Both were great at what they did, but in the same way i find i watch more art-house and small budget movies these days over big blockusters, i found Ico connected with me more. Also i was one of those people that got sad i had to fight these amazing beasts in SotC, which is why i put it down, i couldn’t bring myself to destroy their awesomeness.
SoTC for me. I have a minor quibble with Ico: its puzzles can feel a bit ridiculous. The puzzles don’t totally justify why they exist in the world for me. Normally this isn’t something that bothers me in games (suspension of disbelief upfront in any Zelda-style game, for instance). But I think it matters here just because Ico is being compared to SoTC. I love how cohesive the world of SoTC feels. I love that all the mechanics really play into the central emotional power of the game.
I agree with the SoTC detractors that killing the collosi is always a tragic experience, but I also think that’s where a lot of the game’s power comes from. SoTC is a tragic game.
ICO was great at capturing that sense of Ellen Ripley or Batman defending an innocent girl from horrible monsters, and of the sense of a young child wanting to be that kind of hero. I found that I grew bored (after a second playthrough) of the box-pushing and lever-pulling puzzles found in a early Zelda dungeon. While the beautiful environment was more “immersive” than, say, Myst, it wasn’t as interactive. The end credits song was wonderful use of second-person perspective. Why yes, I was there! And there, and there, and also I remember that part.
I loved ICO, but I preferred Shadow of the Colossus because it seemed less restrictive: the boy and his horse could wander all over the deserted landscape without pulling a lever or chain to get to the next area. I never took a colossus down out of order, and don’t know if that is possible, but at least it felt freer. The environments were a wealth of abandoned regions: I could plunge into caves or underwater, or soar on the back of a flying colossus, or roam over broken badlands, beaches, meadows, deserts, temples, castles, gardens, or cliff faces. I also loved the musical cue during the last (spoiler: second to last) Colossus fight, where the flute sinks downward, echoed and trailed by an oboe.
Finally, let’s pause and lament The Last Guardian. The last rumor I heard was that it was still being developed but the lead designer quit. Will it ever be released?
SotC by a slim margin, for basically the same reasons Mind Elemental listed.
I actually enjoyed its combat notably more than ICO. Much less samey-feeling and I enjoyed figuring out a variety of approaches for each battle. But in both games, combat doesn’t seem to be “the point” so it doesn’t give SotC that much of an advantage.
For a purely atmospheric experience, it is nearly impossible to top either game.
So I dunno if I’ll be able to get into SotC. First, I found that climbing on the colossus very difficult, and second, I didn’t really feel compelled to kill this amazing creature. :/ I guess I’ll try Ico next.
First: The game doesn’t point this out well (or at all?), but by collecting fruit and lizard’s tails, you can increase the size of your health and stamina gauges. You can find them on trees and save shrines; use the bow to knock them down.
Second: Wander is compelled by the wish to bring Mono back to life, but as a player, yeah it’s not something you’re really inclined to do. I would say that this cognitive dissonance is a central theme of the game, so it’s not just you.
Yeah, give Ico a shot… this one isn’t going anywhere.
Oh, this was the very first colossus, I didn’t wander about or anything.
Completely agreed. Long before Spec Ops was a glimmer in its creators’ eyes, SOTC was subverting the attitude to violence normally found in games.
Ico would in some ways benefit from not having any combat, but I’m not sure where you’re coming from on SotC’s combat not being “the point”. It’s kind of the entire game.
I think when you’ve played through the game, it’s easy to forget how tricky and finicky the controls are. You kinda get used to them, and in their way their impressive given the ambition of what you are asked to do with them. But they’re far, far from perfect.
But, yeah, try ICO. Much more accessible.
Well, there’s “combat” and there’s “behavior exploitation,” (if that’s a good term). Combat is more open ended. Defeating a boss like a colossus is more about experimenting until you find the key to making him make himself vulnerable. Execution is still important, but it’s not about mastering a system, for the most part.
I like the way this poll is turning out much more than the Jaws vs Star War poll. :)
My preference for Shadow of the Colossus comes down to how utterly unprecedented it felt, both in terms of gameplay and mood. It was a somber, sad, and often empty game. That sense of scale – the empty land and the huge creatures – was something we so rarely got back them. And the design of those creatures was so special, each unique, each memorable, each a combination of boss fight and level design. Ico is certainly brilliant, but it’s a game I’ve played before with some welcome new elements. Shadow of the Colossus is like nothing else before or since.
-TomEverything Tom says is true. I think ICO’s innovations are certainly overshadowed by Colossus, but I think it’s important to realize that there ARE substantial innovations, they’re just subtle. The inverse kinematics that made the main character stumble over edges and made the handholding work was never executed better. And it’s all in service to that central idea of growing attached to an non-player character.
But I do love the bold decision in Colossus to have all that travelling across an empty landscape. It’s brilliant. Every game (and story) needs a lull between the spikes of action. In Colossus, the peaks of intensity are so high that the valleys are long and deep as well. I guess some players were turned off by it, but for me it was wonderful and I savored exploring for the next creature. (Okay, except for those couple of times I got stuck…)
Now that I’ve played Dark Souls, this is probably the only console game from the last 15 years where I feel like I missed out, for exactly this reason. I love games with empty space. Modern games are way too precisely-paced for me. I appreciate the quiet time in a game like STALKER or DayZ.
I guess some players were turned off by it, but for me it was wonderful and I savored exploring for the next creature. (Okay, except for those couple of times I got stuck…)
Well yeah, that’s always annoying.
To me, Ico is an interesting concept. SotC is an interesting concept that I like.
I get the distinction you’re trying to draw, but I don’t think I agree that it exists, particularly not in Shadow of the Colossus.
Edit: Or rather, I would say that combat is an umbrella term under which your distinction still falls, while being distinct from other approaches to combat.
I loved Ico for its minimalism and its… vision, I suppose. I’ve always regarded it as the spiritual successor to Another World because of the relationship formed between the two characters, despite the language barrier, and the way that both are helping each other escape captivity (including the rocking back and forth for the boy, and the cage holding Yorda suspended in the air). There’s also the lack of a UI, the understated sound design and the astonishing sense of place.
For me though, it has to be Shadow of the Colossus. I was absolutely besotted by the expansive and barren landscape; the negative space surrounding those incredible lumbering creatures. A forbidden land home to true spectacles of gaming. That negative space was so damn important though, not only to contrast the reveal of the next colossus, but also to meditate on your desperate errand and your actions. The colossi themselves weren’t just ‘hit the weakspot for maximum damage’ style bosses either, they were giant platforming workouts and puzzles to crack. They were as much like buildings as they were creatures. Remember that horse-type colossus which you had to lure into peeking into a ruinous bunker so you could climb on to it? Or the one with the ‘steering’ stones on its head? Or the little fella’ with the armoured shell? Also, the grip mechanic. I can’t remember the controls very well but I do remember gripping on to the pad for dear life. Did you have to hold the shoulder buttons down or something? Either way, what a thrill. Then there was Argo who was an amazingly fluid and believable horse who you never quite had absolute control over. Anyway, yeah, I don’t think there’s anything comparable to Shadow of the Colossus. It’s unique and a remarkable title. Shame about that last colossus though, I remember that being quite a let down.
I really wouldn’t mind playing the HD collection at some point.