lost_soul on 10/3/2011 at 17:03

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Yes, Ico was another incredible looking game. The water was particularly impressive. It was the first time I had seen reflective water that was actually affected by the player. If you jumped into it, the reflection would slosh around as the water reacts. Also the outside areas were some of the best looking scenes in any game. This was all done with textures that probably were of less resolution than Quake 3.

I think sound also plays an important role, but sound has been technically good enough since 2000. The sounds in Ico were very natural and they transported the player into that world. There was no loud music and no annoying dings or beeps when you achieved something. It was just atmosphere.

june gloom on 10/3/2011 at 19:39

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That's something else that bothers me, actually. A lot of games since then still don't actually make good use of sound. It either doesn't feel like it travels well, or the background noise is lacking in some way- too loud, maybe, or non-existent. Half-Life 2 made very good use of background noises, though I hear that distant metallic creaking a lot. (You can hear it in Portal too, backstage.) Perhaps the single game that makes the best use of sound I've seen in a while is Dead Space.