Game of the Day: Ico

I forgot to blog about the fact that I finally got my hands on Ico a few days back mainly because I was too immersed into Prince of Persia as well as being pretty busy studying math so this place kind of fell a few notches on my priority list. However now that Prince of Persia has been completed I actually got around to opening up my brand new expensive copy of Ico and got to play for about thirty minutes. First impressions were that the graphics were much more outdated than say Shadow of the Colossus, but they were not totally horrible. Once I got control over the characters you could feel that this was an old game with an annoying last gen camera and a floaty sense of the character. I was let down initially I must admit and for the first ten minutes I regretted putting out so much money for something that I felt hadn't aged that well.

Then something happened, I met Yorda and the unique Team Ico-vibe instantly set into overdrive. It was absolutely charming to see these two characters interact and I loved that they couldn't understand each other due to Yorda speaking in some mysterious language. It really reminisced of my childhood experience coming to Sweden and still managing to make some friends despite not understanding a word of Swedish. This is where Ico really shines as a game, you really feel the childhood of these two characters, the innocence of only expecting good in another child and yes, it is extremely moving to experience this even at my age. The other thing I noticed was the heavy theme of displacement in the game where you really feel the isolation of this castle and how you're thrown into it with no information or back story to the events. This really made the first ten minutes downright uncomfortable and I think that was the point because it made the meeting with Yorda so much more reassuring and I almost felt myself sigh with relief despite knowing that she would be in the game.

The gameplay mechanic of holding hands with Yorda and guiding her through the level while at the same time protecting her works extremely well and really doesn't feel like an annoying chore, mainly because you actually care about her. Otherwise the gameplay in general seems to be much more of a puzzle-solving game than say Shadow of the Colossus but since I'm in the beginning of the game I haven't actually experienced any hard or annoying puzzles. The basic structure of the game seems to be very simple but what really stood out was the immersion I felt with the setting and the characters despite graphics that can only be called outdated. I think that it's because of the small details, like the menus being kept to a minimum and the simple act of saving is made into something special because you save the game by simply sitting down on a bench with Yorda. In conclusion I'm really looking forward to getting to know this game some more but so far it feels really great and special. I'll be sure to blog some more about it once I finish the game, hopefully soon but it might take some time since I'm quite busy this month.

The Last Guardian - Interview

New very short interview with Team ICO's Director and Game Designer Fumito Ueda, as well as a new even shorter video of the game. Impressions so far are that I really admire how humble Japanese game developers like Ueda are despite being in the absolute top echelon of game development. Peter Molyneux could really learn a thing from this guy and not keep japing his mouth so much about how everything he does will cause a gaming revolution, but that is for another blog entry. The Last Guardian, yes, despite having about a year left in development the game already looks amazing, the physics and animations look to be the best on any console yet not to mention that the lightning looks absolutely stunning. This doesn't come as a surprise really because I've seen what kind of magic these guys can do with the old hardware of the PS2, I mean Shadow of the Colossus was an incredible technical achievement on the outdated hardware of the PS2. I can only imagine what they'll achieve on the PS3 hardware next year and I wouldn't be surprised if this game might be a future console graphics king.

However the great graphics are still pretty low on my list for why I'm so hyped for this game. I'm mostly interested in the gameplay and how the interaction between the boy and the creature will be like, but it's really hard for me to imagine the gameplay at all. I mean, sure, it looks like an adventure platformer and puzzle solving kind of game but the presence of a huge monster-like creature really sets all conventional expectations ablaze. This newness of experiencing something different is also the reason I've turned into such a Team Ico fanboy. The other thing I noticed in this video is a pattern with all Team Ico games and that pattern is that none of the companions to the protagonists in the games are able to communicate conventionally. In ICO Yorda speaks in an unknown language, in Shadow of the Colossus Wander's only companion is the horse Agro and in the Last Guardian your companion is the imaginary beast. I can only speculate on why but I think it's a way to bring attention to the unspoken bond of trust between these imaginary living beings. This is why I adore these games, they really have the smallest details that you only notice after some examination. The Last Guardian can't come soon enough to my PS3.

Dreaming of Ico

Finished Shadow of the Colossus today and despite only clocking in a total of 8 hours and 59 seconds I feel exhausted, like I've been on long trip. I also feel very happy and I'm glad that the ending was much more upbeat than I expected. I should also give a nod to the soundtrack which really stood out, especially towards the end and it really complemented the mood of the game. But this game is much more than the total playtime you receive or the sum of its parts, it's like an unforgettable experience and I already feel bittersweet about finishing it, like with any great game. It almost feels unfair to call it a game, it's more like minimalistic art contained within a game, I know it sounds pretentious but this is one of those rare times where a game has more in common with a wonderful piece of art. I love how the game leaves alot of things unexplained and forces you to draw your own conclusions on many things. I can only speaking for myself but I found it obvious that the game is a prequel to Ico, though one can only guess how many years separate the events in the two games.

Wander receives his horns for releasing Dormin by defeating the colossi, all for his own selfish desire to return Mono to life, and as one of the characters - Lord Emon - expresses towards the end of the game, his hope is that if Wander survived he might someday be able to atone for his crimes. I can't help but feel that it all ties in with Ico, especially since Ico seems to be a descendant of Wander and a vessel of redemption for Wander and the bloodline. Ico acts selflessly by helping Yorda, protecting her from the shadow-like creatures and putting himself in danger to save her. Wander gains horns for his crimes while I read that Ico loses his horns during the game which is pretty telling of the difference between the two protagonists. Now I'm really excited about getting my hands on Ico, I really want to find out more ties between the two games and the gameplay of holding hands with Yorda to guide her seems like something really special. It's a real shame that these games have turned into rarities these days because they both clearly should be considered modern gaming classics. I consider them as such and that is why my gaming collection will not be complete without them.