outras coisas, eu vi em um longplay que você precisa usar uma corda num cantinho para pular em cima da ponte e ela cair... Espera aí, quer dizer que a ponte desce com o PESO DUMA CRIANÇA DE 8 ANOS, MAS NÃO COM O IMPACTO DUMA BOMBA?????? Tudo bem, eu reconheço minha burrice ao não ter achado a corda que é fácil de ser vista, mas é sério que, mesmo tendo a chance de resolver o mesmo puzzlezinho de outra forma bastante lógica, simplesmente não dá?
Eu ouvi falar no quão influente ICO foi pra indústra em geral. De fato, você consegue reconhecer em ICO coisas que outros jogos também fazem. Por exemplo, uma característica que tanto ICO quanto Dark Souls tem em comum é o fato de você conseguir ver cenários e fases que você já passou, muito tempo depois de ter as passado. Além do fato de os cenários "se encaixarem" entre si dentro de um escopo muito grande: você passa da metade do jogo e libera um caminho para você voltar lááá no início do jogo. Isso enriquece a exploração ao passo que a incentiva. Explorar o castelo é bem satisfatório.
Ainda bem que a Yorda é fofinha e o modo como sua relação com o Ico é bem interessante, porque eu me senti jogando uma versão pesadelo extremo de Resident Evil 4 na qual o jogo inteiro é unica e exclusivamente você escoltando a Ashley e impedindo os ganados levarem ela embora. Definitivamente proteger a Yorda não é a melhor parte, mas pelo menos a dinâmica de ambos falarem línguas diferentes e mesmo assim um querer ajudar o outro - afinal, você precisa da Yorda pra passar de fase - faz valer a pena e você realmente sente a necessidade de protegê-la e dá um incômodo ver as sombras a levando embora enquanto você fica um tempo deitado no chão, por ter levado porrada.
Talvez eu tenha sido bem anacrônico em alguns momentos, talvez isso possa até ser um elogio ao jogo, ele é uma fonte da qual muitos jogos de hoje beberam. Então, julgar um jogo de 2001 comparando com jogos atuais e ainda sim ter uma visão positiva em geral e recomendar, é algo considerável.
One of those games that you have to play for yourself to actually "get" it.
This is 'videogames as an art form' done to perfection, and it's apparently considered to be the pioneer of these types of games. I take great shame in waiting this long to play this absolute masterpiece, and all I will say is: play it.
This is 'videogames as an art form' done to perfection, and it's apparently considered to be the pioneer of these types of games. I take great shame in waiting this long to play this absolute masterpiece, and all I will say is: play it.
I can see why this is considered one of the quintessential ps2 era games. It was a special experience that really sticks out amongst a lot of other games of its time. The story is quite vague, but I loved it regardless.
WOW! You can feel the passion and emotional weight poured into this game for every minute of playtime. I love the puzzles, I love the game logic, I love the combat, and I love the characters! To me this deserves the ports that shadow the colossus has gotten, not to disparage that game, but this game has an incredible soul in it that you can still feel. I'm still not entirely sure why shadow of the colossus is labelled a "spiritual successor" to this game. It can make sense in terms of gameplay with the ledge hanging, jumping, and acrobatics you can make your little boy do, but to me the AI companion role is not filled in by Agro. I like that there are no collectibles in Ico. I don't think this game would have been as good with the modern sensibilities that many games have now. This game is so focused, brilliant, and enlightening that I need another dose of it.
Ico is a game I really thought I wouldn't like but alas it became one of my favourites. Every single thing in this game is well thought out from gameplay to story and art. I really didn't feel like there was a single moment wasted.
The story is a minimalist one. only few words have been said in the game and half of it is gibberish in Egyptian like language. Hell the two main characters don't share a common but share a very human relationship. But that doesnt hold it from being heartfelt.
The gameplay feels pretty good with animations neons ahead of its time. There's a noticeable lack of hdd, prompts, Healthbars... etc. they simply leave you alone with the game to explore and experiment.
The level design is incredible with gorgeous areas and well made puzzles. if I could compare it to any other game I would say its Prince of Persia but set somewhere in the The Orient in an ancient ruined temple.
The ending and last boss especially were unexpectedly well done. Never thought a game with barely any combat managed to make a good last boss.
Overall fantastic game the fuzz around it is well deserved, and when I played it it made me feel a kid like sense of wonder and exploration. For me personally it made me feel like I was watching a studio ghibli movie.
10/10 with badass seal of approval.
The story is a minimalist one. only few words have been said in the game and half of it is gibberish in Egyptian like language. Hell the two main characters don't share a common but share a very human relationship. But that doesnt hold it from being heartfelt.
The gameplay feels pretty good with animations neons ahead of its time. There's a noticeable lack of hdd, prompts, Healthbars... etc. they simply leave you alone with the game to explore and experiment.
The level design is incredible with gorgeous areas and well made puzzles. if I could compare it to any other game I would say its Prince of Persia but set somewhere in the The Orient in an ancient ruined temple.
The ending and last boss especially were unexpectedly well done. Never thought a game with barely any combat managed to make a good last boss.
Overall fantastic game the fuzz around it is well deserved, and when I played it it made me feel a kid like sense of wonder and exploration. For me personally it made me feel like I was watching a studio ghibli movie.
10/10 with badass seal of approval.
ico is so timeless and influential it became the industry standard for adventure games, and every single company copied it wrong.
ico makes it's narrative be so compelling by making every aspect of the game geared towards it. the combat is simple, the puzzles are simplistic, even the two characters in the journey don't even understand each other. sometimes less is more and ico understands this perfectly.
it's a simple game, with a simple story about companionship, executed flawlessly.
if someone asked me what makes videogames art, this is the first game i'd show.
ico makes it's narrative be so compelling by making every aspect of the game geared towards it. the combat is simple, the puzzles are simplistic, even the two characters in the journey don't even understand each other. sometimes less is more and ico understands this perfectly.
it's a simple game, with a simple story about companionship, executed flawlessly.
if someone asked me what makes videogames art, this is the first game i'd show.
Influential, artistic, simplistic and quite ominous. Ico is a masterwork that rightfully deserves its cult classic status. Do I think the game is fun to play.. not really.
A little stiff, but considering how revolutionary it was I think that's fair. A game that revels in its simplicity. Great artstyle, underrated soundtrack, and a post credits scene that made me tear up.
My god what a beautiful game. There's not much to say because everything about this game is meant to be felt, not said. It's just beautiful.
Since I played this game I have not stopped thinking about it. It opens up new reflections on the games I currently play. It is a before and after moment.
Please play this.
Please play this.
Very weird game. I love the PS2 era games, because some of them just were batshit crazy convoluted stories filled with action, demons and shit like that. This is like the antithesis of that.
Ico got my interest after I played Shadow of The Colossus for the first time and got obsessed with it. I had to know more, to immerse myself in this world. Then I learned that all games made by Team Ico are supposedly in the same universe. So I booted up my emulator and got to it.
I loved the mysterious nature of SOTC - Ico has that too. I loved the art, the characters - Ico has that too. I loved the Zelda vibe - Ico has that too.
Still, Ico FELT like something else. Whereas Shadow was beautiful and entrancing, Ico was eerie and unnerving. It feels like something’s always creeping around the corner, in the shadows of this abandoned castle. It’s not a horror game, but it is one the scariest games I’ve ever played. But instead of jumpscares, it seeks deep into your mind, makes you uncomfortable and uneasy. I’ll probably have eerie dreams about it.
The absolute SILENCE of this game had me tense, if not sometimes bored. Midway through I was talking with a friend about it and said “it’s missing a soundtrack, it’s too empty”. I don’t think that anymore. It’s supposed to be like that. When something DID HAPPEN it always gave me some reaction, frequently shivers or stiffness. The sound of flapping wings of the shadow monsters while they try to get the girl had me in shambles.
Story wise it’s just as cryptic and mysterious as Shadow of The Colossus. Even weirder though. It follows the same structure too, cutscenes at the beginning - gameplay - cutscenes at the end.
Gameplay is solid puzzles, annoying combat (maybe on purpose) and good platforming.
When there is music, almost never, it goes hard.
I can see how this is considered influential, the way it tells a story with gameplay and minimal use of cutscenes feels very modern. Kinda like Inside. Very artsy game too, for sure. One of those showcases of games as art type of situation, Fujimoto definitely is an auteur.
Can’t wait for The Last Guardian now. This Fujimoto Ueda guy has me intrigued.
Ico got my interest after I played Shadow of The Colossus for the first time and got obsessed with it. I had to know more, to immerse myself in this world. Then I learned that all games made by Team Ico are supposedly in the same universe. So I booted up my emulator and got to it.
I loved the mysterious nature of SOTC - Ico has that too. I loved the art, the characters - Ico has that too. I loved the Zelda vibe - Ico has that too.
Still, Ico FELT like something else. Whereas Shadow was beautiful and entrancing, Ico was eerie and unnerving. It feels like something’s always creeping around the corner, in the shadows of this abandoned castle. It’s not a horror game, but it is one the scariest games I’ve ever played. But instead of jumpscares, it seeks deep into your mind, makes you uncomfortable and uneasy. I’ll probably have eerie dreams about it.
The absolute SILENCE of this game had me tense, if not sometimes bored. Midway through I was talking with a friend about it and said “it’s missing a soundtrack, it’s too empty”. I don’t think that anymore. It’s supposed to be like that. When something DID HAPPEN it always gave me some reaction, frequently shivers or stiffness. The sound of flapping wings of the shadow monsters while they try to get the girl had me in shambles.
Story wise it’s just as cryptic and mysterious as Shadow of The Colossus. Even weirder though. It follows the same structure too, cutscenes at the beginning - gameplay - cutscenes at the end.
Gameplay is solid puzzles, annoying combat (maybe on purpose) and good platforming.
When there is music, almost never, it goes hard.
I can see how this is considered influential, the way it tells a story with gameplay and minimal use of cutscenes feels very modern. Kinda like Inside. Very artsy game too, for sure. One of those showcases of games as art type of situation, Fujimoto definitely is an auteur.
Can’t wait for The Last Guardian now. This Fujimoto Ueda guy has me intrigued.
A very sweet and heartwarming experience focusing on the chains of fate and how the human heart cannot be restricted by barriers such as labels, heritage or language. Brilliant usage of the medium through lighting, sound design, movement and spacing through both the environments themselves and the camera. Quite possibly Team Ico’s most distinctive work, certainly the one that performs the best. Ueda’s philosophy of “design by subtraction” couldn’t have worked better, and its influence can be seen all across the medium of gaming.
I can't choose between this and Shadow of the Colossus anymore, Ueda's work is just too damn good for its own right. For now, I'm going to put it a smidge higher so I can finally put it in my Top 5.
For the record, I played the PS2 version. I'm just logging this version because I don't want to look at that hideous poster anymore.
For the record, I played the PS2 version. I'm just logging this version because I don't want to look at that hideous poster anymore.