RF Generation Message Board

Guide Ico and Yorda safely through an abandoned fortress in this month's puzzle platformer from the same team that developed Shadow of the Colossus.

Platforms:
PS2
PS3 (Ico & Shadow of the Colossus HD Collection)

Checkpoints:
Week 1 - Get to the cutscene at the giant gate entrance to the fortress.
Week 2 - Save at the room with a shiny new weapon.
Week 3 - Finish the waterfall puzzle and save at the first loveseat of stage: gondola.
Week 4 - Finish the game!

Participants:
Bombatomba
Crabmaster2000
EngineerMike
Fleach
GrayGhost81
silentscythe
singlebanana
techwizard

I'm excited for this! I'll be playing on the HD Collection this time around.

Sign me up. Starting to feel like the boy who cried "I will play!" with these playthroughs, but from what I remember of my ICO experience, was that the game is short and sweet.

I'm in!

I'm in!  Haven't played this one in years, so I'm totally ready to jump back in.

I'm going to ditch Suikoden II and play this instead.

Week 1 checkpoint is up!

I played to the first save point last night. I can tell this is going to be a bumpy game for me but I'll try to stick with it. I already went through the cycle of "Ok I'm not sure what to do. I'm going to figure - F*ck this! WHAT THE F*CK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO??" Then go pull up a walkthrough.

i've got a head start as i played about halfway through back in june and i definitely agree, it's frustrating at some points. i was watching a video of it the other day and noticed something i didn't before, and that's that when yorda wanders off she'll sometimes lead you towards where you're supposed to go, or at least give you a clue. if you get stuck try to let her lead you for a little bit and see what happens.

Going to start tonight. Very excited to play this one.

I'll pop it in tomorrow.

That sounds really cool. Great info man. I'm going to try to relax a little more when I sit down with it tonight. I have to admit it was getting late and I was anxious about how long it would be before I would hit a save point to quit at.

save points could be more frequent, especially with how tedious it can be to drag yorda where you want her to go but I've seen worse.

I can't say how reliable that tip about yorda leading the way is, as I only saw it once in a video and it definitely seemed to work that time so it's worth trying. I also know that there were points while I played that she seemed to just stand there staring at nothing...though it's possible she does that when you're on the right path and you don't need any more help.

Done.  It's been almost a decade but its like slipping on an old pair of slippers. I tell you, this is a great game to come home and play after trapsing around Ann Arbor dodging carefree students.

...  It is a lot blurrier than I remember.  Not a dealbreaker (not even close) but this is the first time the retro glasses have happened to me on the PS2. 

wow that was fast, congrats!

Originally I was downstairs unsuccessfully trying to play games in the Capcom Collection when I remembered the playthrough.  More than anything I was curious about this weeks checkpoint, seeing that I pretty much forgot most of the game.  I had to force myself to stop.  Looking forward to next weeks goal, though.

oh you mean done the first checkpoint, i thought you got over enthusiastic and marathon'd the game ;)

edit: played through the first week's checkpoint today. even though i started the game back in June, i decided to create a new file so i can make some better notes for the podcast. with knowing how to solve each puzzle i managed to finish the first checkpoint in about 40 minutes, so i hope it wasn't too early, but i seem to remember my first time playing it took me at least an hour and a half or 2 hours.

Yorda definitely walks off and gives you hints at certain times, while at other times she stands around doing nothing.

I puttered around for a while, not really doing much outside of enjoying the controls, and as I played I kept getting these stream of consciousness "quotes" rolling around in my head, which helped me to come up with this alternate title for ICO: "Sitting On A Stone Couch With An Alien Girl.  She's Kind of Freaking Me Out." 

deep. i like it. ;D

Made it to the first checkpoint. Jamie I think you picked a good spot, took me about an hour and a half with some assistance from walkthroughs.

Wow this game is a mixed bag for me. I really like the massive and interconnected environments. Nobody pulls off scope like Team Ico.

But then you have to actually play the game. Since I'm playing this game for work I'm basically giving myself like three or four minutes to solve each area, then I'm resorting to a playthrough video which is cued up on my ipad next to me at all times. I'm so bad at environmental puzzles, and the combat is way overdone. I get it, they don't want Yorda to leave. Now stop it and let me play the game.

I'm actually thinking the save points aren't that bad, though I do say "THANK GOD!" every time I see one of them shiny love seats!

week 2 checkpoint is up!

how's everyone doing with this one? i like it but they definitely made a better game with SotC, for some of the reasons that GrayGhost mentioned.

Played tonight for almost 2 hours and saved in the Graveyard just beyond the first checkpoint. No walkthrough used so far, but I feel like I'm getting lucky.

Some thoughts about the game: (1) I'm a little disappointed that there is no type of tutorial at the beginning. You can tell that this game was released before SotC, since the controls, and especially the camera angles, are much rougher. However, it says a lot about the developer that they recognized these aspects and cleaned them up in their next effort.

(2) I really dig the puzzle element of this game including traversing terrain, ladders, chains, and the manipulation of the environment with boxes, bombs, etc. I especially like how the girl can only do certain movements that you can. I like how you can interact and get her to jump across cashims and drag her along;

(3) The battle element is intriguing, but gets annoying in spots. Seems your role is not always to dispatch, but sometimes just do enough to get away. Targeting not too bad, but could be better.

the elements of the puzzles are definitely well thought out but some of the later puzzles can get really frustrating. one thing i find is once you've played the game you can really breeze through most of the puzzles as long as you remember what to do, there isn't a whole lot of "inherent difficulty" in combat or puzzles like SotC has.

I finally started yesterday. I have played through this game just once, and that was over a decade ago. All the years I have spent since first playing this game, have not diminished my appreciation, for how beautiful this game looks.

I didn't make it very far, before putting the controller down, (had to feed my addiction down at Game Quest) but I immediately became familiar with what I am in for, as far as puzzle challenges go.

I made it up to the "Trolley 2" save point (hopefully that's not too far behind the first week's goal). I'm only echoing what everyone else has been saying but this game is beautiful. The sense of wonder and confusion is conveyed so expertly in this game.

The puzzles haven't been too tough so far, and the only thing getting the better of me is the combat. Even if it takes longer, I like to defeat all or most of the big enemies before looking for the exit to the next area. I use Yorda as bait to lure the enemies then wail on them with my trusty stick. Yeah, I'm cruel.

Yes, you are pretty close to the 1st save point. From what I have gathered, in most areas, you can take out all of the enemies; however, in one area (which is coming up soon for you), I don't think you can take them all out by fighting, but must execute "another action" to exit the room and take them out. As I have never played this game before, I am not sure if this holds up throughout the game, or if you can typically eliminate all enemies by fighting. Maybe someone else can chime in.

Also, reminding you any of Lost in Shadow Floyd?

Yes, holy cow, I was getting jolts of Lost in Shadow during the outdoor segments so far. Obviously there can only be one Ico, and when the Lost in Shadows guys said, "let's make Ico but in the background" someone should have rushed in and snapped them out of that silly idea!

i don't think i ever came across a room where you couldn't kill everything, those shadow portals on the floor do eventually disappear after killing enough of the creatures. i have used the trick that singlebanana mentioned, that is:

Spoiler (hover to show)

yorda's door opening power will kill everything in the area

and i think it can be used in any room you can manage to make it work in. i'm not sure that it's required though.

In the

Spoiler (hover to show)

room just before the gate

I tried to hang out near a portal and take out enemies for over 10 minutes and they just kept coming. I had to use the above mentioned technique to clear the room and advance. That's the only place this occurred and perhaps with a little more patience, I could have taken them all out.

Yep, there are several nods to Ico in Lost in Shadow. Perhaps we should save that discussion for the podcast though. :)

that's one of the few rooms that i did run straight for the door technique, maybe it's only certain rooms that act like that. the majority of them let you kill everything off.

The Windmill section is gorgeous!

Similarly to Shadow of the Colossus, I knew I would like this game but I feel like I'm going to walk away loving it. Everything about it (except for the tedious combat) is incredible.

Best game in the history of the world. Tied with Shadow of course.

For now, I'm with you Floyd, but I'm going to see where it goes before making my final assessment. Really enjoying this playthrough.

That was a facetious remark, but I still do think I'm going to walk away loving the experience.

So far I see loads of stylistic similarities to Shadow of the Colossus. The environments, gibberish dialogue, and wide camera angles really evoke the sense of wonder and mystery. Obviously these are very different games and they can't really be compared but it's noticeable how the developers came up with the idea of a story told through the characters' actions and the environment.

I like that you can hold Yorda's hand and run around with her. It feels like that's the right to play the game. It feels like that adds importance to rescuing her.

Another similarity to SotC I see is the theme of "doing the right thing." This time it seems like it's more of an altruistically "right thing" compared to Wander's selfish motive to revive Mono. We still don't know why Yorda was imprisoned but it would likely be against her will. I'm sure she's just as lost and confused as the protagonist, or she could even be complacently agreeing to something horrendous as is expected of her.

All speculation so far. I'm sure all have even more theories and questions at the conclusion of the game.

Of course. I think a lot of bad is going to have to happen to keep me from loving this game.

I'll leave you with this:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/117828165/ico-running-tribute-t-shirt-mens-unisex?ref=sr_gallery_4&ga_search_query=Ico&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

Going to order one right now! Thanks for the link! Speaking of tee shirts I have a pixel art SotC shirt in the post right now. :) All the cool kids can buy it here. http://theyetee.com/shop/detail.php?itemid=pixelcolossusMART

I know you like that PS3 insert art Floyd. Type in Ico poster on Etsy and you'll find it there if interested.

Damn, both of those shirts are sick as hell.

Choose wisely (other options): https://www.etsy.com/search?q=shadow%20colossus%20shirt

Stop tempting me! I have bills and a bathroom reno to pay for!

i totally agree with the comment about the hand holding feeling like the "right" way to play the game. there was a couple times where i had to leave yorda a few rooms behind and the whole time i was stressed out about whether she was ok or not, at one point i gave up what i was doing to go back and grab her.

So enamoured with this game I'm ploughing through to the end. Probably going to finish tomorrow or Friday.

 I can't say I like this more than SotC but I like that this is more of a peaceful game. The only times I feel uneasy are when I can't see Yorda and when the shadowy figures swarm me.

I think that when thinking about Ico, you have to separate it from SotC. I know it's tough, same developer, both puzzle games, etc., but it's the only way to be fair to it. Furthermore, I think that what really differenitates the two games is that the formula is "reversed;" Ico is a puzzle game with a small amount of action/adventure elements, while SotC is more action-based with smaller, more short-term puzzle elements. Also, SotC has an extremely vast, free-flowing environment, while the environment isn't as vast and "contained." I think I like them both almost equally for where they stand in their respective genres.

I completely agree. I never meant to say "I like Ico over SotC" as I like them both equally but for different reasons. I also didn't mean to imply that I was comparing the two. These are separate entities with some loose themes that kinda-sorta tie them together. 

besides comparing their gameplay there's quite a few obvious connections in story elements

Let's save that for the Skypecall. I have a theory about a link between the two games, but I don't think it's correct.

Anyway, lots of great info on ICO including a walkthrough can be found on youwerethere.com

+1 on saving the conspiracy theories ;)

I made it to the 2nd checkpoint last night. Traversing the windmill was a little tricky, but I managed it after about 12 tries. I kept trying to manipulate my camera angle, which was entirely unnecessary. It appears that I'm still trying to use the controls from SotC and it's impeding my speed in a few places.

This game is simply beautiful. The background scenery as you run across the bridges from tower to tower are amazing! Another aspect of the game I love is how you convince Yorda to jump across the large chasms and you grab her arm and pull her up. Man, it makes my heart skip a beat. I love how the game makes you feel as if you are a part of the danger and like I mentioned on the SotC playthrough, I'm still getting that sense of fearing height. Very cool.

Just finished the game and have to say that it's absolutely beautiful in design and execution. Loved everything about it, except the camera which caused me to miss jumps and fall of edges sometimes. My advice is to leave the camera as it is (it will actually show you where you need to go next) and only move it so you can make a mental map of the environment. I actually liked the camera angles in the game as it made moments and vistas feel very cinematic.

I'm so happy I had a chance to play this and SotC.

Congrats on finishing the game! Glad to hear it held up for you until the end. This makes me really excited to finish it. Did you find the "secret" weapon? If you didn't, you might want to read up on it. I came across it while reading an article on the game and so I'm probably going to consult a portion of a walkthrough to find it.

Looks like you and techwizard are finished. How are our other participants holding up this month?

I didn't find the secret weapon.

Spoiler (hover to show)

Is it the mace? Or the light saber?

But I still enjoyed every second of the game. To say the game held up is an understatement. It took for me a great ride.

From what I understand Floyd, both "secret" weapons are found at the same spot.  That latter that you mentioned is only available on your second playthrough of the game.

i didn't find the secret weapon either but watched a video of the room it was in, didn't even realize there was a secret panel there

I am pretty sure I made it to the second checkpoint yesterday.

awesome! glad to have you on board mike

Finished the game tonight. One of those games I'm the better for experiencing.

It is an enriching experience, isn't it? Congrats!

I remember lingering for ages at the windmill, soaking it all in.  Not for so long this time, but I did let Yorda chase the birds a bit.  I've been entertaining the notion of firing this up on PCSX2 on my gaming PC to see how good it looks.

Reached the checkpoint for this week.  At this point you REALLY need that shiny new weapon.

Now you can start playing Suikoden II!

Week 3 checkpoint is up!

This Godforsaken song keeps popping into my head for some reason.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoW3bqnr7tw

Damn you Shawn....

So wow I actually just rage quit this game for the first time. I'm at the section where

Spoiler (hover to show)

you have to light and throw the bomb to blow up the water tower which takes the bridge down, etc

and I went from the couch through all the climbing and puzzling bullshit, then missed the jump onto the chain.

Then after "continuing" from the save couch, I did the exact same thing again.

[img width=420 height=497]http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/10/2c/0c/102c0c418b8c9ebd89a2289faea22ff8.jpg[/img]

That part had a weird puzzle (maybe bad?). Once you've made all the bridges with blowing stuff up and lowering that elevator thing you have to...

Spoiler (hover to show)

swing on the chain then jump at the raised bridge. That will (by some absurd logic) cause the bridge to drop.

That's the exact part I'm at. I knocked it down and did like ten minutes worth of more crap and then jumped off a cliff, twice.

that part was really stupid, i just got lucky with the last bomb on the tower

Yeah, that part took me a little while, but if you can stick through it,

Spoiler (hover to show)

you can make it to the second tower and be very close to finishing the game. The second tower is almost symmetrical to the first and takes little time to navigate, since you know the puzzle process already. Once you take down the 2nd tower, you are through the front gate, and the rest of the game is very linear.

Try to stick with it and finish. Use a walkthrough if you must. You might feel better once it's completed.

Had to laugh at that one. I have been using a walkthrough 100% of the time. I'm not actually playing this game, I'm visiting it. I'm a tourist.

And I think I'm only commenting or PM'ing you guys when I'm pissed about the game. I'm really enjoying it. It's keeping me from playing Suikoden II for crying out loud.

...and I finished it. Had to, as there are no save points after the main gate.

I'm glad to have played it, but not quite for the same reasons as Floyd and Rich. I'm happy to have crossed off an "essential" PS2 game from my pile of shame, and I now I can commiserate with full sincerity the fact that The Last Guardian will never come out, now having played both Team Ico games.

Good stuff. Can't wait for the podcast.

congrats shawn! i'm glad you didn't give up, it's frustrating for sure but i really enjoyed the ending sequence and that made it all worthwhile.

Found this while doing research for the podcast. I want it very badly.

http://www.levelupvideogames.net/2011/09/import-review-icoshadow-of-the-colossus-limited-box-ps3/

Very expensive. At a quick glance this was the cheapest one on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ico-and-Shadow-of-the-Colossus-Limited-Edition-Box-set-PS3-Japan-import-US-SELLR-/161231493935?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item258a255b2f

that box is awesome, and the price is high but not out of reach if someone really wanted it, especially for a special edition.

Week 4 checkpoint is up! how'd everyone do on week 3? have much trouble with the waterfall room? i know i did.

Not bad. Just a little tidbit that you might find interesting: the room above the waterfall that has a moving water wheel you had to quickly traverse is not in the PS2 version. I assume that it was added to the PS3 HD version.

[img width=610 height=343]http://media1.gameinformer.com/imagefeed/featured/sony/TEAMICO/ico/icopal610.jpg[/img]

That is very interesting. I had no idea they actually added content to the remaster.

That...  is awesome.  Means I have to add this to my "To-Get" PS3 list.  I had to laugh the other night when I realized the frustration people are having with this game (after I missed a jump three times).  The camera in this game is so sleepy, it reminds me of Super Mario 64.  It really is bad, but I'm afraid my memories have colored over the reality of ICO.  Makes me wonder how bad Jak II is...

The camera might have been worse in Ico, but because I didn't have to move it very often I considered it superior to SotC's camera. I found that in Ico objects or places of interest were always made clear by the camera and I rarely felt lost. This gave me a sense of direction, whereas the camera in SotC excelled at providing a sense of size but fell short in terms of visual cues hinting at the next destination. Maybe this was a design choice.

more changes! i'm glad that our Ico recording was delayed then because that just adds to that part of the discussion, i have another change that a friend playing the remake told me about. things like this are why i really prefer playing the earliest form of a game first where possible.

for the camera i had no issue with getting lost, my issue was with platforming. i missed quite a few jumps solely because the camera wouldn't stay where i wanted it too and would jump around when i tried to move it. it was also really annoying trying to find Yorda when she was carried off by the flying shadow monsters at times.

I think you hit nail on the head, buddy.

So I beat ICO and am now having that special brand of end-game depression, where I want to play something but everything just seems blah.  About ICO, I think I originally wanted to approach playthrough with a fresh mind, hoping to rediscover an old gem.  Alas, while it was fun rediscovering, I apparently have such muscle memory with this game that I didn't have any problems at all.  When I felt a little lost I just tooled around a bit until I remembered what to do.  The one part I had forgotten was the ending, which was more bittersweet than anything because I had convinced myself at some point that this game had the Japanese ending (for the record, I am playing the PS2 copy). Bummer, but that is what Youtube is for.  I now place ICO back on the shelf where it will sit for another decade.

However, I can't wait to get everyone else's impressions.

glad to hear you finished it Bomba! i agree that once you've done the puzzles once it really doesn't take much to remember how to do them again, even though the first time can be really difficult.

Thanks to everyone who participated this month! I hope you all enjoyed this very unique PS2 experience.