GAMING
Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Classics HD * Format: PS3
* Unleashed: Out Now
* Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment * Developer: Team Ico/Bluepoint Games * Players: 1
* Site:
http://uk.playstation.com/icoshadowofthecolossusclassicshd/
If you missed one or both titles the first time around, then all the more reason to buy it; let us tell you why. Ico is a platform puzzler, game is painted with melancholy and lone- liness. This atmosphere, combined with the almost total lack of hand-holding, makes it a clear influence on Limbo. There is literal hand holding. Though Yorda (the girl who accompanies you throughout the game) has powers that open paths for you both throughout the castle, she is on you constantly. There is a dampened sense of hope as you call her to you, hold her hand as you run along to keep her by your side, pull her up to a higher platform, or reach out to her across a gap ready to
Some puzzles will require you to leave reach. The longer you leave her alone, the more tense you become, particularly if you appear throughout the castle, often without
warning, to kidnap her. If they pull her down Combat is overly simplistic, consisting simply of hitting enemies with whatever weapon you have via the attack button until a stick (also used for fire based puzzles), these battles are an agonisingly slow proc- in the way of the rest of the game. The collision detection is still frustratingly inac- also have done with a little sharpening from the PS2 original; but despite all this Ico is so unique and captivating, these faults are easy to forgive.
In terms of atmosphere, Shadow of the Colossus has much in common with Ico. The loneliness and sadness is strong be- fore you even take control, as you watch a lone wanderer on his horse riding slowly through a dank landscape. The bundle on his horse turns out to be the body of a recently deceased young woman, which he places upon an altar in the temple of a forbidden land. He appeals to a legion of gods known as Dormin to resurrect her; Dormin tells him this can be done if he colossi are the only enemies in the game, and you only ever tackle one at a time, in a predetermined order.
The basic sequence for each fight is the same. Dormin gives you a vague descrip-
out from the temple on your horse to find it. Your sword acts as a sort of pathfinder; hold it up to the sunlight, and the reflected rays will converge in the direction you need to go (this too needs sharpening at times). climb walls, shimmy across ledges, and to use the environment to your advantage. The formula for killing a colossus runs thus: onto the giant so you can clamber around on it, then reach and stab these weak points The PS2 original had noticeable pop-up in the most open areas of the land, and it PS2 colours for the most part, it seems). The game camera also needs tightening up in places, and aiming your bow can still feel more imprecise than necessary. Nonethe- less, these prove to be minor complaints. ences not to be missed, and remind you is possible with the medium.
They would
not work as movies or books. If you have a PS3, you need to buy this.
written by Critical Gamer’s Luke Kemp
for more gaming news, reviews and articles:
www.criticalgamer.co.uk 21
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