So today I will talk about the Playstation 2 game Ico.
This game was released in 2001 and has since achieved something of a legend status: It didn't sell enough copies worldwide and, as such, it is subsequently less than easy to get a hold of (but there's always ebay....). Me, I walked into EB games in Cat and Fiddle Arcade (Hobart) and, just by chance, I saw it - Hearing about it, I snapped it up without a second thought.
But that isn't the only factor that contributes to Ico's legendary status: It was one of the first, and thus most prominent examples of 'games as art' theory. As such, not many people got it and thus the game didn't sell enough - and those who did lamented on how it didn't really reach enough people, thus cementing the game as the most underrated games of all time.
So what is Ico all about? Well, the players controls the titular character: a boy with horns. He is trapped in an (almost) abandoned castle. He eventually meets a girl named Yorda who speaks in an incomprehensible language and so the two try to escape. And that's pretty much it.
Yes it may be running on a formula seen in a gazillion and one games before but it's not the scenario but WHAT the game does with it. I mean Mario can rescue the clueless bint (to borrow a Yahtzee-ism) Princess Peach all he likes but it takes balls to do something different with something tried and true.
What strikes me about this game is that it really takes the frequented gaming scenario of "Rescue the princess from the castle" on it's head by having Ico guiding Yorda through an abandoned castle solving puzzles whilst having very little in the way of conflict. This what makes it so interesting: This game is one that breathes atmosphere. With drab colours and little music, the game becomes a triumph in ambiance. The setting itself looks completely believable and presents a degree of personality not seen in gaming buildings
Also, by allowing little action and forcing the player to pay attention to the scenery (in order to solve the problem), the game makes the castle a character in itself. It's certainly a credit to the designers for making a brave move to have a game featuring so little action when so any games these days feature nothing but.
What is also a brave move is throwing away all exposition whatsoever. A common problem with games these days is there is far too much exposition at the expense of the gametime - thus leaving the player spending far more time watching cinematics than actually playing the game (yes Hideo Kojima and SquareEnix, I'm looking at YOU). Not so with Ico: What little exposition is far more concerned with establishing an emotional connection with Ico by making the player as confused and disorientated as he is. Indeed, establishing a story is not important to the game because the game is the story. Considering that games are gradually becoming more emphasized on story lines, which is strange when you consider that video gaming is far more interactive than a book or a film, it takes balls to do something different
What I also find interesting is that not many people know of this great game: Despite an original concept, it got overlooked for some strange reason (perhaps a sign that modern video gamers are all action junkies?). Instead, it sold 650,000 units worldwide and few I've talked to has heard of it. Still, I think it's great that I own this game that no one else seems to know about (and one which comes with a great cover that resembles a Giorgio de Chirico painting).
So what is it about Ico that I hold it in high regard? It is many factors really: The unusual method of storytelling, the gall to be drastically different from other games on the market, the fantastic graphics, the use of ambiguity, the surprisingly effective use of subtly in a market which is not known for it, the wonderful and well-realised setting, the creation of atmosphere, but what works the most me is the emotional weight.
It has been said many times before that the emotional weight invested into Ico is one of it's key strengths. And to that, I'm not going to argue. So I'll describe my own experience and thoughts:
What makes this game a particularly satisfying one for me is that is the only one that has really made an emotional connection with me. One key theme is the emotions of loneliness and isolation, emphasized in the characters of both Ico and Yorda, how they're presented in being in a forgotten environment and their current situation. Thus it is not too hard to become attached to the characters and their goal of escaping the castle. Such is the case for me that, upon being confronted with the endgame cinematic, I broke down. Seriously. The emotional impact of the game finally caught up to me and I cried like a big baby - proof, if any was needed of a great game indeed. Through in an unforgettable ending theme and you have proof of the emotional power games can provide (when they decide to do it).
As mentioned before, video games aren't really known for their use of subtly. Thus I take my hat off to a game, and it's creator, whom are trying to do something different. And different being being profound and able to connect with people on an emotional level, in the same way as, say, a painting, a song, or a movie can is indeed a feat worth shouting about. I'm not about to divulge into that 'games as art' debate because I find it pointless but I give kudos to a game that makes the effort to be something more substantial than something of amusement value.
So that's my thoughts on Ico. It's a brilliant game that may not have reached enough people but left a lasting impression on those that did. It has emotion seeping through it in an area little known for it. I may be treading over well trodden ground with these words but really what can be said about this game? If anything it's an experience that has to be seen to be believed.
And that for me, is what makes it one of my favorite games EVER.
P.S.
I recently completed Shadow of the Colossus which was made by the same people. It pretty much achieved the same goals as it's older bother (only with more sales) and is too a great game.
P.P.S.
Last Guardian? Bring it on!
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