6 replies to this topic

[JennifairyW]

Would anyone who has played this recommend it? Or tell me a little about what it's like?

I saw the collection today in a store but wasn't sure if i should get it or not, i'd also like to play it for a "Should Video Games be Considered Art?" topic i'm looking into for my university class. I've heard some friends saying its pretty good but still not really sure what to expect.

Any help appreciated

[PSXtreme_]

I played it on the PS2. Personally, IMO it was over-hyped. It's a platformer/puzzler, kinda like Uncharted w/o the guns and all the extras. I'd probably score it an 8, but it wasn't my cup o' tea.

[skidmarkgn]

It's primarily a puzzle game. The entire game consists of escorting a young girl by the hand (literally) through a castle in an attempt to escape. ICO is perfectly capable of climbing, jumping and so on but Yorda (the girl) isn't so you have to figure out how to get her from point A to point B. There is a bit of combat involved but it is sparse. The "games as art" argument is spawned from the relationship that develops between the two even though there is no understandable dialogue (they speak but it's in a made up language). I guess the PS3 version has a translated version but I don't think it's necessary, the bond that the developers created between the two through pure ambiance is quite a feat. A good comparison to me is this... Uncharted is the Michael Bay of games while ICO is the Stanley Kubrick.
If you're still eying the collection I would definitely recommend it off of the strength of Shadows of the Colossus over ICO. ICO was good but SotC absolutely blows it away!!

[JennifairyW]

Thanks for the replies I think i'll definitely give it a shot after reading your comment, it seems like something i'd really enjoy, maybe wait til i find it for a decent price.

And 8 out of 10 isn't bad

[Aipher]

Yeah 8/10 for the game itself is fair. However, if you're doing it for trophies the 2 hour run is deceptively hard. Not particularly because it's a hard game, but Yorda's almost non-existent AI and the randomness of some events makes it a difficult game to speed through with precision (which is needed). 2 hours is not that simple and requires some shortcuts that require near perfect execution. You will be reloading saves several times because it can take some luck for things to eventually go your way.

In summary: great artistic game, but a rage inducing trophy hunt.

[Crisis001]

I have the game and from what I've played so far, it's looking interesting. Best maybe to rent it 1st and see if you want to buy it afterwards. If you ever played and liked Shadow of the Colossus, you should definetly like this one.

[onuosfan]

Personally, I hated it. It was extremely dull, the controls were bad, and it was just.... not good. Then again, I never finished it, so take my opinion for what it's worth, but I just couldn't get into it.

I guess if you're doing a "games as art" topic, it's probably worthwhile as a research piece if nothing else, but as a game it leaves a lot to be desired. Then again, I'm not a fan of Stanley Kubrick either...