ICO

[Roack]

I have seen the light, and I want more like it! without the shadow of a doubt in my mind I can tell you that Ico is the best game to have ever walked this earth, if an emotionally draining, enigmatic and frustrating one (the frustation makes it fun, somehow, seriously.) If you've never heard of it or played it, buy it. BUY IT NOW!
There are a lot of questions left open, especially in the US version but that's part of the tiring and almost irratating fun. Of course, caling it frustrating and irratating is a little weird considering I'm trying to extol its infinitude of virtue, but you'd really have to play to understand. Anyway, look under puzzle games if your trying to rent and/or buy it (it's for the PS2, by the way.) Little old and pretty unpopular, but it's worth hunting down.

[Rei]

Uh...
1st question... What ICO stands for???

[Ancient Gamer]

Ico is the name of the protagonist of the game, a little boy with horns. I have not played the game, but after reading some killer reviews I bought it for my son aged 6. My girlfriend and my boy played it together and let me tell you: Only one other time has my SO ever been so attached to a game. My son also LOVED it. Unfortunately it gave my son nightmares and he began to cry when the shadows came, so we had to forbid it in my household.

Still: Great, great game

[Roack]

I can certainl understand the nightmares, those shadows creeped my out. Scariest part was the fact that the princess couldn't fight them back so you'd have to stop whatever you were doing, grab a sword (or stick) and almost kill yourself getting to her. Sometimes leaving her unattended was the scariest part, because the entire time you'd be thinking they were going to attack, over, and over, and over...

I heard a rumor just awhile ago that there was going to be a sequel.

[Ancient Gamer]

It has already been launched. It is called "Shadow of the Colossus" and is available on the PS2.

[Roack]

Your kidding me! Shadow of the Colossus is related? I've been meaning to get that for awhile...

[Scrasamax]

i've been looking at Shadow of the Colossus, and Ico and was thinking about buying one of them. I would only buy one, since i've heard both games are absurbly difficult. So, that being said, which would be the better of the two games? Ico or SotC?

[Ancient Gamer]

As I said: I never played Ico, nor did I try Shadow of the Colossus. As a former want-to-be game developer I do keep orientated however. The word is they are nearly equal in quality, which means top notch. Ico is obviously the original, while Shadow of the Colossus is up to date on graphics and such (Ico is old).

Flip a coin

[Steve... of the shadows]

I don't think Shadow of the Colossus is actually the sequal to Ico. I know they were made by the same developer, and that if you have an Ico save in your memory card while playing SoC, you get some easter egg or something. I've played them both and a friend of mine beat them. I don't remember him saying anything about them being related.

[Ancient Gamer]

Shadow of the Colossus is considered both a spiritual successor and prequel to Ico. For several months during and after the game's release, the game's director and lead designer, Fumito Ueda, maintained that the game's status as a prequel was simply his personal take on the game and not necessarily its canon nature, as he largely intended for players to decide the specifics of the story for themselves. However, during an interview in March 2006, Ueda revealed that a specific connection between the two games exists: the world featured in the two is the same, with Shadow of the Colossus taking place at an unspecified time before Ico. He revealed that Wander sires the line of horned boys of which Ico's protagonist is a descendant. Moreover, the shadowy figures which appear in the Shrine of Worship are connected to the shadows which the player must fight in Ico. Both games use unique fictional languages as well.

-From Wikipedia

[Ancient Gamer]

I don't think Shadow of the Colossus is actually the sequal to Ico. I know they were made by the same developer, and that if you have an Ico save in your memory card while playing SoC, you get some easter egg or something. I've played them both and a friend of mine beat them. I don't remember him saying anything about them being related.

Which game do you recommend the most, Steve?

[Steve... of the shadows]

Ah, I see. Very informative A.G. but in being wrong I have dishonoured myself. *commits Hara-kiri*  I actually think Shadow of Colossus was more fun, the game was beautiful and not having to hack through thousands of little monsters made it much more of a cinematic experience for me.

[Scrasamax]

well, i guess that solves that then. 

[Roack]

Said hacking made a lot of sense, however, in Ico. The fact that it's not in Collossus only makes the world more realistic in my mind. Actually it's one of the best, and most consistent settings I've ever encountered, especially considering it's in the fantasy genre.