Hey, thanks for clicking on this video! This is a fair bit longer than any other video I’ve written before, but there was a lot about Ico that was worth saying. This video contains spoilers and covers the entire plot of the game, and so you may want to play Ico first and watch this video another time - but really I think the game will still hold up regardless of whether or not you know the story and ideas. Subscribe to the channel, leave a comment, all that stuff, and thank you for watching!
I found this video by looking up 'Ico Review' as I'm prone to do every 4 months or so, though I'd stopped expecting to see new results on this search ages ago. Thank you for being a welcome surprise and bringing more attention to this game. An hour and a half long discussion is absolutely what this game deserves.
Haha, well I'm glad I could finally add a new video to that search! It absolutely deserves it, I'm really hoping that this is a game that more people start to rediscover this year (given that it's Ico's 20th anniversary soon) because it is such an important classic!
@@Table53 I'm currently replaying it and a neat little detail I noticed about Yorda is that if you walk too close to a cliff edge and lose your balance, but catch yourself on the edge, Yorda will gasp. And in NG+, she gets English subtitles so you can understand her, along with a 2 Player mode that can be enabled in the options menu. I have a 2nd controller hooked up so I can control Yorda wherever I might need to, or just for fun :)
Yorda's reactions are a really neat part of the game! I love the moments where she tries to help you out and vaguely points at a box, chain etc. The translated dialogue for Yorda is also such a good "new game +" bonus!
Yeah you care enough to give her your own cute nickname, I for one called her Princess Dumb B@+ch! I LOVE this game but man she drives you crazy sometimes but at other times your just like awww she's adorable!
Lol There was one moment where I was about to purposely swing my sword at Yorda but then stopped myself because it felt wrong. I later on did then instantly felt guilty about it.
Fumito Ueda is such a legend. ICO, Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian are some of my absolute favorite videogame experiences ever. Of the thousands of games I've played in my lifetime I can't think of any that have impacted me like these games. Each game stuck with me long after I'd finished the game. I was an emotional wreck after finishing The Last Guardian & haven't been able to get myself to play it again since😄 I fully recognize the issues people have with each game and their criticisms but I can absolutely look past all of them and see the heart and soul that was poured into each game and appreciate these wonderful worlds that Mr. Ueda created. For as long as I'll live I'll cherish these incredible games and remember them fondly.
Absolutely! It's why I have no problem with 3 games in 15 years, or waiting even longer for game #4 - because I know that Ueda's games are always something polished and spectacular and I'll happily wait to get another incredible experience
Ueda is one of the true aurters in video games. Team Ico reminds me a lot of Team Andromeda in how they tell their stories without much dialogue (except for Saga in Andromeda’s case) and have an expert handle on art direction and maximizing atmosphere through engaging as many senses as possible, all have amazing soundtracks, art direction and create a connection with the world they take place in, despite never telling exactly what the world’s bigger story actually is.
I did a search for "Ico review" and found something better than I would have expected for RU-vid. Thank you for reminding me what an incredible experience it was to play this game so many years ago.
I will always feel honored and cherrish the fact that i still own my original copy of Ico from its opening release in 2001. And it still works to this day!
@@Table53 no, i live in america. But hey, less than 500k copies sold here and i still have one. That counts for something right? Also on the old school brick Ps2's Ico always ran like a champ. The only hangup ive ever encountered was the loading sequence after you fall from the bridge will hang up on a black screen forever, literally itll stay that way but soon after that my memory card port went out. After i carried it to a guitar shop to have a new one soldered in its never acted like thay again
I only now remembered that I immediately and unconsciously chose to jump back towards Yorda on the bridge. The game really did do a great job of building that bond.
Such a great moment. I experimented to see what happens if you go the other way. You run into a totem door that you need Yorda to open, buy you can't because you abandoned her to the castle!
I was wondering a few minutes afterwards whether I had the choice of going the other way, perhaps climbing around some level geometry on the other side around the idol totems to survive. Saw some other videos showing that this is not the case, and a fall into the water is unavoidable. Still, just before this, the game lingers on a shot of the idol totems blocking the way on the other side, so perhaps you jump back not just out of care for Yorda, but because you know that, as usual, you can't proceed without her. I wonder how many players would jump back if the totems weren't there. Also, the game gives you barely enough time to actually make the jump, let alone judge whether it's too far or not. I was mashing triangle to get Ico up from the ledge, then had just enough time to run to the center, turn left and make the jump, which was looking very long at this point. Then I was mashing triangle and holding left on the stick hoping that would help Yorda pull Ico up, but it made no difference.
I hate not having anything constructive or interesting to say, but I want to send some appreciation your way because this is exceptional. I genuinely thought you had at least a couple hundred thousand subscribers before noticing the actual number. This deserves attention
Thanks for taking the time to write this comment, appreciate it! Most of my videos are about very niche indie titles which don't exactly pull in subscribers haha, but we'll see what happens in the future!
Thank you so much. I cried watching this. It brought back a lot of emotions and memories playing ICO. I remember I loved this game so much, but it had been so, so long since I last played it. Having you narrate and give a bunch of context around ICO made me understand and remember a lot. I love ICO.
I had watched a playthrough of the other game by Ueda, and a lot of people suggested learning about Ico. I'm glad I did, this game is really unique. I did not realize how influential it had been either. In some ways it's like an anti-videogame, it does the opposite of what most triple-A games would do in telling its story. Yet, that's what makes it so beloved, even all these years later. Anyway, great video! Thanks for sharing!
I'm happy to hear that people were giving Ico a shoutout! It's such an influential game that somehow has managed to fly under the radar a little. I'm glad you liked the video, and thank you for leaving a comment!
Every time I have to go ahead and leave Yorda alone for a moment, I take an extra second to see if she's safe; and while I'm gone, I'm busting my hind end to get back to her as quickly as possible. She's the first (and to this date, the only) NPC escort I actually care about. She's this really important character and I feel like she's in my personal care.
Its funny how the shadow kids covet Yorda and that ICO himself does too in the end. So he may have escaped the tomb and the castle but he didn't escape fate completely. That is poetic in itself.
I felt the opposite instead, rather than Ico being obsessed with Yorda like all the other kids I thought the shadow kids also had our good intentions towards them, only due to whatever those stone sarcophagi did to them they thought keeping Yorda inside the castle was the best way to help her. Like whenever they came trying to kidnap her they only wanted to keep her safe from me
I absolutely adore Ico. I’ve even read the novelized story, but nothing beats the gaming experience. Thank you for this incredible in-depth video on my favorite video game.
@@Table53 so true. I enjoyed your video as well. Especially when you noticed the moment when Ico and Yorda crossing the bridge and suddenly they are split apart. At that moment I didn't really noticed in my mind it's very powerful moment, because I was reacting on reflexes - just tried to jump over to Yorda instantly ) Realisation came later. Very very special game it is
I just finished Ico yesterday for the first time ever. It was truly ahead of it's time. I think what really made your relationship feel special with Yorda had a lot to do with how the physics worked when holding hands. You leading her down steps, your grip breaking if you went too fast, forcing you to go more slowly and carefully if you wanted to keep your link. It gave a nice sense of closeness with how real the mechanic was depicted. I would like to compare Ico to Jak 2, in the sense that that game in particular is a linear open world, but in a great interconnected way. You would have different platforming sections in a futuristic neo-city and the surrounding barren outskirts. However this all clicks together when you scale one of the giant supporting beams to the giant palace that looms above the center of the city, basically the center of the game world. You would be able to see every part of the map, reminding you how much of a cog you were in the grand architecture. This reminded me of Ico because you could view parts of places you've been to, or will be. I love when games do this, having a callback to other parts of your world grounds everything excellently. I'm excited to see what Team Ico has in store for 2021 (looks like a new game)! Great and insightful video! It helped me understand the game better, with it still being fresh in my mind.
It absolutely was! The decision to have you hold Yordas hand instead of her just automatically following you is such a simple change but makes such an impact For me Jak 2 is much more like one of the other games I mentioned in this video as Jak was quite explicitly a game designed to be a GTA3 clone in the Jak universe! I don't fully remember the game as I haven't played it in a few years, but I think what you're getting at is that when you were in each sections of the game you could tell (or maybe even see) where that area fit into the overall world? Making it feel more "interconnected" than other open world games where the map is mostly a flat square, which is all connected, but in a less interesting way because you can only really see one place at a time? Yes! I'm really excited by the idea of another Ueda game (i think technically it will be a 'genDESIGN' game now), but I don't mind the wait as long as it ends up being another timeless classic. And thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
@@Table53 Yeah, the Jak sequels did indeed seem to be trying to copy off the success of the GTA formula somewhat, but they also had their own charm. The feeling is kind of like an "aha" moment. Jak 3 also has it's version of this, where you're flying above the entire map around a floating war factory. You also traverse sewer networks as platforming levels that take you to and from the city's various areas and ruins which helps with the interconnectedness. And every time you revisit the sewers to go to point A to B it deviates a little more, giving you a sense of it being a giant maze when in actuality it's only 3 separate platforming levels. Or the monk temple (which is a more comparable version to Ico's castle), that has you going to different parts of it's buried depths. Jak's core thing in the sequels was "level deviation". The only reason I compared these two games is that the one moment captured in Jak 2 is the very essence of Ico's awesome environmental design.
@@moegasmic Yeah the devs at Naughty Dog even came out and said that Jak 2 was based on GTA III! Sounds like they did a good job in making the city feel like a complete space. I'm definitely going to have to go back and revisit the Jak games, honestly I think the game I played the most in that series was Jak X (which I still think blows all Mario Kart titles out of the water haha)
The first time I played ICO, I too instinctively made the leap of faith back to Yorda and the castle, but I ended up dying on the lonesome section. On replay, just out of curiosity, I decided to go the other way just to see what the path not taken was. Turns out, you CAN cross to the other side of the divide between land and the castle... but the way to freedom is blocked, ironically, by a totem gate. Without Yorda to open it for you, and since you don't have the sword either, you have no choice but to stand there at the door to freedom as the other side of the drawbridge continues to retract into the ground... until at long last it retracts under your feet and you plunge into the water below, but without the benefit of going on to the lonesome section. The irony is, abandoning Yorda only ends up reinforcing her necessity, and giving you a healthy bit of reinforcement by killing you outright.
I've done the same thing too! Not sure if I mentioned it in the video, but I also explored what happens if you run the other way and found the totem door. It's a really clever way of reminding players about Yorda's importance without directly having to tell them!
@@Table53 You didn't, but I don't think it's important enough to mention. The drawbridge is just long enough to make the mistake of abandonment memorable. It retracts slowly enough that you have enough time to test and see if there's a way to get past the totem gate to get to freedom, but there isn't, because the gate protrudes just far enough out that there's no way you can climb around it.
I remember back when I didn't yet have the soundtrack for the game, I would replay the last save file just to hear "You Were There" play over the ending credits. I could tell the song was in English but it was really hard to make out all the lyrics. Eventually I would learn them all & what brilliant lyrics they are. Just like the game itself is brilliant. The 20th anniversary has come & gone with no remake. But now that SONY has acquired Bluepoint Games, hopefully a remake is on the way. Nice review/discussion. :)
@@Table53 It's in the first part of the game. The easiest way to get there would be to start a new game, but in the latest update I made it so you can return there after beating the three main levels.
32:34 While the Nomad Colossus map is of course incredible and a giant blessing, I feel like so many people overlook the work by FunkyBoy to port the castle to Unity. Unfortunately, it's left unfinished with many areas left not properly textured, but the build he had released already is such an incredible showcase of the castle's interconnectedness and the sheer passion that went into building it. There is almost no area in the castle that is not in the game. Everywhere you go is a memory. Seeing how close everything really was just elevates the experience for me so much. But apart from that, lovely video! I love how you just refused to call Shadow of the Colossus by name up until the very end, haha. Whenever I'm asked about my "favorite game of all time" I always bring up Ico and it's always a struggle to properly describe why. It's both the most videogame of all time and the least videogame of all time. It's an experience that can ONLY be a videogame, yet it's a game that actively defies what makes a typical videogame.
Oh wow, thanks for letting me know about that! This video was a combination of what I already knew and experienced in the game with a fair bit of research and yet somehow I never saw this build! Quite possibly would have used it to directly show the interconnected nature of the map! It's a really cool project, just watched a video panning a camera around the castle (on the Nomad Colossus channel haha) Yeah I decided early on that this was going to be Ico and Ico only, I understand why it gets overshadowed (pun unavoidable) by the next game but i wanted it to be full focus here! Completely agree with your last sentence. Ico uses the attributes _of a video game_ so well to create an experience quite unlike the majority of video games
I bought Ico for it’s initial release. I had loved Oddworld and someone suggested to give Ico a try. I immediately fell in love with this game. This, Shadow and even Last Guardian are all brilliant.
And as someone who has played this game basically once a year since it’s release, I completely agree with your statement about the PS3 remaster collection with SOTC is THE definitive way to play the game. Plus you get SOTC remastered as well. That double release is one of the highest value releases ever. For a long, long time that collection was the best way to play both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Shadow has since been remastered again (no surprise there, SOTC is one of the most incredible games ever made and younger players deserve to encounter it in their journey in gaming. Sony knows that SOTC is one of the most influential and beloved pieces of media in the past 30 years, not to mention being a case in point example of Video Games being Art. Ico is likewise a piece of art, and is just as good as Shadow, but far more niche in it’s appeal. Which is fine by me, because as long as it was made once upon a time and is still available to play in some form, I could care less than not nearly as many people have blessed themselves with playing the beautiful and richly rewarding experience of interactive art that is Ico.
Thank you for this video. I recently finished ICO and have been scouring the internet for videos like this. I just want to talk about it with somebody. This was everything I wanted. If you ever end up covering the rest of Ueda's games, I'll be more than happy to watch.
I'm glad you liked the video! I will definitely talk about Ueda's other games, I'm just not a very good RU-vidr and so nothing ever happens to any sort of reasonable schedule haha.. but talking about SotC is something I will definitely do
I never played this game, but i've been curious about it so thanks for the great and immersive review. Wish you had more subscribers because you are putting a good work on your videos.
Not only did I play this game when it was released (first game I ever bought with my own money as a kid) I played it religiously for years because nothing compares to it
This being the first game you ever bought is really cool, the first game I bought with my own money was probably Spyro: Enter the Dragonfly.. probably not something I'd be too bothered about replaying now haha
@@Table53 I’m serious man. I always thought of doing my own video like this on Ico, but you’ve said everything I would’ve wanted to better than I could’ve. Fantastic!🎉
Great summary and analysis. I had mostly similar feelings about the game. Lately I’m playing many old games on original hardware. Some I’m replaying and some, ICO included, I’m playing for the first time. When replaying you already know the rules and have some kind of muscle memory, so it’s relatively easy to jump back to your memories and enjoy the game. But many games I’ve heard so much about and never played are really hard to keep my attention long enough to finish them and I find myself forcing to keep playing. ICO was something else. Because it’s focus never was flashy graphics, snappy combat or being a movie-like experience there is nothing to get old about it. Heck, there is also no HUD that would probably feel like an “old” design. They really removed most elements that in most other games in that time now feel dated. Instead they focused almost solely on conveying simple emotions in a very deep way and emotions are something that we always feel, no matter what. Also in defence of its combat I never felt that I had to wait for shadows to come to me to kill them. I think the game was trying to tell you that your focus shouldn’t be on killing them, but on protecting Yorda instead. I quickly realised that you can run from most fights which was so much more exciting. I even noticed that when you go up some ledge and give a hand to Yorda, shadows near her are much more forgiving, almost waiting for you to help her. After you run away they just disappear.
Yeah, other than some slightly clunky animations here and there (clipping through every chain you swing on haha) the game doesn't feel "old" or outdated in how it plays at all! I don't have the space for original hardware any more, and I genuinely don't know what happened to my PS2. So for me retro gaming is more emulation focused now
This video used to pop up on my initial screen from time to time and I kinda avoided it, because something told me I'd hear something bad about it and feel upset. But I don't think there's much to say about Ico in that regard. I'm glad to finally watch it and find such a deep and loving analysis for one of the most beautiful games ever made.
I did actually play this when I was a kid. I lost Yorda but the game never ended and I was softlocked within the first two hours of gameplay. It's kind of weird, but I felt like that singular softlock defined the game for me, the loneliness that is a hallmark of the game, balanced by the presence of Yorda, had become horrifyingly oppressive. I remember I was playing with my dad, and he eventually got tired and left and I was left alone with ICo. To this day I still don't think I've ever felt more immersed by a videogame. It was a weird experience, but if I could be honest, it's not one I'd mind reliving.
First, what a great tribute to an iconic (ico for short?)game. I originally purchased the game (as a non-gamer) from a Guardian Review in the Saturday Guardian The Guide, a small magazine within the paper. I still have all the original extras. I also purchased the other classic game of the time, REZ. Ico is the only game I have ever finished (not really that difficult); I had to finish it once separated from Yorda. I was convinced I should've not tried to save her; riddled with guilt, it was worth a try. Only to find out I had made the right decision and had a second chance to defeat the final boss. I was in tears when I realised that I had failed. Then finding her, a miracle! Or was it a cruel dream? Like the end of the movie Inception, I'll take the dream; just like our brief period of existence, all we take are our memories, and if there is that soft sanded beach when we all move on, I hope to meet up with Yorda. Thanks for such a great and respectful ending to your piece. I found the next game too difficult and never got that attachment. Twenty-two years later, I may have a go at the game Journey, as it looks like a game that has a purpose. As a designer, 'form over function', as a writer, Orwell's 'keep it simple', and as a non-gamer 'design by subtraction'. The artwork is truly sublime.
This was an amazing Video, I knew that the game exists but had no Idea about how much influence this game had. Definitely gonna check it out asap. Thank you for that!
Great video! Can't wait for your Shadow of the Colossus video, liked and subscribed! Also I've never played Ico before, but I'm going to now after watching your video, this game looks like an absolute treasure.
Thank you for creating this wonderful video. I first played Ico as a little 6 year old back in 2001 and it made me fall in love with video games. 20 years later this still is truly the most magical game and one I will hold very dear to my heart
It is something genuinely special, though I'm not sure that as a 6 year old I would have remotely begun to appreciate it haha.. and based on the fact that I couldn't get out of the first cave in Tomb Raider 2 at that age I probably wouldn't have got far through it either! Thank you for the comment, it's always cool to see that other people still care about Ico!
@@Table53 I played Ico with my Dad, I always had fun playing games with him. But don't think I couldn't have done it all on my own either! Haha. I even collected the Ico photo magazine that came with PlayStation magazine with little cardboard character cutouts.
Ah that makes more sense! Still very cool that you got to experience it so young. That sounds amazing, I would never have thought that would be a thing. I'm going to have to google and see what they looked like
I haven't been able to find anything about it! Although reading about the demo I found out that originally you were allowed to drop Yorda to her death after catching her from a jump.. quite glad they got rid of that haha
me and long long form stuff doesn't jive. but I'm here to vocalize my support and commend you on the tremendous undertaking involved in making this. good job man. it's a long journey. super proud you endeavoured to do this.
Thanks man! That's fair, almost an hour and a half is a long time for anyone to spend watching a video so I wasn't expecting everyone to watch it! Thanks for all the support, can't wait to see what you've got in store for your channel this year!
The ending for ico really meant a lot to me. The two things I gained at the end ,firstly, was a greater understanding of the queen and how unconcerned about the danger of ico. She says she’s really old and that she needs a new body and is not scared of ico. Probably because she has turned many boys to stone and fought and ripped their horns off before. I think every statue with a boy with no horns is another kid she defeated. This is a infinite loop of pain to her children and ico. Also when at the end yorda sent me away. I ran on the beach for at least 10 minutes thinking about why yorda did what she did. I think the separation shows the characters independence and growth and how she learned she and to deal with the shadows on her body by herself as my character learned her magic. I thought if this is what she wants it’s ok we will be separated for now. And at that moment I thought that yorda would enjoy this beach with her fascination with seagulls and I found her and the game ended. Both characters learned and growed together causing some healthy independence and followed up with a happy reunion. It was so beautiful I loved it and the song on the bench would totally fit the beach like the two characters were meant to be on the beach together. I think this game shows that every person has to go through this to make a beautiful bond and the loop will continue and that’s ok I guess:)! Loved to see a video about ico made me really happy💙💙
Really great look into Ico, very appropriate video to watch for its Japanese 20th anniversary release yesterday, so thank you! I look forward to the eventual look at the game that shouldn’t be mentioned ;3
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yes the video on the game that cannot be mentioned is half written and will definitely be completed, I've just not had a proper PC for almost a year now and making a 1hr+ video on a laptop will be essentially impossible.. so that video will be priority #1 when I hopefully replace my PC fairly soon
I never saw a video made with so much love and effort like this one. We need a Review about Shadow of the collosus or this nico (that i never knew that this game existed). This was the first video of yours that i saw. You owed a fan after this.
Thanks for the video! It's a fantastic way of celebrating the game's anniversary. I love Ico with my whole heart, in gact the whole trilogy is probably the dearest thing in video games for me, and even though I have spent countless hours in Ico, never failing to get something new out of the experience, there are some things, and very important ones, that your essay brought up to my attantion and that I have never thought of on a level that they clearly deserve. I think it's the first time that the importance of player agency in that Apex moment (c) is brought to my attention. Indeed, the fact that jumping to Yorda and towards the castle is your first and unfaltering instinct is saying so much about the relationship that the game has quietly built up to this point. I also love the fact that you aknowledge some of the more overused themes in the discourse surrounding these games, and conciously choose to be mostly ironic about them, while stating only what is needed and dedicating more time to your own thoughts instead. Overall, great style and delivery, and also, great choice of music (though that Requiem from one game that should not be named was probably too much of a spoiler, it kind of undermines the effort to give Ico's atmosphere it's own time to blossom away from the shadow (pun intended) of it's more famous relative. As for the preferred method of playing, PS Now service is kind of sketchy in my country, and I don't put much trust into anything that doesn't have a copy on my hard drive anyway. But when the time came, I had no problem at all finding a used PS3 for dirt cheap, I bought the thing pretty much exclusively to play the Team Ico collection and never regretted it since. So I guess it's a valid option, too. Again. thank you so much for the effort, original thought and creativity that you put into the video, it all shows immensely in the end result! I'll be looking forward to your further videos
Thank you for taking the time to leave this comment! Ueda’s works really are incredible games and I definitely want to cover all three of them (although by the time I’ve done that I’m hoping his fourth game will be near to completion!) That moment on the bridge is the main reason I fell in love with Ico, I’d simply never seen or felt anything that powerful in a game before that and certainly not _during_ gameplay! It’s probably that moment that made me think about the rest of the game more deeply and it transformed from something interesting to something genuinely special. Requiem is the piece over the video’s outro right? I think because I’m hinting at the game-that-shall-not-be-named it was probably okay to suggest it in the music there haha, plus it’s such a good bit of music! I really hope Sony improves its backwards compatibility in the future, I’m not at all sold on PS Plus yet (and I tried to play an action game on it and even with good internet the minor lag was a noticeable downside!), if the PS5 could play PS4+3+2 games I would have been trying to preorder one! Thank you again for leaving such a great comment! Hope to see you on the next Ueda video whenever I get that completed! :)
@@Table53 Yes, hopefully, the fourth one will see a less troubled production cycle. Well it's discoveries like this that make the whole RU-vid a worthy place to explore. My perception is more attuned to visuals and atmosphere, and even if a work of art triggers some interesting process in me, I may not notice because my brain just isn't used to noticing things like that, or describing them. So when I found a concise and detailed explanation of that moment in your video, the whole feeling rose from the depth where I never noticed it. Thank you for that perspective! Sony doesn't seem to prioritize the whole retro gaming side, they kind of did something for it during the 7th generation, but on the PS4 they mostly move further. Backwards compatibility doesn't sell copies, especially if they are planning to stop supporting the digital store for ps3, which is probably on the way. So let's hope for another remaster of Ico, as I am not entirely convinced it is even as well suited for a remake as the second game. But on that subject, I will wait for the proper video. Good luck with your projects, and thanks again for great conversation!
@@danilalikhachev341 Hopefully! Its been 4 years since the last guardian and you'd hope that 4-5 years would be enough to complete the project. But really I don't mind when it releases as long as it releases with a similar level of quality! Yeah it is a shame, there is such a strong back catalogue of Sony games that are currently very awkward or difficult to play. It definitely feels like the lack of backwards compatibility is an attempt to remonetise the games through PS Now or encourage people towards newer games. I'd love if it became a priority for them in the future!
I just wanted to comment to say this is one of the best deep dives into a game on this platform not done by Noah Caldwell Gervais or Matthewmatosis. Honestly, I think your video surpassed the latter for this game, especially as you look into the aesthetic choices made by Ueda (such as the camera) instead of focusing purely on the mechanical. Great job. I hope you are still working on that SOTC video and hope to see more. This is real quality work and would love to see this effort extended to other games. Subscribed and will be keeping an eye on your channel
Thank you! I'm a big fan of Matthewmatosis so that is absolutely enormous praise! The SotC video will definitely happen, unfortunately I've not even been able to play it recently (no sony console currently and internet too weak for PS Now) and I do want to be able to jump in and out of the game while finishing off the script! Thank you again, hope you enjoy that video when it's out!
I feel like I haven't heard anyone talk about another iconic tune of the game for me, "Continue". The tune is so intrinsically tied to feelings of melancholy and despair for having failed, but promotes attitudes of restructure and repetition, fueling the motivation to try again with a slightly different strategy. Much like the dualistic nature of "Heal" being a sort of relaxing break from the experience, also a sort of fanfare victory theme for having beaten a difficult section and being allowed to save progress. "Continue" would make me feel compelled to reattempt if I listened to it long enough after a failure, but felt somewhat satisfying when giving up and turning off the system for a rest. Thanks for this video.
Mostly commenting for the algorithm, bc this video deserves the boost, but i love ueda games so much. Playing his games has introduced me to some of the most intuitive gameplay ive ever experienced, and some of the most genuine moments of connection and love (general, not necessarily romantic) ive ever felt in a game. Such immersive, well-thought-out worlds to get lost in and theorize about.
Thank you! Comments for the algorithm are always appreciated haha. I completely agree, Ueda's games are truly phenomenal. Journey is the only other game I can think of right now that has made as strong an emotional connection as Ico/Shadow/TLG have! (also Outer Wilds, which I remembered by the time I typed the full sentence..)
Great video! I love Ico as much as Shadow of the Colossus. Beautiful games from Fumito Ueda and his "Team Ico". I admit I'd love to see a remake for this game (by Bluepoint Games) for the PS5 as we got a remake for SotC (for PS4). I know it is unlikely to happen (especially since Ico is not as succesful as SotC in sales) but still, it could be fantastic. Now I did like The Last Guardian, but I did not love it. By the way, I can't wait to see the new game from Ueda and genDESIGN team. Saludos.
Yeah it's a shame that Ico will likely never get the Bluepoint treatment, because its a landmark video game but likely wouldn't be a commercial success as a remake either It's one of the reasons I want better backwards compatibility, because otherwise games like this can disappear far too easily! Agreed, anything Ueda makes I can be pretty certain is going to be special
Lovely video, thanks!! I just finished ICO and found this to deep dive into. Your comment about the escape bridge moment NOT being a cutscene is a perceptive one. Rather than instinctually leaping towards Yorda, I actually had Ico run AWAY from Yorda and all the way to the building on the cliff edge. I figured that Yorda was going to be unable to escape at this time - she was clearly weakened by the castle magic - and I thought the game was telling me to run and then figure out a way to save Yorda later. My subsequent doom indicated that I had made the wrong choice, but what I found interesting was the guilt I felt as I legged it towards the exit, leaving Yorda to be dragged back into the castle. The game forges a powerful bond.
While replaying the game I ran the wrong way along the bridge to see what happens. And as if to emphasise that you made the wrong choice, at the end of the bridge is a totem door that you would need Yorda to open.. I really liked that detail
It's one of the most unique games I had ever experienced with during the PS2 era. I kinda miss experimental games such as this. It's one of the very few games where I really don't mind escort mission playing a huge role. One of the landmark titles during the early stages of the PS2 generation. Everything nowadays resolves around either AAA projects or indy titles. Ico is far from it. It's an experimental IP that actually had a budget to work with, yet it's not a AAA venture nor is it an indy title. It's unique and intriguing due to its simplicity and minimalist storytelling, yet has a very deep characterization, world building and art style and the design itself found a compromise to work around the limitations and strengths of the hardware. I don't think a game like that would have worked on PS1 where it was originally planned to be released on. Games such as this will forever stand the test of time.
One of the best things about the PS2! Games were far less defined and Sony gave so much freedom for interesting concepts to drive the medium forward Yes, very glad they moved this to the PS2!
Love the video dude! I'm a big SotC/Ico fan, and the way you talk about all this makes it feel fresh somehow. no rush, but if you do get around to talking about Shadow, I bet you'd rock it!
Wow, great video. You cover every aspect of what makes this game great and even refute the afterlife theory! I really dislike the theories that "darken up" the games, Shadow has one as well about Mono becoming the Queen from Ico. So many people think that and say "they look exactly alike". We had two adult women over two games, what's the frame of reference there? Anyway, I wanted to mention how in your segment about jumping across the bridge to grab Yorda's hand you speak as if every player does this when they play Ico. Having watched many Twitch streamers play the game, I can unfortunately say that is not the case. I have seen people not only ignore Yorda and start running towards the other end of the bridge, but I've seen people do it several times in a row. I don't think this is because they don't care about Yorda, they just don't see what the game is, to us clear as day, trying to tell them. When I played Ico for the first time I got it. I wonder if maybe it's a thing where players now think differently than players then, or really just that players need to be keyed in to the logic of an Ueda game more when playing one. I think it makes sense, that all of Ueda's games work on a sort of logic that's different from other games, and I think my experience with The Last Guardian was helped greatly by having played Ico and Shadow previously. Puzzles that I saw many other people struggle with came easy to me because I knew what Ueda's game design was like. It might be that. Either way it's a shame people don't do the obvious thing. I'd also like to share this on my Team Ico tumblr blog, if you don't mind.
Thank you! Yeah I'm not really a fan of "dark theories" in general because they're typically quite samey and don't really add anything, and I've also never really felt much of a storyline connection between Ico and Shadow! Haha, well those people don't count! I actually reloaded a save to run along the bridge and see what happens the last time I was playing it.. it turns out that when you run to the other end of the bridge it throws an idol door in your face as if to go "What did you just do to Yorda?" Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! And yeah, I love it when people share these videos!
I just played the game for the first time recently and my first reaction on the bridge was to try to call Yorda like normal, thinking maybe I could encourage her to gather her strength for one last jump and I could catch her. The cutscene of the bridge extending does show the idols blocking the other side so I figured I needed her to get over to my side of the bridge to proceed. I think it would have worked a little better for me if the idols weren't highlighted in the cutscene, but I guess most people don't noticeit so it isn't a big deal.
If someone is working on a modern remaster of this game, they need to watch this video for an essential understanding of its themes and design for sure
Thank you, this is such a nice comment! I really hope there is a remake/remaster in the works (although hopefully they'd have actual notes from Ueda/Team Ico to work from haha!)
@@Table53 I agree, hopefully they'd consult Ueda. I'd love to see bluepoint do it, since they did an amazing job on SotC, but I'm sure other teams could do great as well. Your video was very well constructed and made me realize so many subtle things about the game that just makes me love it even more
Bluepoint remaking the game would be a dream, they've got a great track record of remaking classics so I'm going to keep my fingers crossed all the way up to the 20th anniversary! But it wasn't the most successful game so there may be no interest in redoing it :( Thank you! Ico is an absolutely fascinating game in terms of its innovation and details, it was a lot of fun to make this video about it
The whole concept of the hand holding was genius. Not only a great way to move two characters while only controlling one, but also just for the consistent imagery of Ico and Yorda together
I remember playing Ico for the very first time on PS2 because I had loved the original Prince of Persia game and somebody told me Ico was like a 3-D version of PoP, and honestly I still agree with that sentiment.
I loved so much your video!! Thank you so much for taking the time to review it, I really appreciate it! Are you going to review SotC? I'd love to watch a video as long as this one or even longer made by you about it!!
Thank you! Sorry, I must have missed this comment before. Ico really deserved this video so I'm glad I found the time to actually talk about it - it absolutely is the plan to make a similar video about Shadow of the Colossus!
Just finished my first playthrough of Ico. Bought a used PS3, then bought and downloaded Ico from playstation store. Wanted to play this game before the hardware became too hard to find. Didn't know it was available to play on newer hardware than PS3. Had to wait until I finished it before watching your video. I wouldn't have wanted to have any of the story spoiled. Alternate interpretations of the ending have been bugging me for a few hours. My interpretation was basically the same as yours. In the absence of much else to suggest otherwise, I'll just believe what I see - Ico has washed up on some beach, perhaps a bit further west or east of the sunken castle, and Yorda found the strength to swim after him after the castle had sunk a bit more.
I know what I’m gonna say is considered sacrilege, but I actually prefer Ico to Shadow of the Colossus. Don’t get me wrong, SotC has some of the greatest boss battles in all of video game history and is still achingly beautiful, but I’ve always preferred the quieter and meditative atmosphere and fairy tale feeling of Ico. For me, it just resonates more. As for The Last Guardian, I definitely place it next to Ico for how it takes the companionship of Ico but applies the epic scope and scale of SotC to it while also building on the relationship aspect.
That's completely fair! I do prefer Shadow of the Colossus, I think it's the better game overall, but I do also find Ico far more interesting in a lot of ways. Luckily the existence of one doesn't diminish the effect of the other!
I remember playing this game when I was a very young boy, it makes me nostalgic watching the video and seeing what the actual story is. Only thing I remember is having to save a princess lol
So, I really wanna watch this video. I love your works and seeing one this long looks amazing! But I've never played Ico, and I probably will never either. I've never owned a playstation platform. Should I watch this? I shure want to...
I think this is actually a perfect video for if you're never likely to play the game! You still get to hear about it and get (some of) the experience from an absolute classic!
I was genuinely just playing it a few hours ago for the first time in months (I don't own a playstation currently and just moved city somewhere with stable enough internet to run PS Now) Aaaand having turned my computer off to have lunch it will no longer turn back on. This sotc video is basically cursed :(
I'm 44 about to be 45 and it's a fact I still find myself longing to find a Castle as I am taken to that place that the "feel" of every thing was what has created something so unique like on days when the wind is blowing just right and I'm alone just enough I find myself waiting to hear the groan of the old windmill as the blades slowly spin and as I have worked in steel fabrication for 25 years now it was so crazy that I instantly was in my comfort zone running large overhead bridge cranes and there is not a day of throwning chains and rigging stuff up for a lift or move or change of position that I don't hear the ching of the chains and think about ICO climbing his ASS up one and IT ALWAYS FOLLOWS WITH ME LETTING OUT A CALL WITH A LITTLE LAUGH.... UMPA! LMFAO. It's a part of my life like all games I have played are but it's a foundation piece alone with SOTC And Sphinx and the cursed mummy! The mummy! Hot damn that shit was fun lighting his ASS on fire or shocking him up and avoiding the water go not lose the charge so you can energize whatever. Along with all the games you mentioned One of my favorites at the 1, or 2 spot is Darksiders 2 Death was a blast to play from combat to exploration to some great funny SHIT to say.... What an adventure that was! It's an ALL TIME for me and tops God of War and Dante's inferno only because the open world element is so much more of a feel of control not forced into here is the next level! Cool breakdown. Thanks
I've played the PS4 remake again recently to make some more notes! The SotC video wasn't an option for a while because I didn't have a proper computer but there's slow progress on it again. Hopefully once I've got a few distracting videos on other games out of the way I will dedicate some proper time to it (because its annoying me as well how long its been haha)
100%. I am still holding out hope for a Bluepoint sequence style remake. Not because I think the remaster needs it, but just to get more people to play it on modern consoles!
I know it's just clickbate but excuse me I have definitely played Ico and it's amazing. Why are you reading this comment? You could be playing Ico right now!
I do agree with you there, however I do think the PS3 remasters of both games are a better way to play the games as both were really limited by the technology of the time! As for the remakes, I would still love an Ico remake just to have the game available on more modern consoles and to get more eyes on an absolute classic
Haha, I think the default ending is probably the more important to cover - especially in terms of a video highlighting Ico's design strengths and influence! 🍉🍉
I've never really connected the games in my head! I've always considered their stories to be completely separate, I don't personally think either game's stories benefit from being a part of the other. But I suppose one of the cool things about the more minimal storytelling in Ueda's games is that it leaves room for theories and interpretation!
Loads of people!! The game took years to sell a million copies. It's an incredible game, but for the general audience of video gamers it's still relatively niche!
Have you ever done a video essay like this on Little Nightmares 2? If not I’d recommend it, or at least play the game to completion once. It’s very interesting!
I think this is the second time someone has mentioned Little Nightmares 2 in these comments, maybe I'll have to go and play it. And probably the first one too I guess?
@@Table53 well the bond between playable character Mono (boy with the paper bag) and Six(girl in the yellow raincoat) is at least a little similar. Two children trying to survive in a twisted world that wants them dead…or worse. Not only that, but there isn’t a SINGLE word of dialogue and it somehow manages to convey a complete and (imo) beautiful story! If you ever do look into it I’d say start with Little Nightmares 2 as it’s actually a confirmed prequel to the first game. I think it’ll make more sense to play that first or even just that one, as I would say it’s the more interesting of the two. There are some secrets around the world and a lot of mystery we can price together from context clues in the environment and an extended little ending if you find them all, but you could just look that up. But it’s fascinating to infer what exactly is going on based on how the characters n monsters treat you or react when they notice you and what exactly is happening and the motivations of beings like The Thin Man and if they’re all truly evil or not or what the deal is. I honestly think there’s something there for you 53. If videogames like Ico and Shadow of the Colossus can be art, I’d die on the hill that says Little Nightmares 2 and 1 ALSO count as Art. At the very least, like with games like Bioshock or Or Silent Hill 1,2,&3 or Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess and many more, I will remember Little Nightmares 1&2 for the rest of my life, I believe. It sticks with you.
The video is great but I must say that. In 2005 when I played it on ps2 I didn't have never a statter, the same with the ps3 hd version in 2012.Maybe you had starters because you played the stream version on ps5. For its time it was a masterpiece. It's my favourite game ever after Zelda:Ocarina of time. It's the only game that made me she'd tearsin the end.We see games like this every 20 years..
I also don't really remember stutters from the PS2 game (although I didn't play it on release), but it is a common issue mentioned in a lot of reviews of the game from the time! I actually streamed the game from a computer which did add a few stutters (but it was very obvious when it was an internet issue and I think it only happened 3 times in the entire playthrough!) I've never played Ocarina of time.. I didn't have any Nintendo consoles growing up so I've never really experienced any of those classics
