4 months ago

Good Game Get! ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection

It’s not quite a consolation for the numerous delays and shows in which The Last Guardian wasn’t even mentioned, but a budget priced high definition collection of two of my favorite games is welcome.

Fumito Ueda, Kenji Kaido and Team Ico’s Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are quintessential play for any gamer. Their work is truly masterful, and for Ico and Shadow of The Collosus they took a minimalist approach that is not seen very often in modern games.

Unabashedly these two games pull at the minimalist inside of me, and I appreciate the simplicity and linearity of the titles. Their design forces them into a niche that not everyone can appreciate, but it’s a niche that sits comfortably off the natural mainstream path of game developmental history. They remain classical because they did not try to follow any trends, and remain true to a designer’s vision through and through. You will find no evidence of a creator’s magic snuffed by non-understanding executives and investors.

Numerous reports say that the gaming industry will be approaching $70 billion dollars by next year. This is undoubtedly a good thing, but as profits soar, it will take bigger profits to measure a game’s worth through investor eyes.

What is proven through ICO and Shadow of the Colossus (and Sony’s generous re-release of the titles) is that these amazing types of games can co-exist with the Call of Duty’s and Angry Birds of the world. Deep, engaging, and beautiful single player experiences will never go away, and as we move towards more collaborative and competitive popular gaming, we must remember that games are so much more than games. They represent a collaboration of art, technology, and every other critical component of all other entertaining mediums.

Video games are video games, and games like ICO & Shadow of the Colossus are sensational.

- Kyle