june gloom on 4/11/2011 at 22:46
I know, right?
I quite like the settings, too, with the old ruins of a long-ago society.
Hoping to tackle #6 tonight.
SubJeff on 5/11/2011 at 00:10
Yeah it's so desolate, yet it looks like someone was here a long time ago. It's almost as if the colossi drove them out. Even so, they're such magnificent beasts I feel bad taking them out. Not to mention the spirit guide is damn creepy and that dark lightning when they die? This isn't going to end well.
Oh, and that sword - thing is pure evil.
The Alchemist on 5/11/2011 at 00:22
Tis adorable to watch you two unravel the wonderful world of Team Ico. This is something I have to attest seems more prevalent (or at least was, for longer) in Asian culture. Games with soul. Big budget ones anyway, plenty of western indie games rocking the shit out of things. PLAY ALL THE THINGS.
Well lets be real for a second. Is it really soul? I think of MGS2 and I think, man, that game had soul. I think of Quake and I think, man that game had soul. Thief. Diablo. Starcraft. Etc. Is it soul or is it just nostalgia, and an appreciation that is fleeting to me as I get older? Maybe.... maybe it's not the games that lost their soul... maybe it's just me.
SubJeff on 5/11/2011 at 01:35
Tbh I got this pack for Shadow, but if this is what Team Ico does then I'm exited to fire up Ico too, and I'll be getting The Last Guardian.
Yeah the game has soul by the bucket load. I haven't felt this way about a piece of art entertainment since Flowers for Algernon. What amazes me is how much I get from it with so little plot or back story. I empathize with Wander, but I hate what he's doing. The horrific simplicity is what gives it such depth.
I might be done with mainstream games actually. This has been a long time coming - I'm going to go full art fag eventually because without some quirk I get bored and this is why my gaming backlog is so big. I get all the stuff I "want" but since I have so little time to game I rarely finish games anymore. After these I think I'm going to play The Moon, as advertised on RPS.
gunsmoke on 5/11/2011 at 01:43
Quote Posted by Thirith
I think it's definitely worth giving it more time; having said that, though, I don't think that either Team ICO title is the sort of game that everyone will enjoy. If it hasn't grown on you by the second or third colossus, it may simply not be for you, and then having everyone tell you what an artistic masterpiece it is will just be annoying.
I bought Ico on release day and played through it 3 times. I had dreams about ("UUPA") wandering in the castle and surrounding scape. I adore(d) it. It was the sharpest looking PS2 title at the time and it was on a blue-bottomed disc (i.e. a CD-ROM!). One of the most memorable gaming experiences of my life.
SotC just didn't grab me from the start like Ico did. I admit, I haven't even killed the first Colossus yet so I will keep at it and push on.
june gloom on 5/11/2011 at 02:17
SubJeff, you're going to fucking love Ico. It's perhaps a bit more and less traditional than Shadow (you'll see what I mean) but there's a certain intimate quality to it that sucks you in and holds you. Like Shadow, it's very minimalist, even foregoing a HUD; but that minimalism is an essential part of the game's atmosphere. The vistas are breathtaking, the lighting system significantly brightens up and adds variety to what's essentially the same small batch of textures, the setting you're in has a very real sense of place, the plot eschews unnecessary complexity, the gameplay is simple yet engaging (basically a lot of movement-based puzzles that involve figuring out how to reach some space, not unlike Tomb Raider in that regard, but far more forgiving) and the relationship between the player character (and the player) and the girl you're trying to protect grows from "an escort mission? ugh" to "if you assholes touch her, one of you is going to find himself in the other guy's colon" within basically the first hour or so. I think the language barrier has a lot to do with that; while Ico's language is basically subtitled gibberish, Yorda's language is gibberish on gibberish, with a runic language for subtitles. But that doesn't stop either one from using hand gestures to communicate with each other; sometimes, if you're having trouble with a puzzle, she'll figure it out on her own and wander over and point in the general direction of what you're supposed to do. But also, the hand-holding mechanic is a brilliant, simple touch that has ramifications on both gameplay (witness my frantic run through the inner courtyard of the castle trying to find an exit) and the game's story.
And man, that last shadow fight. Lots of creepy realizations there.
Both of these games are very much "art" games that defy traditional expectations; but unlike the myriad indie flash games that certain writers for Rock Paper Shotgun and members of this site who shall go unnamed jerk themselves into a stomachache over, this trades black-beret pretension for AAA-quality design.
Definitely getting The Last Guardian, whenever they fucking decide to release it.
The Alchemist on 5/11/2011 at 03:09
Quote Posted by dethtoll
SubJeff, you're going to fucking love Ico. It's perhaps a bit more
and less traditional than Shadow (you'll see what I mean) but there's a certain intimate quality to it that sucks you in and holds you. Like Shadow, it's very minimalist, even foregoing a HUD; but that minimalism is an essential part of the game's atmosphere. The vistas are breathtaking, the lighting system significantly brightens up and adds variety to what's essentially the same small batch of textures, the setting you're in has a very real sense of place, the plot eschews unnecessary complexity, the gameplay is simple yet engaging (basically a lot of movement-based puzzles that involve figuring out how to reach some space, not unlike Tomb Raider in that regard, but
far more forgiving) and the relationship between the player character (and the player) and the girl you're trying to protect grows from "an
escort mission? ugh" to "if you assholes touch her, one of you is going to find himself in the other guy's colon" within basically the first hour or so. I think the language barrier has a lot to do with that; while Ico's language is basically subtitled gibberish, Yorda's language is gibberish on gibberish, with a runic language for subtitles. But that doesn't stop either one from using hand gestures to communicate with each other; sometimes, if you're having trouble with a puzzle, she'll figure it out on her own and wander over and point in the general direction of what you're supposed to do. But also, the hand-holding mechanic is a brilliant, simple touch that has ramifications on both gameplay (witness my frantic run through the inner courtyard of the castle trying to find an exit) and the game's story.
And man, that last shadow fight. Lots of creepy realizations there.
Both of these games are very much "art" games that defy traditional expectations; but unlike the myriad indie flash games that certain writers for Rock Paper Shotgun and members of this site who shall go unnamed jerk themselves into a stomachache over, this trades black-beret pretension for AAA-quality design.
Definitely getting The Last Guardian, whenever they fucking decide to release it.
DOOD. DUN CALL HEEM A JEERK. O WAI,, U TALKN @ MEEE?????
No but really, glad you're enjoying SoTC. These are games that should not go unplayed. And yes, they are better than the indie lot, by... insurmountable measures. Cant wait for TLG. AMG IT SPELLS TLG. tttttttttttttttttttTLG. NIGGA.
Yeah, im sorry. Seriously. It's 11pm and I'm still in the office. My brain is running wild to keep me entertained.
june gloom on 5/11/2011 at 03:17
I can totally relate, though at the moment my brain is plotting murder. :(
Mr.Duck on 5/11/2011 at 04:28
I loved both Ico and Shadow, but if I had to choose....Shadow, definitively. Something about its deep sense of isolation and the majestic size of the land and the colossi themselves. Goddamn...
Also, with due respects to Ico's brief-but-cool-tunes, SotC's soundtrack....(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrFL2zPc2uk) holy shit...
gunsmoke on 5/11/2011 at 06:16
Based on 2 TTLG users' opinions and encouragement last year (though mostly through Steam chats) I finally bit on the 'new' Medal of Honor game, based on EvaUnit02's raving about it, and The Saboteur as recommended by Jason Moyer several times.
Medal of Honor is incredible. Holy Shit. I am not a fan of how Call of Duty plays and feels post-Cod4-MW. Bad Company was more my style but was still not quite there. Enter the MoH reboot and it just clicks. The shooting is tight, the pacing is excellent, it looks gorgeous, and it is just incredibly satisfying.
The Saboteur was a bit surprising. I didn't expect the Crackdown-esque "I can climb straight up the side of buildings" mechanic. I love how the sections of town change from greyscale to color as they are liberated. The game has style and moves extremely well. Oh, and the girlfriend is totally engrossed watching me play it. She hasn't been so into watching a game with me and asking me "when are you playing Saboteur again" since LA Noire. A huge plus.
Oh, and someone gave me a 360 ver. of Bioshock. whatevs. Already have PC disc and Steam copies. I am kinda curious how it looks and plays on the console, but it is simply a curiosity.
