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

Anyone else think ICO is a bit overrated?

K

Kabuki Waq

Member
Sure the Atmosphere, lighting and graphics are amazing, but The core gameplay is pretty Crap IMO.

The fighting is borderline retarded.

Yoda or whatever is pretty damn annoying cant really do anything. The puzzles always come down to moveing a block or pully a lever. Sure there are some moments of brilliance but overall is the gameplay not fairly crap?

Just seems like a giant escort mission with block puzzles to me.

I dunno it feels like some gamers on this board are just Atmosphere whores who forget actual gameplay mechanics for a tight story and great atmosphere.





*this thread is dedicated to my buddy Doom_bringer.
 
Kabuki Waq said:
Atmosphere whores
Click to expand...

How many games really do something all that new? Ain't nothing particularly new about RE4, MGS3, Halo 1/2, GTA:SA, Metroid Prime 1/2, etc. etc. So, yeah, atmosphere is huge.

edit: And to answer the question, no, I don't think it's overrated.
 
The game is good because of the atmosphere.

Because, yes, I tend to look at and listen to videogames when I play them. Things outside of gameplay can make a game more enjoyable.

No doubt that Ico wouldn't be all that good if it had dull presentation. Same with Katamari and Rez.
 
I bought this game for $5 a while back and I thought it was completely overrated. I loved the feel of the game and the soundtrack was beautiful. It was a lot more fun to look at than to actually play. Gameplay was nothing special and draggin around that girl was annoying more than anything. Don't get me wrong, Ico is a good game, just not as great as some say. I'd give it an 8/10 as well.
 
No, the game is not over-rated in my opinion.

It has gorgeous graphics, not necessarily on a technical scale, but care has obviously been taken to craft the environment and the effect of the lighting. The gameplay may only be 'block puzzles' with an 'escort' to you, but if you analyse anything to it's parts it can seem mediocre.

Firstly, I'm a pretty big non-fan of escort parts of games. It put me off resident Evil zero. TO me these functions normally serve to split the experience, or you get annoyed at the AI of the escortee. Ico, however, was the first game to really getme feeling for the extra character. The fact that she was kinda helpless aided the mood and story to no end - afterall, it's the point of the game, to save her. The urgency always seemed to be there when the shadows attacked - not many games got my heart pumping, but Ico was one of them - when monster got hold of her, began flying away, and I was simply knocked over, it got me particularly vexed - I HAD to get free to save her! Rushing over just in time to grab her flailing arm from the shadow pull seemed to be such a relief. Which brings me to the combat - yes, Iagree it's simple, but I wouldn't have wanted it to be any more complex than what we got. He was a boy with a stick - not a martial arts champion with twin machine guns. I didn't want to launch into some crazy control scheme, with z-targeting and a hundred different ways to swing. Less is more. When monsters attacked, you batted them away with a stick. It wasn't cumbersome, nor difficult, so it worked.

The puzzles were actually very well done to me - they were integrated into the environment beautifully. The castle was the puzzle - swinging across gaps, climbing walls, shuffling along cliff edges - it was great. Some puzzles were simple, but others werequite complex, and actually had me scratching my head for some time.

It played out like one big, beautiful Zelda dungeon, undiluted in its simplicty and elegance.

The game was perhaps a little short, but most games these days can simply drag on - I'd rather have a game that is short, experiencing a large variety in gameplay, rather than have the game twic as long and simply doing everything twice.

No, Ico is awesome, and it justified my purchase of the PS2 alone - this coming from a huge Nintendo fan, able to find lots of faults in most PS2 games, but unable to do so for Ico.
 
Kabuki Waq said:
I dunno it feels like some gamers on this board are just Atmosphere whores who forget actual gameplay mechanics for a tight story and great atmosphere.
Click to expand...

I think other members simply have no idea about what gameplay mechanics are and just think games should be unimaginative and impersonal applications of the same basic rules: flashy controls, lots of enemies, lots of levels, lots of interaction, lots of weapons, lots of bonuses, lots of IA, lots' of physics. Ladies and gentleman, here is the ultimate game: the Matrix. You'll play from birth to death and will be able to create your hole life in an entirely interactive virtual world. This is the scope of gaming according to some acute philosophers.
 
I hate this game. For me is not a bit overrated, is too much overrated.

Yes, have beautiful graphics and a perfect sound, but the game itself is quite boring, repetitive and too short and too easy. I finished this game in one day.

I bought this game trusting in the reviews, but I regret every cent I spent. Such commentaries like "not a game for everyone" ain't nothing but an excuse to hide the limitations of this game.
 
Overrated or underrated? No. Underappreciated? Definitely not. But it seems to have sold about 1/8 of what it should have, given the first two facts.
 
While I can understand how the game is very very different from other games, I have to agree that its overrated. Even though it was short I just didn't have the energy to finish the game because it was more tedious than exciting.

GAFHYPE made me buy it in the first place. Big mistake.
 
Endymion said:
I think other members simply have no idea about what gameplay mechanics are and just think games should be unimaginative and impersonal applications of the same basic rules: flashy controls, lots of enemies, lots of levels, lots of interaction, lots of weapons, lots of bonuses, lots of IA, lots' of physics. Ladies and gentleman, here is the ultimate game: the Matrix. You'll play from birth to death and will be able to create your hole life in an entirely interacative virtual world. This is the scope of gaming according to some acute philophers.
Click to expand...

Well said.
 
Ico is one of those games that i became scared of. It had always intrigued me completley from the first video of it i saw to the beautiful box art (PAL) that was on the shelves. But since i don't have a PS2 it seemed i was destined never to play it.

Now after my 3rd year at uni i moved back into a house that i was in during my 2nd year and one of my house mates had a PS2 so i thought it was a perfect opportunity to get the game. Unfortuatley trying to find the game anywhere was a complete struggle especially because i wanted the pal one with the art cards. After months of looking i decided to bite the bullet and go to ebay and find their stupid prices. I payecd through the nose for it but it was worth it for just the box art if nothing else.

Now afer all this time i was hesitent to play it as i had built up my expectations to sky high levels. The day finally arrived when game fell through my letter box.
To my suprise the game is every bit as good as i had hoped and better in some cases. Just the whole art and design reallly struck a cord with me, and because hopefully i'm going into animation in the games industry, i could really appreciate the animation.
Since i don't have a whole lot of time to play the length was perfect. The ending really was fantastic.

One of my all time great games. Just oozes atmosphere and in this day and age it seems the games that really grab me now days are the ones with the atmosphere to back up the gameplay.

Great great game.
Sorry it was a long winded explanation.
 
I'm no big fan of ICO either. It's beautiful, but the fighting annoyed me to death and the replay value is very low.

I'm a big proponent of originality in this industry, but it becomes a hollow term when the fun is sacrificed or compromised in the pursuit of being different.
 
depends on who 'rates' it. if it's the art contingency and they proclaim it the best game of all time (w/o having played much games to begin with), then yes it's overrated.
if it's rated by a normal gamer like me, and i proclaim it a beautiful experience, which could have been better (control mechanics and combat), then no, it's not overrated.
 
Yeah....the atmosphere is great and all, but it *is* shallow, IMO....

I would put it in the top 50 of this gen, but up there with Halo, Metroid Prime, MGS3 and RE4???

I don't think so...
 
This will undoubtedly irk some people, but it's one of those games where if few people talked about it, it would fall into the overlooked/underrated category. But because so many people do put it on a pedestal, I'll say it's overrated.
 
I agree.

The presentation/atmosphere/mood/story is fantastic, but I think people tend to overlook the fact that the actual core engine gameplay is really not that great.
 
Well. YES.

and not just a bit After all the hype I got from this title on this board. I opened my paperback edition of ICO with art cards and played it... and got very bored.
 
Amazing game I loved it, there is nothing like it on the market.

Instead of using "overrated" you people should be saying that it's not for me :P
 
soundwave05 said:
I agree.

The presentation/atmosphere/mood/story is fantastic, but I think people tend to overlook the fact that the actual core engine gameplay is really not that great.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't agree with that. If you like puzzles, the game had great gameplay. The fighting engine wasn't all that deep, but the combination of the two was good.
 
soundwave05 said:
I agree.

The presentation/atmosphere/mood/story is fantastic, but I think people tend to overlook the fact that the actual core engine gameplay is really not that great.
Click to expand...

I quote you just because what you say is relevant, don't take it as an attack at you by all means ;)

Usually, I remember games as experiences, because of their identity as a whole. I enjoyed Ico like no other game since I started playing videogames 25 years ago. That game, as a whole, was an amazing experience that showed me what heights games could achieve if only talented people could enjoy the same resources and freedom of filmmakers. It pushed forward gaming not just because of some neat features like Z-targeting, bullet-time or the like, but because it was a mature accomplishment, and a game that had the balls to change the damn rules, delivering what it tried to achieve without submitting to anyone expectations, and masterfully at that. In the end, if it was the most intense and enjoyable gaming experience I have ever had, what should I care if "actual core engine gameply" is so much essential and functional to itself? To me, it was just the highest game I have ever played, and that's all that counts. What good is all the "core gameplay mechanics" in the world, if it just doesn't deliver from an emotional standpoint (fun or whatever emotion the game is trying to convey). Wind Waker had so much more gameplay than Ico, but I just was bored after a few hours. And sure as hell I was not so moved as in Ico. So, why should I consider WW higher just because of the fun factor? Ico was the winner for me, and all the gameplay WW had couldn't stand a chance to my liking.
 
ICO and Silent Hill 2 defined this generation for me. Both stunningly atmospheric and emotional games with brilliant art and sound direction, that weren't so much about action/combos/etc as about going new places in terms of narrative and character development.
 
Hitler Stole My Potato said:
I love Ico. Even after knowing all the solutions to the puzzles, I'll still play it again and again. The art, the atmoshpere, the music, the story....to me it's perfect.
Click to expand...
It's the lack thereof that makes it so good :)
 
Personally though I don't think the gameplay is that great, I'm sorry. I think the game is given a pass for having average gameplay because of the story/atmosphere.

Its like watching a movie and because the special effects or some other aspect are great you overlook the fact that the story is pretty average ... I dunno that usually doesn't work for me.

ICO is a good game, personally though I don't think it's a great game. Just my opinion.
 
Ford Prefect said:
It's the lack thereof that makes it so good :)
Click to expand...

True! And Ico does more with less. Sometimes I'll just fire up the game so I can listen what little music it has. Sitting on that couch with Yorda as that tune repeats just seems so...peaceful. And that music that plays at the end while the castle crumbles...*sniff*

What a great game.
 
Endymion said:
I quote you just because what you say is relevant, don't take it as an attack at you by all means ;)

Usually, I remember games as experiences, because of their identity as a whole. I enjoyed Ico like no other game since I started playing videogames 25 years ago. That game, as a whole, was an amazing experience that showed me what heights games could achieve if only talented people could enjoy the same resources and freedom of filmmakers. It pushed forward gaming not just because of some neat features like Z-targeting, bullet-time or the like, but because it was a mature accomplishment, and a game that had the balls to change the fucking rules, delivering what it tried to achieve without submitting to anyone expectations, and masterfully at that. In the end, if it was the most intense and enjoyable gaming experience I have ever had, what should I care if "actual core engine gameply" is so much essential and functional to itself? To me, it was just the highest game I have ever played, and that's all that counts. What good is all the "core gameplay mechanics" in the world, if it just doesn't deliver from an emotional standpoint (fun or whatever emotion the game is trying to convey). Wind Waker had so much more gameplay than Ico, but I just was bored after a few hours. And sure as hell I was not so moved as in Ico. So, why should I consider WW higher just because of the fun factor? Ico was the winner for me, and all the gameplay WW had couldn't stand a chance to my liking.
Click to expand...

This is going to be one of those circular threads where the arguments depend on what people define as neccesary elements to a game. Some of us will prefer atmosphere, others (like myself) look at gameplay. Right now I'm absolutely enjoy Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat--and it's as bare as it can get today in terms of presentation.

I guess it's better to say that the game is not to my preference as oppossed to saying that it is overrated.
 
soundwave05 said:
ICO is a good game, personally though I don't think it's a great game. Just my opinion.
Click to expand...

Yep, as are the rest of ours. If everyone liked the same things, this world would be boring.
 
Among the hardcore? Yeah, very overrated. Among the average consumer? Ico what? It's a great game that deserves ever mention it receives. I think some of you guys give games like these props simply because they were never embraced by the mainstream, but that's ok--as long as your opinions are inflated for games like Ico, it's not a big deal.
 
Ico would have been a much much better game without the fighting... and without the girl :o

Then it would have been 'pretty good' as opposed to 'game breakingly tedious'
 
The poor 'combat system' never bothered me since it's only intention is to draw the feeling of desperation from you. You're protecting her and all you've got is a stick with enemies coming from all directions. It's terribly simple, but it works.

I have my own thoughts on how great a game it is and I suppose that any that thinks more of it would be overrating it; likewise anyone that thinks less is underrating it. They'd say I'm either under or overrating it, respectively. Whatever, shut up. I love it for what it is. Some people may become even more fond of it for stupid reasons (ie, it's CHIC) and others may very well dislike it for dumb reasons (read: Kabuki Waq).
 
To me, ICO is game design at it's simplest and most effective. No menus, HUD, icons or other distraction., No 50 hit combo button pressing madness, no crazy moves or acrobatics. Simple, but effective gameplay. I found the approach very refreshing.

And seriously, it's about time people got over the whole combat thing -- I mean, you don't even have to fight a large number of the battles.

It's very easy to say something is "overrated", but not so easy to justify the comment succinctly. The game has a fairly small, hardcore following. I don't see how that makes the game overrated considering there seem to many people who dislike the game.
 
Ill Saint said:
To me, ICO is game design at it's simplest and most effective. No menus, HUD, icons or other distraction., No 50 hit combo button pressing madness, no crazy moves or acrobatics. Simple, but effective gameplay. I found the approach very refreshing.

And seriously, it's about time people got over the whole combat thing -- I mean, you don't even have to fight a large number of the battles.

It's very easy to say something is "overrated", but not so easy to justify the comment succinctly. The game has a fairly small, hardcore following. I don't see how that makes the game overrated considering there seem to many people who dislike the game.
Click to expand...

it just ain't that much of a game. lousy combat. Simplistic in parts puzzle/jumping elements. Only thing I sometimes think ICO had going for it is..... :the visuals:
 
Ill Saint said:
To me, ICO is game design at it's simplest and most effective. No menus, HUD, icons or other distraction., No 50 hit combo button pressing madness, no crazy moves or acrobatics. Simple, but effective gameplay. I found the approach very refreshing.

And seriously, it's about time people got over the whole combat thing -- I mean, you don't even have to fight a large number of the battles.

It's very easy to say something is "overrated", but not so easy to justify the comment succinctly. The game has a fairly small, hardcore following. I don't see how that makes the game overrated considering there seem to many people who dislike the game.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Man, that was well said.
 
ICO is a great game. I wouldn't call it over rated. The level designs were perfect. The style of the architecture was some of the coolest stuff I've seen in a game, period. Exploring that, solving the puzzles, climbing around etc. was quite an experience. This is the sort of game world you can slip away into. Imo, ICO is WAY better than Prince of Persia: Sands of Time. SOT is the game that's truly over rated with its cringe inducing art direction and crap camera. ICO on the other hand is like a waking dream, that idyllic place you escape to to restore your equillibrium. It's the sort of game that keeps me playing games. If all we had was stuff like those POP games I'd have to drop the past-time. ICO isn't the one which is over rated.
 
Odnetnin said:
it just ain't that much of a game. lousy combat. Simplistic in parts puzzle/jumping elements. Only thing I sometimes think ICO had going for it is..... :the visuals:
Click to expand...
Why are you quoting me, exactly?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

  • Locked
Anyone else think of the Switch as just a "toy" while other consoles are more manly?
24
512
Gonzito replied
  • Poll
Anyone else think an exercise bike integrated with a quality game is an untapped market?
47
2K
S0ULZB0URNE replied
Hollow Knight is incredibly overrated.
4 5 6 7 8
369
6K
Dragon_Rocks replied
  • Poll
Anyone else want a new sega console?
2 3
132
3K
thicc_girls_are_teh_best replied
Has anyone else tried the BrokenLore series? (indie horror)
4
215
lastmessiah replied
Top Bottom