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Some early impressions (first time ever playing it)


CaldaSnake

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For starters, my game is region 1 and I can't believe there's no English audio (I know it's a jap game, but this' not an excuse), plus, although the controls are very simple, the complete lack of tutorial for the most basics of this game was frustrating.

 

But the worst so far is that It's not clear at all which elements of the environment you can interact with, so getting stuck for dumb reasons are very easy. I'm not saying these elements should be glowing and blinking like xmas trees, but at least some better lightning in the scenarios so you can see important stuff properly and not being able to completely go through some of them (clipping) would be much appreciated.

 

So I'm at the 5th save right now and I'm really bored still waiting for something interesting to happen, besides carrying that dumb girl around.

 

I realized this is a different kind of game after I've read some impressions here and some reviews (I've never heard about this game before this collection was announced and only bought it because SotC). But that's the reason I was looking forward to check it out 'cause I'm very open minded and love experiencing new stuff, but so far I'm still waiting to see why this was considered a classic.

 

Don't get me wrong, although I kinda wrote a lot, these are only some early impressions and I hope there's good stuff coming.

 

Edit: Also the camera is terrible, but that's not surprising at all given a lot of previous gen games have terrible cameras too and this game is from 2001.

Edited by CaldaSnake
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For starters, my game is region 1 and I can't believe there's no English audio (I know it's a jap game, but this' not an excuse), plus, although the controls are very simple, the complete lack of tutorial for the most basics of this game was frustrating.

 

The audio isn't even in Japanese, you know. It's a language all in its own. Kind of like Hyrulian from Zelda. As for the tutorial section ... I never needed any kind of tutorial, because like you said ... the controls are simple. It's a learn-as-you-play game.

 

 

So I'm at the 5th save right now and I'm really bored still waiting for something interesting to happen, besides carrying that dumb girl around.

 

Personally, I liked the slow pace of Ico. It's a far cry from some of the "blockbuster" titles that come out that are action-centric. Ico focuses more on the mood, loneliness, and companionship. It's different from any game that I've ever played before ... or since. =)

 

 

Don't get me wrong, although I kinda wrote a lot, these are only some early impressions and I hope there's good stuff coming.

 

If you're looking for a huge set piece or battle scene like an Uncharted or Final Fantasy, they aren't coming. But if you look into the simple story of a boy, a princess, and a tale as old as time ... I think you might find something there. ;)

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There were only a few lines in the game so far and I thought it was japanese, but I noticed those weird symbols in some lines.

 

Like I said previously, I'm very open minded and love to experience new stuff. I love AAA blockbuster titles and huge action set pieces like everyone and when I said I hope good stuff is coming I didn't mean a "Reaper chasing Shepard" set piece. Also, something like that should be difficult to pull off only with that stick in your arsenal, lol!

 

Story and characters are as most important for me as gameplay and the reason I was looking forward to it were the comments about how such a different story driven game this is.

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  • 3 months later...
There were only a few lines in the game so far and I thought it was japanese, but I noticed those weird symbols in some lines.

 

Like I said previously, I'm very open minded and love to experience new stuff. I love AAA blockbuster titles and huge action set pieces like everyone and when I said I hope good stuff is coming I didn't mean a "Reaper chasing Shepard" set piece. Also, something like that should be difficult to pull off only with that stick in your arsenal, lol!

 

Story and characters are as most important for me as gameplay and the reason I was looking forward to it were the comments about how such a different story driven game this is.

 

Both games are quite story driven, but they don't tell you what is happening. You are experiencing what is happening, and you must open your eyes and look around you, certainly not rush through the game. Everyone who plays the game will experience it differently, and thereby have their own unique experience of what is happening. You might say what you get out of the game reflects your own fantasy and how well you are able to put yourself into the game.

 

Personally, I don't really like AAA blockbuster titles or huge action set pieces, so that perhaps makes me not one of everyone. :p

 

The only action in this game is the ending, but that's because this game isn't a action game. It's more about thinking and looking around you. If things you need to go further was obvious to find it would barely be a game. This is a classic platformer puzzle. A thinker's platformer game! :) I love the genre, but there aren't very many of these games, and most of them is 2D.

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I have to agree about the game making things you can interactive not clear. i got stuck for about an hour on my first playthrough the first time you have to light your stick on fire. I knew thats what you had to do, i just didnt know how and i thought i pressed all the buttons but i guess i didnt. Had to use a video guide... Anyway the game is certainly different, its not the best game but it does deserve credit for being different. IMO Shadow of the Colossus was way better but it was Team ICO's second game so thats to be expected i guess.

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I have to agree about the game making things you can interactive not clear. i got stuck for about an hour on my first playthrough the first time you have to light your stick on fire. I knew thats what you had to do, i just didnt know how and i thought i pressed all the buttons but i guess i didnt. Had to use a video guide... Anyway the game is certainly different, its not the best game but it does deserve credit for being different. IMO Shadow of the Colossus was way better but it was Team ICO's second game so thats to be expected i guess.

 

If the stuff was obvious to you it wouldn't be a very fun game. It's obvious most people aren't too into these genres, haha. Try a classic game like Grim Fandango. That game is far less obvious than this game. Here you just have to look around for some few seconds and think a bit logical. In adventure games like Grim Fandango you have to think outside the box and do stuff that not always is logical, and don't think it's pointed out to you. No way. Then it would have been a very boring game. I guess it is for you too when you don't know what to do and get stuck. I remember playing this game when it was released, didn't need to look up anything on the internet, didn't have internet where I was then. :p You are supposed to get stuck for a short while, not rush. Don't look it up, because that totally ruins the experience and it's so much more rewarding solving the puzzles yourself. It's puzzles you need to use your brain a little to solve, not action you run through.

Edited by MMDE
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  • 2 months later...
If the stuff was obvious to you it wouldn't be a very fun game. It's obvious most people aren't too into these genres, haha. Try a classic game like Grim Fandango. That game is far less obvious than this game. Here you just have to look around for some few seconds and think a bit logical. In adventure games like Grim Fandango you have to think outside the box and do stuff that not always is logical, and don't think it's pointed out to you. No way. Then it would have been a very boring game. I guess it is for you too when you don't know what to do and get stuck. I remember playing this game when it was released, didn't need to look up anything on the internet, didn't have internet where I was then. :p You are supposed to get stuck for a short while, not rush. Don't look it up, because that totally ruins the experience and it's so much more rewarding solving the puzzles yourself. It's puzzles you need to use your brain a little to solve, not action you run through.

 

xxx agreement there, this game was (and is still) special as it does not hold your hand... too many games these days are screwed over by, as a previous poster commented, lit pathways through a game or task.

I want to play MORE challenging games, i know this is a trophy site but it annoys me when comments are made by lazy gamers who are in it for either the easy plat or even worse an easy game finish (i have a 14yr old and all he plays on is fudging easy mode to fin the game....it winds me)

i will end with this... GAMES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FUN AND CHALLENGING.

 

the second you take the challenge out they are boring... just like say...er...a job...

 

(adolescents feel free to flame)

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I learned the controls pretty quick and ok with no tutorial. they weren't really saying anything anyways so the language wasn't so bad. I hated the game at first but after finishing it I enjoyed it. Finding what you can interact with wasn't that hard.

 

It's not that bad but I also don't see why it's a classic. I guess only certain people can see what makes a game a classic.

 

I agree that the camera is terrible.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I like the slower pace that it brings (except of course when the ghost's show up). this is meant to be played slow, as a puzzle game. Very little fighting, because it's main goal is to be a puzzle. I am glad it doesn't have bright shiny things to tell you exactly where to go, that's just boring. It's a great game, and a fun challenge. I'm only just passed the East gate, but being my first playthrough I'm loving it. Just taking my time. When you look at how much this game had in it for it's time, I think that's phenomenal. This wasn't created on a PS3, but it's still HUGE and engrossing. The fact you run through a whole castle is pretty huge when you think about it. Having played SoTC before this I realized that I will have to learn the button's on my own as I go, but I've yet to be as annoyed with the controls as with SoTC. Anyways, it can be frustrating, and for sure with my 2hr speed run it will be frustrating, but for the first playthrough i'm just enjoying the hell out of this game. Different is great in this case. So sick of AAA fps games and their ridiculousness. I enjoy them, but this is a very welcome change of pace.

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  • 3 months later...
I learned the controls pretty quick and ok with no tutorial. they weren't really saying anything anyways so the language wasn't so bad. I hated the game at first but after finishing it I enjoyed it. Finding what you can interact with wasn't that hard.

 

It's not that bad but I also don't see why it's a classic. I guess only certain people can see what makes a game a classic.

 

I agree that the camera is terrible.

 

You pretty much just summed up my 1st impressions of the game, thanks

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  • 4 months later...

  • The shadows evolve really fast. The first fight there is one shadow that is pretty useless. Third fight and you have swarms of flying shadows aiming at Yorda.
  • Yorda has to be dragged along everywhere. Her AI is terrible and as shadows approach her she just stands there, as if wanting the shadows to take her.
  • The puzzles are interesting, I admit that getting out of the tower when you first rescue Yorda took me a while.
  • Triangle = Jump?
  • Looks promising, and a lot calmer than SotC, which I'm playing atm. Not sure which I prefer yet.

 

I'm kind of scared to see how powerful those shadows become :eek:

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For starters, my game is region 1 and I can't believe there's no English audio (I know it's a jap game, but this' not an excuse)

 

LOL, yeah it sounds very similar to japanese and was obviously a language created by a japanese person. When I heard the first half a sentence or so I thought it was in korean because it sounded like japanese but didn't make any sense to me. The spoken language is from japanese voice actors/actresses so that does make it sound like it (same intonations and whatnot), and, apparently, the written 'runic' language corresponds to english alphabet letters, such that a portion of text when deciphered spells out a word in backwards romaji. I thought that was pretty cool if true!

 

the worst so far is that It's not clear at all which elements of the environment you can interact with, so getting stuck for dumb reasons are very easy. I'm not saying these elements should be glowing and blinking like xmas trees, but at least some better lightning in the scenarios so you can see important stuff properly and not being able to completely go through some of them (clipping) would be much appreciated.

 

Also completely agree, I went into the first 3 fights with shadows without picking up that stick on the ground, people on the internet couldn't believe you could miss it but I think even if I noticed the very thin stick on the ground next to the cage with everything happening at the time, it still wouldn't have been my first thought to try to pick it up

Edited by Light-and-magic
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  • Triangle = Jump?
     

 

I'm kind of scared to see how powerful those shadows become :eek:

 

You can change the button mappings. I don't think I did for ICO, but I definitely did for SotC; Triangle=jump didn't work for me while riding a horse (after playing RDR for 60-80 hours).

 

The shadows don't really get to be much more powerful. There are a few different levels of shadows- miniature (these don't attack), small, and large. The large shadows will take more time to finish off, but the tough part isn't the individual shadow strength; it's facing a gang of shadows simultaneously while also trying to keep Yorda safe. It's usually not too bad, but you'll find yourself rapidly multitasking at times.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am on my first playthrough now and am honestly blown away by its ambiance, it just feels nice and for some reason I want to help the sometimes annoying Yorda, I am what you might consider a hardcore FPS gamer but as others have said I am open minded about different games and will try pretty much anything (except Final Fantasy/Skyrim), I have to say whilst I didn't play it originally I can see why it is a classic I really can't remember anything like it from that era although portal 1 (I know PC) must have been a similar time and that truly is ground breaking, kill no one (really) shoot no one yet loads fun and totally adictive!

I love it so far and would recommend everyone give it a go even if you don't like be open minded enough to try it!

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  • 3 weeks later...

When I started this I was a little underwhelmed but as the game continued and I was able to spot some of the subtleties, a unique story began to emerge. The AI is horrid, the Controls are cumbersome and the Camera is fought more frequently then the enemies. However there's a lot to discover if you can shift the focus away from these shortcomings.

 

Luckily the slow pace allowed me to start paying attention to the smaller nuances and low and behold a rather in depth story began to emerge.

 

There are quite a few things about Yorda which can be attributed to her past rather than bad coding.

 

She spent her entire life in this castle(presumably much of it in the cage). This would leave her physically weak as the muscles slowly atrophied. Along comes a strange boy. The strange part being he's alive and not a shadow as opposed to his horns.

 

Being this is most likely her first meeting with anything other than the castle inhabitants she follows his lead but still seems a bit confused.

 

Understandable. These shadow creatures are probably the only company Yorda's had her entire life. The fact that she doesn't run from them and tends to keep watching them while fleeing tells me she's not scared of them and probably views them as friends(or as close to friends as one might have being captive). Along comes this boy that reacts to them as if their bad and to be feared. I imagine that would be confusing.

 

Being locked up in the same room her entire life, most likely, dulled her wits and dampened her mind, as it tends to turn in on itself when in captivity or enduring prolonged isolation and/or neglect. Which would explain why she has the attention span of a 2yr old.

 

Ico was probably the first physical contact she's ever had as well as the first person to show genuine concern and affection towards her. This along with simple curiosity and a childlike wonder at this new world she's experiencing is likely the reason she decides to go with him.

 

He might also seem familiar to her since the shadow creatures were once horned children as well. Although based on their actions they may be little more than mindless servants with no trace of their old personalities whose sole purpose and focus is to keep Yorda unharmed and locked away.

 

I could go on but this has already gotten longer than intended so I'll end with this. Changing our perspective and looking beyond the faults can literally decrease the frustration, making the game much more enjoyable.

 

Suffice to say there's a lot to be gleaned from all the minute details and I'm glad I took my time during the first play-through. This is the first game I've played that tells such a rich and detailed story in such a minimalistic fashion and is well worth a deeper look.

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  • 3 months later...

The game is not an action game yet they throw in a ton of annoying enemies that steal Yorda and these enemeies takes AGES to die. They knock you down and you're slow and cumbersome to get back up.

 

I know you can skip a lot of the fights, but then, what's the point of them even being there in the first place? Annoyance? This game would of been better as a sole story piece minus the tacked on fighting to give it more depth... or whatever.

 

I was at the part where you need to swing on the chain and jump onto the high wall, enemies appear and you call Yorda and hold your hand down to pull her up. Well she decides to run all the way to the other side of the wall, stand there, and get captured. I jumped to save her, but there were about 7-8 enemies that take so many hits to die. I just quit.

 

I've played and enjoyed really slow games. Romance of the Three Kingdoms is extremely slow. Even the Sam and Max game was enjoyable, and there weren't any enemies to fight there and it was slooow.

 

Maybe the story is good. Too bad it's hidden underneath such awful gameplay.

Edited by Lil_Mermaid_Girl
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  • 1 year later...

I bought this collection mainly for SotC. I never even knew that there was a game prior to it. So I tried Ico out....and personally (no offense), I can't stand it.

 

Pretty much all the reasons I was going to list were already mentioned by other people on here already so I won't re-hash what was already said.

 

It sucks because I want to get into it, but I really just don't like it at all!

 

EDIT - Well, I decided to give it another go. I shouldn't have been so quick to judge. I'm up to the part where I first get the sword. It's not as bad as I originally thought!

Edited by Barrndawg
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