Ico Review

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(More customer reviews)Every once in a while, a game comes along that redefines innovation and sets a standard for all others to follow. "Legend of Zelda" for the NES defined adventure-style gaming, "Final Fantasy VII" for the PSX brought RPGs to the mainstream, and "Super Mario 64" for the N64 is what all 3D platformers are compared to to this day. Joining this list of games is "ICO" for the PS2. So what does "ICO" redefine in terms of innovation? The experience.
"ICO" at its core is a platformer and puzzle-solver with some basic combat elements, but its deeper aspects make it far more than that. The title character, Ico, must lead a young girl called Yorda out of a rundown castle and protect her from shadow creatures that try to reclaim her. The gameplay is very simplistic and yet contains one of the richest experiences ever found in gaming. The way Ico leads Yorda around is so beautiful, so powerful than it makes the player forget that he's playing a game and is instead living a dream. The dual-shock controller adds to the experience by causing the player to "feel" Ico leading Yorda by the hand. Add in realistic body physics, and the feeling is one that remains etched in a player's memory.
Adding to the unforgettable experience are superb graphics, some of the best the PS2 has seen. While the characters can look a little hazy sometimes, they always look, act, and seem real. The environment itself is a work of art. Unlike games like "Myst", where puzzles are just put there with no purpose other than to be solved, the castle is a living and breathing puzzle that is there for a purpose. Textures, lighting effects, and water effects all add to the magic the gameplay already casts.
Soundwise, there isn't a lot of music in the game except during cutscenes, pause menu, and the ending. But had there been music duing gameplay, it might've actually ruined the experience. A whistling castle with dripping water, crackling fire, and the footsteps of Ico and Yorda is all that's needed here. It simply adds to the experience. Also, the original voices were left in the game, and subtitles have been provided.
With all the good that "ICO" has, is there bad? Unfortunately, yes. The game is sadly quite short. Seasoned players can finish this game in 7-10 hours or even less, and replay value isn't very high for some players. The battles in "ICO" are very easys, usually requiring hack-slash-and-retreat tactics (although, personally, I feel a grandiose fighting system would've been ridiculous). Also, there is a small bug in which the pause menu sometimes pops up and freezes the game. I've only come across this once, but it is there.
But in the end, "ICO" outshines all its faults. From beginning to end (the ending was one of the most satisfying endings I've ever seen in gaming, far more satisfying than the ending of "Final Fantasy VII"), "ICO" is a masterpiece, albeit sadly a short one. Some players will want to buy this game and relive the experience again and again. Others will only want to live it once through a rental. Either way, this game deserves to be played by anyone and everyone.

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Ico for PS2

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Shadow of the Colossus Review

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(More customer reviews)Shadow of the Colossus is one of those all-too-rare titles that defies easy description and doesn't really fit comfortably into any existing genre.Is it an action game?Yes.Adventure?Sure.Puzzle?Yep.Platformer?Yeah.It even has slight horror elements.

On the surface, Shadow sounds simple:search for the colossus, find its weak spot, and stab it.Sounds easy enough, but that's like saying that To Kill a Mockingbird is a legal drama, or Platoon is about the Vietnam War - it's not the whole story.Even Shadow's story - boy wants to save girl - slowly reveals itself to be something much more complex and mysterious.

Where Shadow excels is in its design.Finding each colossus requires travel through a landscape that can only be described as dreamlike, yet it feels real.You'll seamlessly travel from a cliff overlooking a river to a thick forest, and then you could find yourself in the middle of a desert or at the edge of a lake.Since the land is so vast (and, besides the colossi, relatively uninhabited), you travel by horseback, courtesy of Agro, perhaps the best-animated animal character ever seen in a game.Controlling Agro is initially complex, yet intuitive, and thankfully his A.I. is sophisticated enough to keep you from riding him off the edge of a mountain.You're armed with only a sword and bow (with unlimited arrows), and there's no way to upgrade your weaponry.The real upgrade lies in the learned experience of defeating each of the colossi hidden in the valleys and mountains.

Each colossus is haunting, fantastic, ominous, and awe-inspiring, and there's even a slight sense of innocence.I won't go into specifics because the sense of wonder and discovery is vital to the gameplay, but if you avoid walkthroughs and spoilers (and you certainly should) you will constantly be surprised at each one.Defeating them requires careful thinking, experimentation, and trial-and-error, and there's not always one way to achieve victory.Just as the brilliant bosses of the Gamecube's two Metroid Prime games demanded quick thumbs and quick wits, the colossi are masterfully imagined, rendered, and designed, and get more complex as you progress.They had to be, as the game is basically sixteen boss battles.Still, there's nothing like the rush of finally discovering the key to each beast, but that's only part of the battle, as you then have to put your plan into action.Simply put, the colossi are some of the most cinematic and exhilirating experiences in gaming, and each one is unique and memorable.

If you have a PS2 and want something challenging, beautiful, and unlike anything else you've played before, Shadow of the Colossus is an absolute must.It's an instant candidate for Game of the Year, and should at the very least get recognition for its design.Games like this don't come along often - enjoy it.

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Shadow of the Colossus is a majestic journey through ancient lands. With your trusty horse at your side, you'll explore spacious lands and unearth anicent monsters called Colossus. Armed with your wits, a sword and a bow, use cunning and strategy to topple each of these behemoths.

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