• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

LTTP: ICO

Matt_09 said:
Wierd, I have just this week started ICO. From what I've played so far it does indeed look awesome. I already have Shadow of the Collosus waiting for when I finish.

haha, I have exact same situation :) Ico is pretty pretty.
 
llTll said:
mrt2.gif


excuse me. but who is this dude -_-

You don't know BA Baracus!?!

You don't know Mr Mother****ing T

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4d7PUsFr2M&mode=related&search=

Whoops Family Guy funny clip. :lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CUgXlvexkQ
 
Kittonwy said:
They were doing self-shadowing and reflective/refractive water way before anyone else on the PS2.
I think the biggest highlight was the fact that they were doing bloom and pseudo HDR before terms even existed in public. It's certainly one of the most technically misjudged titles to come out on PS2.

That said, water like that was done in some of very early PS2 titles (eg. DarkCloud) - but obviously not used anywhere near as atmospherically. Shadowing I'm not sure - SH2 did very similar things, but I can't remember if it came out after or before ICO.
PS2 was the platform that pioneered soft-self shadowing either way though.
 
dammitmattt said:
Am I the only one who greatly prefers ICO to SOTC? I guess I just prefer the puzzle-solving, Tomb Raider-style gameplay in ICO to the "stab the flashing weak spot" SOTC gameplay.

SOTC was style over substance while ICO perfectly married the two.
You're definitely not alone.

I was amazed by ICO but greatly disappointed in SOTC. :'(

Ico is such an amazing game; I had the limited edition with the art cards and all which was perfect. I <3 this game.
 
I'm one of the few who don't like ICO. The game looks amazing and has a great atmosphere, but the developer forgot to put in some gameplay.
 
Tieno said:
First and only time I cried with a game. I consider ICO not so much a game as a profound experience. Opened my eyes on what 'games' can really be and do. (last summer no less, and that for a 2001 game)

Last 10 minutes of ICO (ending): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DIx3W6gmgs (spoilers of course)

Played it last summer and whenever my mom would walk in she would stop and watch me play the game, being so enamoured with the character, the world, the 'noises', the story. She also cried when I showed her the ending as she had grown attached to the little boy. She had a similar thing with SOTC. She isn't interested in games at all and no other game has done this, where she would just stop and watch me play or ask me where I was in the game.
I had to play it again to get the ending because I sat there all through the credits, but didn't know you actually
met her on the beach because it seemed like it was going on for a while so I figured it was just the end but they let you walk about for some reason. So I switched it off.
Lovely game though very much so. It's also the only game I think so far that has pulled off a cast of about 3 main characters so well you don't even notice until it ends. I wasn't as awed by SOTC but thats still a good game too. Can't wait to see what they come up with for the ps3.
 
Woakes said:
Don't listen to em, SoTC is fantastic.

Sounds wierd I suppose, but both games managed to make me feel like a kid again, destroying most of my adult preconceptions about what a game should do. It was engrossing just walking around taking in the view in Ico, or sitting on a rock watching Agro wonder about on his own in SoTC.

And both games leave you with that "You were there" feeling :)

Couldn't agree more.
 
I like both SotC and Ico, but I think I only love Ico. SotC just never reached that height of being as satisfying. Gameplay on the whole also felt a bit repetitive. Ico felt new all the way through, and really is a perfectly paced adventure game. Plus the environments are gorgeous. More so even than SotC which went for real size.

SotC is a cool game, but I don't find nearly as engaging as Ico was.
 
J2 Cool said:
I like both SotC and Ico, but I think I only love Ico.

I feel the same way. Both are great games but Ico, taken for what it is, is perfect, whereas SotC is a memorable but notably flawed experience.
 
Sorry for the bump but i just finished ICO yesterday.

Whoaaa, what an amazing experience, specially the last part of the game
since the bridge scene and that jump ( oh god, that jump) to the part when Yorda picks you up and lets you in the boat and what a suprise when you reach to the end of the beach,
is all so emotional.

Its one of the best games i have ever played and one of the most beautiful ones. Its almost uncanny being already a 5 years old game but the scale, arquitecture, the lightning and shadowing, the animations or even the little touches like the wind, the clothes, the smoke, are amazing.

And how clever keeping both holding hands, or also details like Yorda following the pigeons (maybe simbolizing her purity and wish for liberty) or the use of the rain in that particular section of the game
when Ico gets out of that hanging tower cells, gets out of the cave and has to walk thorugh the riff alone
.

I know the combat has been criticized for being a bit clunky and simple but as others have said, it was a developer choice and a good one because it helps to create a lot of tension, helps to make you feel more desperate to save Yorda, being so helpless and fragile, and also more attached to her making the climax much more powerfull.

Hats off to Ueda-san and Team ICO.

Right now i´m listening to the music and, after finishing the game, is so much more intense.
 
I actually jumped into SoTC first, I can't seem to get my hands on a US copy of Ico easily (I'm in the UK). Not sure if I fancy my chances with US eBay, any suggestions? Reading this thread makes me really want to play it.
 
Dazzla said:
I actually jumped into SoTC first, I can't seem to get my hands on a US copy of Ico easily (I'm in the UK). Not sure if I fancy my chances with US eBay, any suggestions? Reading this thread makes me really want to play it.

Just go to a trading site like gametz or CAG and get it. Its less than 10 bucks.
 
Dazzla said:
I actually jumped into SoTC first, I can't seem to get my hands on a US copy of Ico easily (I'm in the UK). Not sure if I fancy my chances with US eBay, any suggestions? Reading this thread makes me really want to play it.

Wait... what? Why the hell the US Version? Its the WORST Version you could get ...

read:

There are major differences between the releases of the game in different locales. The US version was rushed to release to meet an early shipping deadline and as such misses the second playthrough bonuses present in the EU and Japanese releases, such as expanded dialogue (the subtitles that were indecipherable runes the first time through are now translated), the option to have a second player control the princess, a secret weapon which resembles a lightsaber from Star Wars, and the option to play the entire game in the "film effect" seen in certain cut scenes. There were also a few changes made to the game itself, such as the shadow generation points and the AI. Most notably, the Waterfall and Windmill puzzles are more complex in the Japanese and European versions than the US version. The original box artwork, designed by Fumito Ueda, is an homage to the surrealist painter de Chirico (compare to The Nostalgia of the Infinite) and helped to add to the minimalist feel of the game.

The US and Japanese versions were also released in CD-ROM format in a standard case, while the European version came on a DVD-ROM in a limited edition cardboard packaging, containing four postcards with artwork from the game. This latter version was highly sought after by gamers, at one point the game sold at up to ÂŁ80, however demand has since died down. Ico was re-released in a standard case on 17th February 2006 in PAL territories[10] (except France) to tie in with the release of Shadow of the Colossus to enable gamers to "fill the gap in their collection," according to Sony.


so go buy the uk version !
 
Dazzla said:
I actually jumped into SoTC first, I can't seem to get my hands on a US copy of Ico easily (I'm in the UK). Not sure if I fancy my chances with US eBay, any suggestions? Reading this thread makes me really want to play it.

Try Amazon. Even if you´re in UK, they are shipping games to Europe now.

edit: I didnt know the US version was missing all that extras. Better get the Euro one with the postcards (they are worth it).
 
Dazzla said:
I actually jumped into SoTC first, I can't seem to get my hands on a US copy of Ico easily (I'm in the UK). Not sure if I fancy my chances with US eBay, any suggestions? Reading this thread makes me really want to play it.

the PAL is superior by far, so if you have the means to play that one, go go! otherwise purchase it from amazon.com or something?
 
One of my favorite games ever. Definitely in my top 10. The only thing I regret is
being too stupid to figure out the post-credits ending on my own.
 
This is my second favorite game of all times. The atmosphere is phenomenal(sadly, without it, ICO wouldn't have been that much of a game) The PAL version is the best(strangely enough) with it's awesome cardboard cover.
 
One thing is actually better in the US version... imo... not having the "expanded dialogue (the subtitles that were indecipherable runes the first time through are now translated)" actually increased my enjoyment of the game. And I think pretty immensely.

Hard to quantify, but there was something about the mystery of it all that really helped the the game's atmosphere resonate with me on a purely emotional level...

(Jesus, ^ that was complete physcobabble. Sorry)

What I'm saying is... I think the translated stuff would've lessened the game's emotional impact.
 
Not only did Europe get the better boxart, but also 2 player and a lightsaber. US got crrrrap, but i still love it more than any game, ever.
 
recklessmind said:
One thing is actually better in the US version... imo... not having the "expanded dialogue (the subtitles that were indecipherable runes the first time through are now translated)" actually increased my enjoyment of the game. And I think pretty immensely.

Hard to quantify, but there was something about the mystery of it all that really helped the the game's atmosphere resonate with me on a purely emotional level...

(Jesus, ^ that was complete physcobabble. Sorry)

What I'm saying is... I think the translated stuff would've lessened the game's emotional impact.

I agree that not knowing what exactly are they saying, that they cant comunicate each other and that they have to rely in just a pure gestual, emotional response, adds inmensely to the eventual bond and trust between them.

Anyway, the translated subtitles on the second time through are just a gift i think. Once you have experienced it for the first time, which will always be unique, is just another good extra to maybe help you get deeper in the story, to watch it, understand it from another point of view.
 
Is there a high-res copy of the Japanese/PAL cover floating around? I'd much rather print that out and have it as my cover for Ico instead of the US one.

cdcovers.cc only has really low-res copies from what I see
 
Valkyr Junkie said:
Is there a high-res copy of the Japanese/PAL cover floating around? I'd much rather print that out and have it as my cover for Ico instead of the US one.

cdcovers.cc only has really low-res copies from what I see

Not a cover but Its so pretty!

4vihvli.jpg
 
I remember being pretty skeptical of this game when I first heard about it. The idea of leading a girl around some almost barren castle for several hours sounded like a stupid idea for a game and I thought the reviewers had to be crazy to give it such high scores.
However, when I actually sat down and played it I pretty much was forced to eat crow. It truly is great in all respects. What stands out to me most is the art style used in the game, the lack of audio noise and the design of the environments and puzzles which are quite clever and make good use of the setting in which you play in. I also thought the way they used rumble, making it so you could "feel" Yorda's heartbeat while you held her hand, showed great attention to small details and was probably the best use of rumble since the Psycho Mantis fight in MGS.
Ico in my mind went from being a game I thought had to be overhyped BS to a game that I strongly recommend to anyone owning a PS2.
 
Dazzla said:
I actually jumped into SoTC first, I can't seem to get my hands on a US copy of Ico easily (I'm in the UK). Not sure if I fancy my chances with US eBay, any suggestions? Reading this thread makes me really want to play it.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GET THE UK VERSION.

The NTSC version sucks compared to the PAL one because when you play through it a second time, the weird hieroglyph language that Yorda speaks is translated into English which just floors you even more than your first playthrough, which I thought was impossible.

I also thought the way they used rumble, making it so you could "feel" Yorda's heartbeat while you held her hand

WAIT WHA!?! O_O
 
Flek said:
Us Version:
5xync5v.jpg


EU SE:
icoleps2photo.JPG
Oh lord please don't remind me how much the US got fucked over on this.

+1 to ICO being a far better experience than SotC. SotC story, gameplay, and characters never really grabbed me while ICO's gameplay is perfect, charcters are fantastic, story simple yet awesome, has unrivaled atmosphere and so much more. ICO hit me like a bus in the emotion category, as I was nearly on the verge of tears by the end of the game. SotC never had such a hold on me.
 
I absolutely loved ICO but I'm in the other camp because I actually prefered Shadow of the Colossus.
SotC has an incredible emotional storyline, fantastic characters (agro is the best support character ever), amazing graphics (much like ICO) with immense scale, extremely exciting and clever bossfights, a soundtrack to die for and a perfect mix of action and exploration.
To me SotC is the greatest game I've ever played but ICO is definitely in the top 5.
Needless to say that whenever Team ICO brings out their next potential masterpiece I'll buy a PS3 within a heartbeat.
 
I just couldn't get into Ico. Sure, it had atmosphere, but the puzzles were pretty meh and generic and the "combat" (if you could call it that) was an absolute pain in the ass. Very distracting. I preferred SotC by a mile.
 
Tsubaki said:
Meh. GAF cares more about "experiences" than actual gaming.
The overall experience is what you take away from any game. There's no point drawing a line in the sand between game mechanics and what the game makes you feel, because they're both just components of the final product and thus its total effect. GeoW has far more refined moment-to-moment mechanics than, say, Planescape Torment, but I can barely remember what happened in GeoW these days. Meanwhile, I'm still thinking about Planescape Torment years after the fact. I'm not about to call Planescape an "experience, not a game" just because the controls aren't as good. Every part of a game contributes to gameplay - sound, visuals, plot, mechanics, pacing and so on.
 
Danielsan said:
I absolutely loved ICO but I'm in the other camp because I actually prefered Shadow of the Colossus.
SotC has an incredible emotional storyline, fantastic characters (agro is the best support character ever), amazing graphics (much like ICO) with immense scale, extremely exciting and clever bossfights, a soundtrack to die for and a perfect mix of action and exploration.
To me SotC is the greatest game I've ever played but ICO is definitely in the top 5.
Needless to say that whenever Team ICO brings out their next potential masterpiece I'll buy a PS3 within a heartbeat.

I loved the simplicity of ico in reguards to it not having lots of over bearng things that you have to remember. It really felt like some ordinary kid leading a girl out the castle. After playing it I was so hyped for Sotc and as brilliant of a game it is and one of my favourites I didn't like it as much as Ico. The story didn't grab me as much. About the only bit that I felt for the character was
when the horse flung him over the gap
. Apart from that the battles were much more atmospheric I thought than ico's.

By the way does anyone think his next game will carry on the small pool of characters thing he seems to have going.
 
buckfutter said:
The overall experience is what you take away from any game. There's no point drawing a line in the sand between game mechanics and what the game makes you feel, because they're both just components of the final product and thus its total effect. GeoW has far more refined moment-to-moment mechanics than, say, Planescape Torment, but I can barely remember what happened in GeoW these days. Meanwhile, I'm still thinking about Planescape Torment years after the fact. I'm not about to call Planescape an "experience, not a game" just because the controls aren't as good. Every part of a game contributes to gameplay - sound, visuals, plot, mechanics, pacing and so on.

While I agree, it's kinda hard to argue with an elitist mentality that gaming is narrowly defined down to nothing more than twitch action.
 
ZealousD said:
I just couldn't get into Ico. Sure, it had atmosphere, but the puzzles were pretty meh and generic and the "combat" (if you could call it that) was an absolute pain in the ass. Very distracting. I preferred SotC by a mile.
Generic?? You're kidding right?
 
You may not enjoy it, but you can't take away its merits. ICO is a game that has achieved similar status like The Godfather has for movies. It's utter genius.
 
Norante said:
You may not enjoy it, but you can't take away its merits. ICO is a game that has achieved similar status like The Godfather has for movies. It's utter genius.


For a second there I thought you were going to say that Ico has achieved similar status to The Godfather on Wii.

*puts gun away*
 
Before I bought the game, I remember there was a demo released before launch.

Holy shit, I played that demo so much - climbing all the way up the windmill and jumping down to the water so many times.
 
Top Bottom