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Saturday, February 21, 2004
Finished Ico today. What an awesome experience. Thinking back on all the games I've enjoyed over the years, I gotta say it's the most well-executed one I have ever played. In pretty much every game, even good ones, you find yourself saying "I wish the developers had done x" or "Man, they really shouldn't have done y". Maybe it's some interface problem, or an annoying combat sequence, or a tedious music loop...but in all of Ico, I can think of only one such instance, and the problem was resolved almost immediately.
Admitedly, the game does not try to do a lot. It's a fairly simple puzzle game, with a bit of combat and some platform elements. But that hardly matters, since the experience itself is so involving. I can hardly say why. The graphics and sound are certainly superb. Ico's manner of storytelling, too, is great: very minimal, no over-use of voice-acting or long dialogue sequences.
Ahah, Myst. That's kind of what Ico is like. Except not nearly so annoying, and a lot easier to navigate. I suppose that's partly why Ico is so good, as I mentioned above: it does nothing wrong. Nothing feels out of place or contrived.
The castle itself is a beautiful piece of design. To climb a set of stairs, look down and see bits of the castle you already went through, or are about to is simply marvelous. It's almost as if one doesn't feel the limitations of programming exist for this game. The experience is so seamless. Maybe that's another reason why it's so good. No display elements cluttering up the screen, no long pauses or scores between sections. A bit like Half-Life that way, actually. Nothing takes you out of the world. Even the save areas fit in: they are benches where you and Yorda rest for a while. Wonderful.
I feel a bit silly talking this much about a game, but I think Ico is really important for games in general. It shows that the world of games can sometimes rise above standard patterns and make something affecting, an impressive achievement in any medium. If you haven't already, go play it!
Admitedly, the game does not try to do a lot. It's a fairly simple puzzle game, with a bit of combat and some platform elements. But that hardly matters, since the experience itself is so involving. I can hardly say why. The graphics and sound are certainly superb. Ico's manner of storytelling, too, is great: very minimal, no over-use of voice-acting or long dialogue sequences.
Ahah, Myst. That's kind of what Ico is like. Except not nearly so annoying, and a lot easier to navigate. I suppose that's partly why Ico is so good, as I mentioned above: it does nothing wrong. Nothing feels out of place or contrived.
The castle itself is a beautiful piece of design. To climb a set of stairs, look down and see bits of the castle you already went through, or are about to is simply marvelous. It's almost as if one doesn't feel the limitations of programming exist for this game. The experience is so seamless. Maybe that's another reason why it's so good. No display elements cluttering up the screen, no long pauses or scores between sections. A bit like Half-Life that way, actually. Nothing takes you out of the world. Even the save areas fit in: they are benches where you and Yorda rest for a while. Wonderful.
I feel a bit silly talking this much about a game, but I think Ico is really important for games in general. It shows that the world of games can sometimes rise above standard patterns and make something affecting, an impressive achievement in any medium. If you haven't already, go play it!
