A simple yet immensely effective masterpiece. Its spiritual successor gets a lot more love and praise, and for some good reasons, but there's always been something about Ico that elevates it above others for me personally.
The amazingly realistic character animations were enthralling back in the day, and in retrospect they have become even more impressive. How this was managed on the PS2 back in 2001 is beyond me. The subtle effectiveness of the two main characters speaking different languages and being forced to communicate through said animations just emphasizes how amazing they really are. The fact that Yorda's gibberish speech is not translated in the subtitles drives home for the player the otherworldliness of the situation that Ico has found himself in. Even the clunky controls that people so often complain about, are themselves a storytelling mechanic. Ico is a scrawny 12 year old boy, with no formal training at all. So of course when he picks up a large hunk of wood and starts frantically swinging it to defend himself and his new companion, it's going to feel awkward. Of course he's going to throw himself off balance. Is it frustrating from a gameplay perspective? Sure. But if Ico's atmosphere can successfully draw you in, this frustration becomes a vehicle of immersion rather than a product of bad game design.
Everything about this game is a masterclass in subtle storytelling. I can't say enough good things about it. But goddamn that NA cover art is atrocious.
The amazingly realistic character animations were enthralling back in the day, and in retrospect they have become even more impressive. How this was managed on the PS2 back in 2001 is beyond me. The subtle effectiveness of the two main characters speaking different languages and being forced to communicate through said animations just emphasizes how amazing they really are. The fact that Yorda's gibberish speech is not translated in the subtitles drives home for the player the otherworldliness of the situation that Ico has found himself in. Even the clunky controls that people so often complain about, are themselves a storytelling mechanic. Ico is a scrawny 12 year old boy, with no formal training at all. So of course when he picks up a large hunk of wood and starts frantically swinging it to defend himself and his new companion, it's going to feel awkward. Of course he's going to throw himself off balance. Is it frustrating from a gameplay perspective? Sure. But if Ico's atmosphere can successfully draw you in, this frustration becomes a vehicle of immersion rather than a product of bad game design.
Everything about this game is a masterclass in subtle storytelling. I can't say enough good things about it. But goddamn that NA cover art is atrocious.