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22 December 2023
Player One: Staff Member #716
I need a girlfriend,.. badly. Read on to find out why.
I normally despise “babysitter” portions of video games with a blinding, fiery passion. You know what I’m talking about: you’re playing some kickass gun game where you have to murder anything with a pulse, and having one hell of a good time doing it, when all of a sudden the game’s like, “Make sure this dumb scientist gets to the exit alive.” And then the scientist does all kinds of stupid shit that gets him killed-- like run in front of you when you’re trying to shoot some bad guys. So you have to start the level over because this other guy is a retard.
Naturally, I figured I would hate Ico, which is, essentially, an entire game of babysitting. But since the whole game revolves around keeping this girl named Yorda alive, as opposed to just one or two levels, Ico’s developers made damn sure that they got the babysitter game play perfect.
For starters, Yorda is smart. She knows to run like fuck when monsters are trying to kidnap her. And if you call her, she’ll try to figure out how to get to where you are. That’s where the challenge of Ico lies. Sure, Ico can jump across chasms and climb chains and ropes, but Yorda can’t, because she’s a girl-- I’m sexist. So what? Getting to the next area is easy enough, but clearing a path for Yorda takes a little ingenuity.
Now here’s where things got a little weird. As I made my way deeper into the game, my relationship with Yorda began to transcend the usual player-to-game boundaries. I was honestly becoming concerned for her well-being. I felt real panic as I hurried back to her when she would get attacked by monsters, just to grab her hand as she was being pulled into an inky black otherworldly portal by some shadowy poltergeist. I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt when I accidentally pressed the wrong button as she dangled precariously over a 500-foot drop, letting her fall to her death rather than pulling her to safety. I was becoming deeply, emotionally involved with the characters in the game. Yorda needed me, and I loved the sense of purpose that she gave me.
It’s very rare that you find a game that evokes an actual human emotion rather than the fleeting titillation that has become the basis for the industry. Sure, the fact that I’m relationship-starved probably magnifies the effect, but I defy anyone to play Ico and not start to feel the bond formed between Ico and Yorda. Honestly, if you can play through this entire game from beginning to end, your sense of paternal responsibility growing with every step, and not get a little teary-eyed during the game’s finale, then you must be dead inside. I won’t tell you how things end,.. but I’m sure you’ve figured out that whenever someone says that, it usually means that somebody dies.
And now it’s time for Bork to undermine my soul-bearing with a little of his “Explosions are awesome! Turd sandwich!” nonsense. Go nuts, dude. I think I’m gonna go watch The Iron Giant. “Ssuuupermmann,...”
Player Two: Das Bork Hat Eine Große Schlange
Indeed, Mr. 716, the emotional connection that you develop runs thicker than the oils out of a teenager's pores. However, I must be honest, you failed to mention that there is a fine line between love and hate. True, I find myself worrying my ass off about this young hottie so much that when she gets murdered by those demons, the evil side of me comes out and I drop her off a cliff. The pitfalls of love, I must say. But yeah, dude, I remember just watching you play, and even I started freaking out and yelling at you like a high school coach from the sidelines. That type of game play allows for some heroic shit to happen; things like barely pulling her out of the black hole in the nick of time. Intense!
Just the other day I was walking to the bank when this old lady with sausages strapped around her neck came up to me and asked if I wanted to play with her dead baby. My answer was, “No! Get the fuck away from me, you sausage mongoloid!” That day I learned something: I don't play with ugly shit. Ico is not ugly shit; this game is stunning. Truly stunning. Ico takes advantage of all the lighting effects available in gaming today. My compliments to all artists who worked on this game. Textures are wonderfully believable, and the lighting has this sort of photorealistic quality that gives the game that bright, washed-out look that photos have. They paid great attention to how light hits objects in space. Whenever I play the game, I will every so often stop and just admire the sights! Shit like that only adds much more to the emotional content of the game.
Ico is simple and straightforward, which makes it real easy to get involved into its characters. Hell, there really isn't even any dialogue in the game. That type of straightforwardness won me over, and I recommend this game to anyone. I am firm believer in replay value in games; however, Ico doesn't totally deliver that. But it is definitely an experience that I recommend to any hardcore gamer.
That's about it from me. Now it's time to eat some butter. Not a turd sandwich! That's gross!
PURCHASE THIS OR SIMILAR ITEMS
I need a girlfriend,.. badly. Read on to find out why.
I normally despise “babysitter” portions of video games with a blinding, fiery passion. You know what I’m talking about: you’re playing some kickass gun game where you have to murder anything with a pulse, and having one hell of a good time doing it, when all of a sudden the game’s like, “Make sure this dumb scientist gets to the exit alive.” And then the scientist does all kinds of stupid shit that gets him killed-- like run in front of you when you’re trying to shoot some bad guys. So you have to start the level over because this other guy is a retard.
Naturally, I figured I would hate Ico, which is, essentially, an entire game of babysitting. But since the whole game revolves around keeping this girl named Yorda alive, as opposed to just one or two levels, Ico’s developers made damn sure that they got the babysitter game play perfect.
For starters, Yorda is smart. She knows to run like fuck when monsters are trying to kidnap her. And if you call her, she’ll try to figure out how to get to where you are. That’s where the challenge of Ico lies. Sure, Ico can jump across chasms and climb chains and ropes, but Yorda can’t, because she’s a girl-- I’m sexist. So what? Getting to the next area is easy enough, but clearing a path for Yorda takes a little ingenuity.
Now here’s where things got a little weird. As I made my way deeper into the game, my relationship with Yorda began to transcend the usual player-to-game boundaries. I was honestly becoming concerned for her well-being. I felt real panic as I hurried back to her when she would get attacked by monsters, just to grab her hand as she was being pulled into an inky black otherworldly portal by some shadowy poltergeist. I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt when I accidentally pressed the wrong button as she dangled precariously over a 500-foot drop, letting her fall to her death rather than pulling her to safety. I was becoming deeply, emotionally involved with the characters in the game. Yorda needed me, and I loved the sense of purpose that she gave me.
It’s very rare that you find a game that evokes an actual human emotion rather than the fleeting titillation that has become the basis for the industry. Sure, the fact that I’m relationship-starved probably magnifies the effect, but I defy anyone to play Ico and not start to feel the bond formed between Ico and Yorda. Honestly, if you can play through this entire game from beginning to end, your sense of paternal responsibility growing with every step, and not get a little teary-eyed during the game’s finale, then you must be dead inside. I won’t tell you how things end,.. but I’m sure you’ve figured out that whenever someone says that, it usually means that somebody dies.
And now it’s time for Bork to undermine my soul-bearing with a little of his “Explosions are awesome! Turd sandwich!” nonsense. Go nuts, dude. I think I’m gonna go watch The Iron Giant. “Ssuuupermmann,...”
Player Two: Das Bork Hat Eine Große Schlange
Indeed, Mr. 716, the emotional connection that you develop runs thicker than the oils out of a teenager's pores. However, I must be honest, you failed to mention that there is a fine line between love and hate. True, I find myself worrying my ass off about this young hottie so much that when she gets murdered by those demons, the evil side of me comes out and I drop her off a cliff. The pitfalls of love, I must say. But yeah, dude, I remember just watching you play, and even I started freaking out and yelling at you like a high school coach from the sidelines. That type of game play allows for some heroic shit to happen; things like barely pulling her out of the black hole in the nick of time. Intense!
Just the other day I was walking to the bank when this old lady with sausages strapped around her neck came up to me and asked if I wanted to play with her dead baby. My answer was, “No! Get the fuck away from me, you sausage mongoloid!” That day I learned something: I don't play with ugly shit. Ico is not ugly shit; this game is stunning. Truly stunning. Ico takes advantage of all the lighting effects available in gaming today. My compliments to all artists who worked on this game. Textures are wonderfully believable, and the lighting has this sort of photorealistic quality that gives the game that bright, washed-out look that photos have. They paid great attention to how light hits objects in space. Whenever I play the game, I will every so often stop and just admire the sights! Shit like that only adds much more to the emotional content of the game.
Ico is simple and straightforward, which makes it real easy to get involved into its characters. Hell, there really isn't even any dialogue in the game. That type of straightforwardness won me over, and I recommend this game to anyone. I am firm believer in replay value in games; however, Ico doesn't totally deliver that. But it is definitely an experience that I recommend to any hardcore gamer.
That's about it from me. Now it's time to eat some butter. Not a turd sandwich! That's gross!
PURCHASE THIS OR SIMILAR ITEMS
artid
2047
Old Image
6_6_nowplaying.jpg
issue
vol 6 - issue 06 (feb 2004)
section
entertainmental