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[Solo]

Welcome to life as an Ico fan.

Be prepared to defend your treasured game against left-brained gamers who don't get it.

Oh yes, because anyone who doesnt suck at the ICO teet obviously "doesnt get it". Elitist gamers, I have now seen it all :lol .

 

[fronn]

I think the most memorable part for me was the bridge... It was nearly heart wrenching -- I felt like I had to go and rescue her at that point.

And now I feel like I have to play it again this weekend (one nice thing about short games... you can replay them in a night if you're quick about it).

 

[Ranger X]

Ok this thing about "getting" a game or not must end.

For anyone to like any game you have to "get" it. You have to dig it. The game need to fullfill stuff you're looking for in whatever genre.
If X dude "get" a game or tell you you don't "get" a game, it does not make X dude an elitist.
One will like a game, the other one won't.




/everything about "getting a game"

 

[JRPereira]

Well, I played it some more before work.

Yorda seems like she's waking up a bit - more consciously walking about, and wandering around. She's a bit easier to lead around and seems to follow me more.

There was this one area with shadow creatures that was really scary; I was fighting for like 10 or 15 minutes against hordes of the things, and a bunch would fly up, beat me down, and try to snatch Yorda. I thought I was doomed once when they flew Yorda a really far distance to one of the portals and I had to jump over the fencing and down a total of 15 or 20 feet just to get to where the portal was -- and then I had to leap into the group of shadow creatures, swinging like crazy, and literally pull Yorda out of the portal.

During the struggle she was nearly dragged in a few more times, and I was really getting frantic, wondering if there was some puzzle I had to solve to destroy the portals.

There were a few bombs in a pile at the beginning of the area, and I threw a couple around so that if I found some fire, I could get to one of them and take out a group of shadow creatures, or perhaps one of the portals.

The puzzles are getting much better - I had to go way out of my way a few times to open up paths both for Yorda and Ico. They don't feel contrived though - most look and feel pretty natural.

 

[Ghengis Cohen]

Ok this thing about "getting" a game or not must end.

For anyone to like any game you have to "get" it. You have to dig it. The game need to fullfill stuff you're looking for in whatever genre.
If X dude "get" a game or tell you you don't "get" a game, it does not make X dude an elitist.
One will like a game, the other one won't.

No it doesn't make somebody an elitist neccesarily. It's when it is used to tell somebody that they don't have the mental faculties to "get" a game that it becomes elitist.

 

[BocoDragon]

I liked it. The combat didn't bother me, the puzzles were clever without being frustrating, I didn't want to bash Yorda's face in... And, most importantly (in this case), it was beautiful with some great music. Some cool extras (lolco-op) in the NTSCJ re-release. Supposedly in the PAL release, too.

Saying anybody that doesn't like it doesn't "get it" is probably the stupidest thing I've ever heard, though. There are plenty of valid reasons to not like the game.

Anybody that doesn't like it, doesn't 'get it', by definition. It's not an insult.

What's interesting is that like three people have a haughty-toughty idea of what "getting it" means

 

[hukasmokincaterpillar]

I think the most memorable part for me was the bridge... It was nearly heart wrenching -- I felt like I had to go and rescue her at that point.

Probably should spoiler tag that a bit.

But yeah, totally agree. I think if I had to pick one, this may be my favorite singular moment in my 20+ years of playing videogames. Its odd because its completely transient, in that it only holds its true impact on the first play through, in real time. And I suppose that could be a microcosm for Ico as a whole. But that brief "cut scene" is so amazingly unique to me. The build up and execution, the way the director leads you on such a delicate string, its just simply sublime. When it was over I felt like I danced through some weird limbo between cinematic storytelling and compulsory game design. The result was a strangely immersive pathos I never quite experienced in either videogame or film. Ueda knew I (the player) would

Spoiler

jump

because thats what Ico would do. The 4th wall turned on its head.

For me that little cut scene is like a rare glimpse of what the interactive medium can really achieve when its best qualities are given flight.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I thought this was a zelda thread

 

[Great Rumbler]

I thought this was a zelda thread

For the longest time I kept thinking that LTTP meant "Link to the Past".

 

[BocoDragon]

For the longest time I kept thinking that LTTP meant "Link to the Past".

Note to all: Gamers need you to actually say "Late to the Party".

 

[Great Rumbler]

Note to all: Gamers need you to actually say "Late to the Party".

You get used to it eventually.

 

[MidgarBlowedUp]

Still the best trees I've ever seen in a game.

QFT.

 

[Aruarian Reflection]

I played Ico for an hour when I first got it, got bored and put it aside for a year. Then SoTC came out, which I absolutely loved, so I felt I owed Ico a 2nd chance. I beat the game, but wasn't nearly enthralled as everybody else was. I do love the ending theme though, "You Were There" is awesome. I have the feeling so many gamers like Ico because they identify with that little runt of a kid and it makes them feel awesome to lead the girl around by the hand.

 

[inpHilltr8r]

ICO had a boss battle at the end.

SotC had a straight platforming level at the end.

Well, kinda.

 

[RamzaIsCool]

ICO is an awesome game, but what really bothers me to the extent that I don't give this game a perfect score is that the game lacks substance.....It's like this pretty painting where they didn’t paint in the colours.......so it leaves you only with the black outlines....yeah you can interpreter it as artsy and in a way it is, but somehow I always get the ´ what if...´ feeling. What if they made a few more boss battles, what if they made a castle or two more, what if they fleshed out the mythology of the game more, what if….

I compare ICO with a Tarkovsky movie. For the people who don’t know Andrei Tarkovsky, he was a Russian film maker, who made some pretty good movies, but they are not for everybody, so you had people saying he was the second coming and you had people saying that his movies where the most boring pieces of crap coming from that side of the world. Anyway I see this kind of extreme viewpoints on both sides also when hearing opinions about ICO. So is this game the equalivant of a Tarkovsky movie? To be honest I haven’t really figured it out what this game does to me. Maybe it’s charm is that it lacks a lot of things, that’s it kept simple, it certainly is an unique game with it’s approach. Maybe the closest thing we get to art house gaming. Is it the masterpiece what some people are claiming it to be? For me only time will tell, so maybe 10 years from now I pop this game in my PS4 and I will see truly how masterful this game really is.

 

[JRPereira]

Well, I'm at a stuck moment I think.

I've lost yorda twice so far, both times while backtracking across rooms. The noise and effect for when she dies is really, really freaky. Everything becomes stone/frozen. Is that ever explained?

Don't give me any hints, but I'm just after the windmill, at the sewerey area.

 

[Mii]

So, I'm rather late to this party. GAF + Internets always considered this game one of the PS2's classics, so I decided to jump in when I found a used copy at EB.

I'm relatively far into the game currently, and my impressions seem in line with many others. Environments rock, puzzles rock, combat sucks.

However, while the 'suckage' of the combat is the main complaint people have with the game, the issues it creates are still severely underplayed. I've enjoyed some of the AI of the enemies, but thats about all I can note positively. Compared to the inspired world, the black blobs are unimaginative. I've only run into perhaps three different enemy models at least so far, and I need to squint to tell much of any difference between two of them. The repetitive, bland attacks all done with one button are redundant, annoying, and, most importantly, not fun. I cringe each time I must enter battle. Perhaps this was ultimately the development team's choice; provide a stress on the player as he tries to solve the puzzles. If this is the case, I think this was a poor choice; the stress should come from the puzzles, not unexpected, simplistic combat where the player feels powerless. The combat issues have annoyed me to the extent that I currently can't bring myself to turn the game back on.

I've also had a good deal of trouble with the camera. I constantly find myself wishing for a first person view or behind-the-shoulder camera of some sort. Granted, the game released earlier in the previous generation when even the best developers could rarely nail a perfect camera system, but its difficult playing this after Zelda:TP.

A final, trivial complaint. It really bugs me that the girl is taller than the main character. Dragging around the tall girl and seeing the drag it causes to her body and the lag it causes in movement, while a nice detail, bugs me as I play. Minor, personal preference there, though.

 

[buckfutter]

So, I'm rather late to this party. GAF + Internets always considered this game one of the PS2's classics, so I decided to jump in when I found a used copy at EB.

I'm relatively far into the game currently, and my impressions seem in line with many others. Environments rock, puzzles rock, combat sucks.

However, while the 'suckage' of the combat is the main complaint people have with the game, the issues it creates are still severely underplayed. I've enjoyed some of the AI of the enemies, but thats about all I can note positively. Compared to the inspired world, the black blobs are unimaginative. I've only run into perhaps three different enemy models at least so far, and I need to squint to tell much of any difference between two of them. The repetitive, bland attacks all done with one button are redundant, annoying, and, most importantly, not fun. I cringe each time I must enter battle. Perhaps this was ultimately the development team's choice; provide a stress on the player as he tries to solve the puzzles. If this is the case, I think this was a poor choice; the stress should come from the puzzles, not unexpected, simplistic combat where the player feels powerless. The combat issues have annoyed me to the extent that I currently can't bring myself to turn the game back on.

I've also had a good deal of trouble with the camera. I constantly find myself wishing for a first person view or behind-the-shoulder camera of some sort. Granted, the game released earlier in the previous generation when even the best developers could rarely nail a perfect camera system, but its difficult playing this after Zelda:TP.

A final, trivial complaint. It really bugs me that the girl is taller than the main character. Dragging around the tall girl and seeing the drag it causes to her body and the lag it causes in movement, while a nice detail, bugs me as I play. Minor, personal preference there, though.

Are you leading her directly to the nearest statue door whenever creatures are around? If she opens one when their portals are open, they all get killed instantly. Plus some of the combat can be completely circumvented anyway. The combat is sort of intentionally basic and frustrating, it's meant to feel desperate. Whether that was a good design decision is another thing.

 

[Yoboman]

Odd. I found the shadow creatures slightly comical

 

[EternalDarko]

Would I get banned for saying this game is highly overrated? The graphics are nice, but I found the gameplay to be cumbersome and really just terrible. But hey, it is soooooooooooo "artistic!"

You're entitled to you're own opinion; but you really shouldn't be allowed one anymore.

 

[FFChris]

ICO only took me a day to complete, was a brilliant game though. I think the part I got stuck on was

Spoiler

the chandelier part

though it was a couple of years ago that I played it, so my memory is a bit vague.

ICO > SoTC for me, only just though! Both are brilliant games.

 

[lyre]

You're entitled to you're own opinion; but you really shouldn't be allowed one anymore.

You kind of guys are really full of yourself aren'cha?

 

[Ikael]

I really liked Ico, even more than Shadow of the colossus. I don't know if it is because I played it first, but after beat it, Shadow didn't impressed me too much. I wonder if it is the same for the rest of the world.

Also, Ico might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is a good game nonetheless, where the final result was better than the sum of all its individual parts. It doesn't have the best graphics ever, nor the most fluid gameplay, nor the best story, but the way it interconnected all this elements via animations, storytelling, art direction and game mechanic, is what made it an unforgettable experience.

 

[Morbid Angel]

I bought a PS2 for ICO. Great game but kinda boring.

* runs away *

 

[Pureauthor]

I bought a PS2 for ICO. Great game but kinda boring.

* runs away *

When you think you're safest, when everything in your life seems rosy, when any thoughts of danger and fear are farthest from your mind...

I will get you. Oh, yes, I will...

 

[lyre]

I bought a PS2 for ICO. Great game but kinda boring.

* runs away *

I bought 3 copies of the game after hearing how much GAF loves it, but ultimately the game ended up being a 'nice' 5 hour time waster and nothing else. I'd be more pissed wasting so much cash for a game I can't even give away but I got SotC free recently so that helps a bit, heh.

 

[Durante]

Do people that say that ICO is "nothing special" or "boring" realize they are already dead inside? Or are they like

Spoiler

Bruce Willis

?

Yes, I'm an elitist. Sue me.

 

[lyre]

Yes, I'm an elitist. Sue me.

You'll definitely be hearing from my lawyer some time in the future.

Spoiler

Bruce Willis >>>> Ueda and his nongames anyday

Also, spoiler tags are broken again, but in a different way. This paragraph doesn't have spoiler tags used but are anyway. Click on quote, you'll see.

 

[Yoboman]

ICO is a game that doesn't deserve the promotion it gets. ICO was so great originally, because people stumbled on it amongst a conglomerate of games growing in complexity in 2001. Here was a game that was simple and straightforward to the point of being just a beautiful play. It's not the same thing when somebody picks up the game because they've heard 5 years of its fans promoting it as the holy grail. That raises expectations, and it's no wonder many come away dissapointed

 

[Durante]

Most of the people I know that really love ICO don't do so primarily because of the gameplay, but because of the emotional involvement. So your point about complexity doesn't make much sense in that context.

 

[Yoboman]

Most of the people I know that really love ICO don't do so primarily because of the gameplay, but because of the emotional involvement. So your point about complexity doesn't make much sense in that context.

Again, you can hardly gain an emotional attachment to something that has been shoved down your throat. ICO gained such a fanbase because of what it offered, it was a unique yet simple package with great art and emotion. A lot of the fanbase are people who played it by chance when it was released. I don't think anybody but the least patient person could hate ICO if they'd picked it up by chance in 2001. But when you're going into it with all these expectations based on the hype, it's a different story so I don't blame the haters for not seeing the big deal. That's all.

 

[tehrik-e-insaaf]

as long as someone bumped this topic, anyone here wanna sell me a copy of their game that didn't enjoy it? thx

 

[En-ou]

one of the best games on ps2. definitely my fav sony game.

 

[TONX]

im glad people are still talking about ICO. Word of mouth is how i found out about the game in the first place. It never really got the attention it deserves. *looks at US boxart*

 

[Vexidus]

im glad people are still talking about ICO. Word of mouth is how i found out about the game in the first place. It never really got the attention it deserves. *looks at US boxart*

I don't think it's possible for a game like this to get the attention it deserves because of its relatively low appeal to the average gamer.. ICO is one of my absolute favourite games, and I've tried to get my friends into it but most considered it boring. When I played through it, I spent hours just looking at the scenery (the water far below high bridges, the mountains in the distance, other parts of the castle from where you are at, yorda playing with birds, etc.) and soaked in every detail, as well as appreciating the dynamic between two lost people who can't communicate, trying to find their way out together.

ICO definitely isn't for everyone, and it makes me sad that some people can't appreciate what this game is capable of giving to them, but that's the way it is

 

[fmcato]

We discovered the game by randomly renting it because the cover looked incredibly out of place in the videogames section.

Obviously, I'm talking about the PAL cover.

 

[Systems_id]

I prefer ICO over SotC, but that's just me

QFT. I've always loved the simple yet highly polished gameplay ICO brought to the table over SOTC's slighly more complex yet cumbersome gameplay.

Edit: I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, I thought this was a new thread.:lol

 

[Chao]

every ****ing time, I read "Link To The Past"

:lol same here buddy.

We are sick

 

[Thoren]

I'm amazed I never got interested enough to play this before, in fact I feel like I'm ripping the developers of the game off by buying it used for a few bucks.

The puzzles in the game are so well-made and logical, to the point where you can look around at an area, make the most logical presumptions, and follow them through to beat the puzzle.

And I've never played a game that uses rumble as well as Ico. You really get the feeling of tugging that girl along.

I love this game

 

[Grayman]

I'm amazed I never got interested enough to play this before, in fact I feel like I'm ripping the developers of the game off by buying it used for a few bucks.

The puzzles in the game are so well-made and logical, to the point where you can look around at an area, make the most logical presumptions, and follow them through to beat the puzzle.

And I've never played a game that uses rumble as well as Ico. You really get the feeling of tugging that girl along.

I love this game

yeah most of them are great. There is one that I never liked though.

When you drop down a blockish sized square drain hole with yorda, she can hold a switch to get you out of the enclosed space and you climb back up and pull her out of the drain. The pulling yorda back out of the drain part to me wasn't that apparent to me for a long time.

 

[LM4sure]

I hated Ico so damn much!! Graphics were very plain. Not a lot going on. There was no variety in the enemies. They were all black beasts. LAME!!!! The puzzles were stupid. And the girl was a pain in the ass.

Such an overrated game.

 

[Vexidus]

When you drop down a blockish sized square drain hole with yorda, she can hold a switch to get you out of the enclosed space and you climb back up and pull her out of the drain. The pulling yorda back out of the drain part to me wasn't that apparent to me for a long time.

Yeah, that part had me stumped for a while too.. I kinda disliked parts where I had to leave Yorda alone and vulnerable, mainly because of how heart-stopping it is, if she gets captured!

Incredible game though nonetheless, great platforming, lots of physical puzzle solving, spectacular architecture to look at, unmatched atmosphere, etc. This game is a must-have for the PS2.

I can't wait to start hearing news about Team ICO's next project!

Edit: LM4sure - Not everyone can appreciate games like this, I loved every minute of it, from sitting and watching Yorda play with birds, standing on high bridges and looking at the water far below, to trying to make the journey out of the castle together with another lost soul. ICO pulled me into its world like no other game has, and it'll always be my favorite game.

 

[Thaedolus]

I recently replayed Ico and SotC...two of my favorite games. We really need to seem some PS3 shots of their next game...

 

[tambourine]

The final boss battle and the ending cinema are two of the best moments last-gen. Just truly epic, moving stuff.

 

[distrbnce]

No issues with any particular point. ICO is a masterpiece. I simply can't wait to see what happens on PS3.

Also, the song One Way Ride by Hooverphonic almost seems like it was written for the game. Every time I hear it I get visuals of the world.

 

[Bildi]

I don't go ga-ga over the game but it is a good game and you'll enjoy it no doubt.

 

[ErinIsADrunk]

ICO is my favourite PS2 game I must have played through it at least 9 times now. My favourite part of the game is by far the puzzles and just the overall atmosphere of the game. It also has one of my favourite game endings of all-time.

 

[abacab driver]

Ico and SOTC are immortal classics.
2 of the best games ever concieved, easily.

 

[AKingNamedPaul]

I love sotc and i want this game soo bad
i wonder if gamestop would still carry it and how much it would be nowadays.

 

[TONX]

The whole last half hour of ICO is my gaming nirvana.