Ico for the PS2

It’s rare for me to finish a video game.

Usually games are extremely long causing me to lose interest, other times they become way too difficult causing me to surrender. However, Ico for the Playstation 2 is one of those few games that held my interest by maintaining fun game play from start to finish. It also helped that the game was a bit on the short side. If you haven’t played this game, and I doubt 95% of gamers have, you are missing a real gem. For a game made way back in 2001 the graphics are quite amazing (though they do tend to get a bit muddy at times). The game is light on action, but big on puzzle solving. The puzzles are never too hard or too simple, but always logical and most importantly fun.

It pisses me off that great games like this are overlooked every year while the top ten games at any time for any system include sequels to already popular games, movie tie ins, and sport titles. If people keep playing these same games over and over, innovative games like Ico will continue to be far and few in between.

Luckily, the makers of Ico hit it big in 2005 with Shadow of the Colossus; another great game that shares many similarities with Ico. There’s also talk of a Colossus sequel for the PS3 next year.

Sam T

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