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[JasoNsider]

To start - admittedly, I had never played ICO before yesterday. Many people I respect, however, openly stated how much they loved the game because it was like a work of art (people on this board even.) So the other day I saw the game in the bargain bin for $14.99 CAN and picked it up. All I have to say is: wow.

I think I'm still near the beginning of the game, but I'm already filled with a weird sense of wonderment just listening to atmospheric sounds and seeing the gleeming white towers in the mist. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time had a similar approach to it's surroundings, but for some reason the atmosphere just blows me away. Perhaps it's the minimalist nature of the game and the fact that there is no definite answer as to where you are. Just the sounds of the birds and the wind outside alone gives me a real feeling of immersion.

The shadow characters are bloody scary to me. The way they move is very unnatural and gives me chills down my spine when they run at the two of us.

The question I have is - without spoiling anything, does the game continue to be just as interesting from the beginning areas? There is so much mystery and wonder surrounding the actions of these two characters that I just wanted to keep playing even though I was short on time. Just for reference, I made it to a tower with some freaky shadows, but this time there were freaky shadow bat-like creatures as well.

I am in love with this game so far, and was just curious to know if the game keeps its allure all the way until the end, or if the gameplay gets repetitive like Sands of Time.

 

[6.8]

Well, combat is as deep as it goes (afaik). It's similar to PoP in the sense that you'll get waves of enemies, most of them being concentrated in an area. It's the worst element of the game, IMO. You'll get different weapons to make things a bit easier. However, most of the game is puzzle-oriented, and there lies any variety that's to be found in the game.

What kept me going through the game, was the atmosphere, however. It should definitely be worth your $15 and your 7-9 hours.

 

[MightyHedgehog]

The only complaints I've ever had about ICO are these:

Somewhat repetitive fighting and circumstances that lead to the fighting.

There is one area that I didn't really care for at all that involved doing the same thing you already just did.

That's it.

Otherwise, great little game.

 

[Pug]

The fighting got repetitive for me. The puzzles get better although they tended to be to simple. Oh andwith the deluge of short games can't be good, it is slightly on the short side, took 5 hours and a bit for me. Still it is a quality game.

 

[JasoNsider]

I know it sounds crazy, but the simple fighting is actually not a big problem to me so far. To me it actually gives the game a bit more appeal simply because you don't have to be a videogame "pro" to play. Pretty much anybody could play this game, which is quite nice. Plus, when he swings this piece of wood it really looks like he's mostly trying to keep these guys at bay like a cornered rat.

Where can I get a replacement cover for this game? I've always loved that cover art. Hell, I would love to have a poster of that. After playing the beginning of the game and seeing that other cover art, I'm getting that weird sense of wonderment again.

 

[Vlad]

Heh, reminds me of my "late to the party" thread a while back.

Yes, the game does stay just as good throughout the whole thing. Unfortunately, the game is a bit on the short side, but it feels even shorter because you just don't want it to end. The quality really does stay consistently high throughout the entire game. Unlike practically every other game I've played recently, I can't think of a single "dull" spot in ICO.

Not only that, but the better stuff actually happenes in the later parts of the game, too.

 

[djtiesto]

The ending has to be one of the most emotional endings I've ever seen in a video game...

It's definitely worth it to see this game to completion.. only problem I had was that sometimes the shadows took a bit too long to kill.

 

[SaitoH]

An absolutely wonderful experience. Thanks for reminding me, btw. I've been meaning to play through it again.

^w^

 

[JasoNsider]

Sounds excellent.

To anybody who knows more about Sony's entertainment division - what "team" is responsible for this title? Is it the "ICO" team, or is it a mixture of staff members from various projects?

As a person who enjoys the polish that Nintendo puts in their games, I always feel like I need to stay on top of any other teams who make their games in a similar fashion. For instance, even though Kojima's team uses cut-scenes heavily, they do make polished and artistic titles. Right now I feel the need to find out who these blokes are so I can follow their future projects.

Any high-resolution images of that box art floating about, btw?

 

[dark10x]

I know it sounds crazy, but the simple fighting is actually not a big problem to me so far. To me it actually gives the game a bit more appeal simply because you don't have to be a videogame "pro" to play. Pretty much anybody could play this game, which is quite nice. Plus, when he swings this piece of wood it really looks like he's mostly trying to keep these guys at bay like a cornered rat.

Where can I get a replacement cover for this game? I've always loved that cover art. Hell, I would love to have a poster of that. After playing the beginning of the game and seeing that other cover art, I'm getting that weird sense of wonderment again.

Well, the thing about the fighting is that it is only a defense tool for escaping. The mistake that many people made when playing ICO was that you rarely NEED to fight. This made those particular scenarios more enjoyable to me as it was typically a rush to reach an Idol door with Yorda. I would only have to rely on fighting to save her. Some people would sit there and fight everything until they disappeared and that's not a requirement in this case. However, if you enjoy playing it that way, that's even better.

I don't want to overhype it for you, but the game only improves as you progress. In fact, the last hour is one of the most memorable and emotional things I've ever encountered in a videogame and cemented ICO as one of my favorite experiences ever. You are in for a REAL treat!

Which area are you currently in? I am going to guess that you still have a LONG way to go based on something written within your post (something which I will not reveal). Sadly, the game just isn't very long. The experience is so fantastic that you won't want to reach the ending...

 

[Stryder]

Yes, beautiful game, I think when I finished it I started a new game straight away because I just wanted more.

 

[JasoNsider]

Well, the thing about the fighting is that it is only a defense tool for escaping. The mistake that many people made when playing ICO was that you rarely NEED to fight. This made those particular scenarios more enjoyable to me as it was typically a rush to reach an Idol door with Yorda. I would only have to rely on fighting to save her. Some people would sit there and fight everything until they disappeared and that's not a requirement in this case. However, if you enjoy playing it that way, that's even better.

I don't want to overhype it for you, but the game only improves as you progress. In fact, the last hour is one of the most memorable and emotional things I've ever encountered in a videogame and cemented ICO as one of my favorite experiences ever. You are in for a REAL treat!

Which area are you currently in? I am going to guess that you still have a LONG way to go based on something written within your post (something which I will not reveal). Sadly, the game just isn't very long. The experience is so fantastic that you won't want to reach the ending...

I'm on the top of this one tower that had this shadow pool appear and suddenly a whole bunch of shadow creatures started rushing at me. This time there were these weird bat versions of the shadows though. Seriously, these shadow guys creep me out more than I'm sure is normal. They kind of creep me out in the same way that the Silent Hill 4 trailer with the weird "puppet" person creeped me out. Anyway, yeah, I'm still really early on in the game.

There is just something about the mystery and complete atmosphere surrounding the game that I cannot get out of my mind. I felt scared, curious, and anxious all at the same time.

 

[dark10x]

I'm on the top of this one tower that had this shadow pool appear and suddenly a whole bunch of shadow creatures started rushing at me. This time there were these weird bat versions of the shadows though. Seriously, these shadow guys creep me out more than I'm sure is normal. They kind of creep me out in the same way that the Silent Hill 4 trailer with the weird "puppet" person creeped me out. Anyway, yeah, I'm still really early on in the game.

There is just something about the mystery and complete atmosphere surrounding the game that I cannot get out of my mind. I felt scared, curious, and anxious all at the same time.

Is that the area with the tower that you can climb (which gives you a very wide view of the castle area)? Was this directly following the room where you needed to use the box to help Yorda up (after you climbed a chain)? If so, you really HAVE just started. I'm excited for you, it's only going to get better! I wish I could experience ICO again for the first time.

 

[Lord Error]

The question I have is - without spoiling anything, does the game continue to be just as interesting from the beginning areas?

If you like it now, I think you are going to love it later on, because it not only keeps that special something all the way through, it actually builds up on it and gets better. The thing is, reading your post, I can tell that what you are saying echoes my feelings almost 100%, when I started playing the game, and I have to tell you, Ico ended up being my favorite game ever.

To anybody who knows more about Sony's entertainment division - what "team" is responsible for this title? Is it the "ICO" team, or is it a mixture of staff members from various projects?

The team is an internal SCEJ team called simply "R&D 3", but fans of the game also refer to them as "Team ICO" as that is the only game they have ever made. Game designer and director's name is Fumito Ueda, and he also did some visual work on the game, such as animation. Main graphics programmer was the person who was programming the PS2s visual interface. Aside of those two, I don't really know who and how many people worked on the game. The whole project started as a PS1 game, with pre-rendered backgrounds, but they switched platforms later on and rebuilt everything, and also changed game concept, etc.

There are slides from this year's GDC where Ueda was describing their development process, which are quite informative. You might want to look for those, just use the search on this board, or on Beyond 3D forum.

 

[JasoNsider]

Is that the area with the tower that you can climb (which gives you a very wide view of the castle area)? Was this directly following the room where you needed to use the box to help Yorda up (after you climbed a chain)? If so, you really HAVE just started. I'm excited for you, it's only going to get better! I wish I could experience ICO again for the first time.

Yeah, that would be the area. I just kind of sat there after fending off those guys on the tower and soaked in my surroundings. The girl's dress was slowly blowing in the wind and I was admiring how she almost looks to have sunlight on her even when she is in the darkness.

Yeah, I wish you could experience ICO for the first time as well. Seriously, who made this game and what else are they up to. I'm sure if it's this short then I will be finished soon and will need more material from this talented team.

I cannot stress enough that this game feels like a work of art in motion. Even though it's done in 3D, the models and the atmosphere were given a lot of care. The crazy thing is that the game looks really great, but without the sound it would only be half the experience. The visuals set the scene, the sound gives further dimension to said scene, and the interaction and mystery between the characters keeps your imagination moving.

edit: thanks marconnely! I really hope that they continue with equally inspired projects to be honest. Hoping beyond hope that they don't change their formula for the taste of the masses. From someone who plays mostly Nintendo games, this game honestly feels like it was given as much love from its team as a Nintendo EAD game or Intelligent System game gets. And I don't get that feeling very often, if at all.

 

[Gattsu25]

just remember this: whenever yorda unlocks a 'door' she destroys all the enemies

glad to hear another person playing ICO, it truely is one of the best games ever made IMO - and yes, it only gets better...the ending is the best ending I've ever seen in a videogame

 

[SolidSnakex]

I think the fighting was done in almost an intentional way. Ico isn't suppose to be your typical hero, he's just a kid that wants to make it out of that castle, he doesn't have any sort of special training or abilities (except that he can jump pretty damn far ). As Gattsu said, you can clear a room alot of the time just by getting Yorda to a door, so you don't have to fight too much.

 

[Lord Error]

I really hope that they continue with equally inspired projects to be honest.

Same here. Their next project is shrouded in secrets so much that noone wants to even confirm it, much less talk openly about it. The only thing that ever leaked out, that hinted they are actually working on something, were several photos of the projector screen where someone was showing some upcoming SCEJ games, probably on a meeting or something. One of those games was titled 'Nico', and the pictures showed much of the 'Ico look' and made it obvious it's a game made by the same team, which might or might not feature same characters, but is fairly certainly located in the same world.

 

[JasoNsider]

Yeah, I'm surprised that people would even complain about the "combat" aspect. To me it was quite obvious that it was intended to be simple since he's just taking broad swipes to try to keep these things at bay.

This is bloody brilliant:

The US cover, however, is a damn travesty. Somebody should be fired for even thinking about plastering a lifeless 3D render on a game that is so artistically tasteful.

Like I said, this is probably one of the only games I've played that feels like it was given as much care as an EAD or Intelligent Systems title. That's really impressive to me, especially with only playing the beginning of the game. Can't wait to play more.

 

[Fafalada]

The question I have is - without spoiling anything, does the game continue to be just as interesting from the beginning areas? There is so much mystery and wonder surrounding the actions of these two characters that I just wanted to keep playing even though I was short on time.

I know I'm just repeating what other guys said already, but it deserves to be said more then once The game only keeps getting better in terms of the 'feel' and atmosphere. And seeing that you're describing very similar impressions to those I had early on, I think you'll feel the same way as you play on too.

And as for fighting, always look for the closest way to the next door that Yorda unlocks to kill all enemies - she's actually the best weapon in the game herself

 

[Doom_Bringer]

Second best game on PS2 after AC4

 

[SolidSnakex]

As much as people say "boxarts don't matter, stop complaining", I really think ICO's box hurt its sales. It just looked so cheap that I think alot of people just looked at it and kept walking. It kinda made it look like one of those budget titles, except it wan'ts actually priced at a budget price.

 

[Yusaku]

Always fun to join in a Ico circlejerk thread.

While reading your post I think one of the things I really enjoyed about Ico was the vague mysteriousness to it. Think back to all the classic games, from Pac-Man to Super Mario Bros. You were in these weird unexplainable enviroments. There might be a paragraph or two setting up the story in the manual, but for the most part you were just experiencing this new thing with little explanation.

Now with most games there's nothing left to mystery or imagination. Drawn-out cutscenes explain everything to the last detail. Ico was one of the few games in recent memory that just shuts up and lets you live in the world. As the Ico novel suggests, there IS a complete world with history and whatnot, but the game is wise to imply it rather than state it explicitly.

 

[JasoNsider]

As much as people say "boxarts don't matter, stop complaining", I really think ICO's box hurt its sales. It just looked so cheap that I think alot of people just looked at it and kept walking. It kinda made it look like one of those budget titles, except it wan'ts actually priced at a budget price.

Absolutely. Seriously, I picked up the box for the game when it was there and my fiancee kind of looked at me funny and said "ummm, are you sure that's a good game?" At that point I didn't even have anything but my good faith in some trusted board members driving me to get the game.

On that note, if some kind soul (ICO fans - I know you're out there) could scan in the cover for the better box art and e-mail it to me then I could possibly even host the image for anybody who needs it.

To any Nintendo or Xbox player who has yet to try this title - come on in, the water is beautiful!

 

[Yusaku]

Like I said, this is probably one of the only games I've played that feels like it was given as much care as an EAD or Intelligent Systems title. That's really impressive to me, especially with only playing the beginning of the game. Can't wait to play more.

That's probably because so few people worked on the game. I think Fumito Ueda had like 3 or four credits.

 

[JasoNsider]

Always fun to join in a Ico circlejerk thread.

While reading your post I think one of the things I really enjoyed about Ico was the vague mysteriousness to it. Think back to all the classic games, from Pac-Man to Super Mario Bros. You were in these weird unexplainable enviroments. There might be a paragraph or two setting up the story in the manual, but for the most part you were just experiencing this new thing with little explanation.

Now with most games there's nothing left to mystery or imagination. Drawn-out cutscenes explain everything to the last detail. Ico was one of the few games in recent memory that just shuts up and lets you live in the world. As the Ico novel suggests, there IS a complete world with history and whatnot, but the game is wise to imply it rather than state it explicitly.

Gah, sorry for the double post, but I just find this whole conversation very fascinating.

There is definitely something to be said for restraint. Very few titles these days will show any amount of restraint in terms of art design, story design, and even gameplay structure. While I don't want to beat a dead horse, this point becomes even more obvious when comparing ICO to PoP2:Warrior Within. I seriously stood there for a couple minutes just admiring the flat tower wall with a white drape playing in the breeze, showing the shadow of the window frame moving slowly on it.

The fact that I was kind of thrust into this mysterious environment with freaky shadow creatures, oddly shaped "prison" like cells, and a gigantic castle that stretches as far as the eye can see only adds to this sense of mystery and wonder.

 

[Lord Error]

The US cover, however, is a damn travesty. Somebody should be fired for even thinking about plastering a lifeless 3D render on a game that is so artistically tasteful.

If you want to spend some more money on your games and equipment, do yourself a favour, and buy the PAL version of Ico, then mod the PS2 so you can play it, or buy the Network adapter and some Hard Disk so that you can install the game on it. PAL version of the game has an NTSC switch at it's boot screen and is fully playable on the US console.

PAL version of the game not only comes in one of the best produced packages I've ever seen, but the actual game has several nice improvements and additions as well (such as the two player co-op mode, which unlocks after you finish the game once, where the 2nd player can control Yorda!).

As for the scanned boxart, and many other pictures/videos/information about the game, check out maskrider's Ico site:

http://ico.felixmcli.org/

There you can also see all the additions PAL and JP version got, but be warned, the site is chockfull of spoiler videos that you most certainly don't want o see unless you have finished the game!

Oh, and since you mentioned you have a fiancee - make sure she's there watching while you play the game - her respect for your hobby is guaranteed to improve at least 200%

 

[Gattsu25]

Warning: Potential Spoilers
http://www.tokyopia.com/articles.asp?articlesid=5

interesting

 

[JasoNsider]

If you want to spend some more money on your games and equipment, do yourself a favour, and buy the PAL version of Ico, then mod the PS2 so you can play it, or buy the Network adapter and some Hard Disk so that you can install the game on it. PAL version of the game has an NTSC switch at it's boot screen and is fully playable on the US console.

PAL version of the game not only comes in one of the best produced packages I've ever seen, but the actual game has several nice improvements and additions as well (such as the two player co-op mode, which unlocks after you finish the game once, where the 2nd player can control Yorda!).

As for the scanned boxart, and many other pictures/videos/information about the game, check out maskrider's Ico site:

http://ico.felixmcli.org/

There you can also see all the additions PAL and JP version got, but be warned, the site is chockfull of spoiler videos that you most certainly don't want o see unless you have finished the game!

Oh, and since you mentioned you have a fiancee - make sure she's there watching while you play the game - her respect for your hobby is guaranteed to improve at least 200%

Thanks for the information once again. So the PAL version will work on an un-modded NTSC PS2?

Also, thank you to those posting in this thread. I realize it must be difficult speaking about a game like this without spoilers, especially when I'm only at the beginning of the game.

Here is the complete staff listing:

http://www.mobygames.com/game/credits/p,7/gameId,5158/

Not the largest staff ever, but certainly not just a hand full of people. I'm very curious about Fumito Ueda now, and how he seemingly just came out of nowhere and took on multiple roles in the development of this title.

 

[SolidSnakex]

"Not the largest staff ever, but certainly not just a hand full of people. I'm very curious about Fumito Ueda now"

Well here he is:

Much younger than alot of people expect.

An awesome peice of ICO art:

I want that!

I don't think much is actually known about Ueda, he doesn't really do too many interviews as it is.

 

[Lord Error]

Thanks for the information once again. So the PAL version will work on an un-modded NTSC PS2?

Yes. I have it running on my unmodded machine, using the HDloader. You need the hard disk, network adapter and HDLoader software. You have to install the game using the special (free) PC software, which requires you to connect the PS2 HDD to your PC. It's a very easy process though, and once you do it, you simply play the game with no hassle.

come on in, the water is beautiful!

I don't know if you've said this because you've actually seen that location in the game, with the pond, but it's very true in the literal sense Graphics programmer did a marvelous job on this game, especially in the effects department as it featured a number of effects never seen before. I remember being completely fooled by the opening cutscene, and also the dream/nightmare cutscene (at the very beginning, when he hits his head), thinking they were pre-rendered FMVs...

 

[JasoNsider]

I don't know if you've said this because you've actually seen that location in the game, with the pond, but it's very true in the literal sense Graphics programmer did a marvelous job on this game, especially in the effects department as it featured a number of effects never seen before. I remember being completely fooled by the opening cutscene, and also the dream/nightmare cutscene (at the very beginning, when he hits his head), thinking they were pre-rendered FMVs...

No joke - I was still questioning this until you confirmed it. Absolutely stunning.

Though I do feel the need to point out something about the game visuals. A lot of times I see people playing games because of technically impressive visuals (Doom 3 is a great example) without much care for artistic design. Indeed this game is graphically impressive on a technical level, but more importantly, it's also artistically sound like The Wind Waker. I say this because I don't want people to get the wrong idea about the game. The visuals are used to heighten the atmosphere of the game with a very distinguishable art style. When you find a game that is artistically sound, such as this one, you could play it ten years from now and still marvel at its beauty. Something that is purely technical in its appeal will lose its luster and be forgotten.

 

[Lord Error]

Heh, I couldn't agree more. You brought WW as a great example. That game will look excellent even ten years from now, much like something like Yoshi's Island looks great today. Same with Ico, Viewtiful Joe, or Okami. All those game rely on strong art direction first and foremost, and use technology as a mere tool, but it just happens that they all make some really good use of it, which makes the whole package that much better.

 

[ourumov]

I hate ICO. Not that I have ever played it but this fucking game hates me so it's a normal reaction to hate it as well.
I have found it a lot of times but I have had the bad luck of not having money at the moment...When I have returned for it, it has always been sold.
Impossible to find !

 

[JasoNsider]

Heh, I couldn't agree more. You brought WW as a great example. That game will look excellent even ten years from now, much like something like Yoshi's Island looks great today. Same with Ico, Viewtiful Joe, or Okami. All those game rely on strong art direction first and foremost, and use technology as a mere tool, but it just happens that they all make some really good use of it, which makes the whole package that much better.

Yeah, that's it. I mean, just the other day my brother was playing Day of the Tentacle and Sam and Max, and I was remarking at how awesome these games look.

The reason I'm trying to make this important distinction is because it's all too easy to enter a conversation about a game where the first comment is whether or not the game is graphically pleasing. In ICO's case, I feel stating that the game looks nice is really warranted, as it looks nice in the most tasteful way.

Seriously, it's going to be expensive having to buy all the new hardware next generation. The days of owning one platform are over for me. Too many inspired developers scattered over different formats and platforms.

Ourumov: hunt this game down on Ebay. I don't want to hype it more than I already have, but even with only playing for the short time I did I can already tell this game belongs in any self-respecting gamer's library.

 

[john2kx]

i just wanted to chime in and say I loved everything about this game..

i'll scan the covers of my PAL copy of the game later today in high-res.

 

[JasoNsider]

Thanks John2kx. If you could e-mail the scan to jason@n-sider.com then I'll see what I can do about hosting it.

 

[Lord Error]

You can find fairly high res scans on maskrider's site box art image gallery:

http://gallery.felixmcli.org/gallery/ico-scans
(there are no spoilers there)

There are other fan sites with even higher resolution box art scans, but I forgot their URLs.

 

[speedpop]

Like JasoNsider, I've only really started ICO for the first time.

However, I've had the game for months.. bought a pre-owned limited edition copy, PAL too. Beat me with sticks all you want but I could just never get in the mood to play ICO for some weird reason till recently..

The atmosphere is amazing, I enjoyed the entire opening cut-scene as well; minimal voice, lots of symbolism and mystery. And after playing and finishing Tales of Symphonia on a 60+hr save, feeling burnt out and not wanting to play complex or long games for awhile, ICO just seemed like the right medicine and it's doing the trick for me

 

[Dilbert]

Dumb question -- I had heard that ICO used some special visual effects which REQUIRED the interlace pattern on "normal" TVs in order to work, making the game look asstastic on a DLP.

Is this true?

 

[maskrider]

300dpi scan of the Japanese insert

http://ico.felixmcli.org/ico-jp-cover.jpg

Spoilers will only appear in movies and non-US versions pages, no spoiler at all in the main page.

 

[JasoNsider]

300dpi scan of the Japanese insert

http://ico.felixmcli.org/ico-jp-cover.jpg

Spoilers will only appear in movies and non-US versions pages, no spoiler at all in the main page.

Thank you guys. That should work quite nicely.

 

[Defensor]

300dpi scan of the Japanese insert

http://ico.felixmcli.org/ico-jp-cover.jpg

Wow, now that is high rez! Thanx alot.

 

[Lord Error]

Dumb question -- I had heard that ICO used some special visual effects which REQUIRED the interlace pattern on "normal" TVs in order to work, making the game look asstastic on a DLP.

Is this true?

It's true. It's not a visual effect, but a video mode that the game is running at. It is also used to a good effect as it gives the game a bit more of that dreamy look. However, if you don't play it on a TV that can run in the interlaced mode, you are missing out on how the game is supposed to look. Line doublers and other 'helpers' integrated in DLP TVs just ruin it's look.

 

[Dilbert]

It's true. It's not a visual effect, but a video mode that the game is running at. It is also used to a good effect as it gives the game a bit more of that dreamy look. However, if you don't play it on a TV that can run in the interlaced mode, you are missing out on how the game is supposed to look. Line doublers and other 'helpers' integrated in DLP TVs just ruin it's look.

Thanks for the info. Is it still worth buying, or does the lack of that video mode make the game not as enjoyable?

 

[Lord Error]

Thanks for the info. Is it still worth buying, or does the lack of that video mode make the game not as enjoyable?

The game is so cheap nowadays that it's worth buying no matter what. Also, it's my opinion that it would be enjoyable and leave the same lasting impression even if played on a crappy B&W TV. However, it will not look as good, or as it's intended to look by it's develpers if you play it on a non-interlaced TV set. You do lose some experience there, but I don't think it's significant.

 

[cybercrash]

One of the things that amazed me the most about the graphics is this sort of illusion of very real volumetric lighting... Usually games give you the subtle impression that there is this unnatural total void where there are no polygons, this game gives you the impression that the 'air' in this game is real, you can smell it, you can feel the dust blown in your face in the windy areas, you can feel the humidity in the air in areas like that one close to the waterfall... This is what gives it a very subtle and at the same time an extremely powerful boost in atmosphere imo.

 

[PartlyCloudlike]

The animation also drew me into the game more than I would have expected. For example the animation when Ico leads Yorda by the hand. When you walk, you gently lead her along, but when you run you jerk her hand and its clear she's struggling to keep up. I'll be honest. When we were in more peaceful, less threatening surroundings I purposely "walked" so I wouldn't have to jerk Yorda by the arm ("WHY DO YOU MAKE ME DO THIS TO YOU?!"). The creators did a great job of making you feel protective of Yorda.

 

[shpankey]

I haven't read much of this thread, but I will jump in down here to state, this is one of my favorite games of alltime. I got a magical feeling while playing through this game that words cannot describe. Much the same as when playing other masterpiece games (ie: Myth: The Fallen Lords). Just an amazing experience that I will never forget.

 

[MmmBeef]

I'll be honest. When we were in more peaceful, less threatening surroundings I purposely "walked" so I wouldn't have to jerk Yorda by the arm ("WHY DO YOU MAKE ME DO THIS TO YOU?!"). The creators did a great job of making you feel protective of Yorda.

Absolutely. Anyone else learn to dread the times you have to leave Yorda behind because she can't follow? I found myself desperately trying to figure out cetain puzzles as quickly as possible, living in constant terror that you'd hear Yorda's gasp after being snatched by the shadow creatures.

And the ending? Beautiful.