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ICO : Playing ICO for the first time in 2018.

Completed : ICO





ICO had been in my backlog from a long time.

Being exhausted by some of the modern cinematic games,felt the perfect time to indulge into this cult classic.

Was worried if this seventeen year old game's dated controls,camera and mechanics would hurt my experience.
I would be lying if it didn't, but I was willing to get over them to absorb every compelling moment the game had to offer.

These moments along with satisfying puzzles,subtle music and a mystical atmosphere combine in great harmony to give out a strong emotional experience.
Also, the unusual save system adds a relaxing element to counter the tense environment.


The team has a unique approach to
Storytelling.

  • Very few video games are able to tell their story through gameplay relying on repeated forced cutscenes and dialogues.

And this kind is so much more affecting.

Being trapped in an isolated castle with no one but a mysterious girl, with whom you have to not only escape but also guide at every step while holding hands cements a bond with her in a way no other game does.

Even the completely lifeless and frustrating combat with dark forces that try to take her away from you has an emotive effect.

The game's better and major part is its puzzles and the mechanics that control them in the huge castle that slowly starts to feel deeply interconnected.

The puzzle mechanics are also basic but very tricky to get as the game doesn't explain or give you any hints whatsoever from start to finish.
They feel as satisfying as they can when you get them right,this will not always be the case though occasionsally invoking the feeling :  'how was i supposed to know that?'

However,the bigger concern was the platforming, which was often only possible after reckless wandering or a guide for a small fraction especially some of the starting climbing points in new areas.
Arguably,a result of being spoilt by modern detailed and straightforward environments but surely weren't always fun or easy to find.

Eventually these didn't matter, without giving anything away, ICO manages to wrap the emotional rollercoaster ride with an end game so powerful that must only be experienced first hand.


ICO is a memorable journey that more often than not resembles poetry in motion, a very unique experience that greatly influenced video game generations for a time, but now the majority industry having moved far away from it makes this game even more refreshing and worthwhile.
ICO might not be for everyone today but needs to be given a go by every video gamer in this age of cinematic action games for its experience alone.


I can't question this enough.

Have majority of the modern triple A games gone so forward that they now feel like a huge step back ? 


 ICO answers it with a Yes.

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