If you happen to have a PS2, I'd like to recommend two totally different games that you must play. Said games being Ico, and Okage: Shadow King.
Ico is a masterpiece of design. And oddly, of character, despite the fact that there are only three characters, one of them doesn't speak any language that you can understand, and the other two barely ever say anything. Nevertheless, you will love them as if they were real.
The setting is what Vagrant Story's should have been, perfect, non-pixelated, awe-inspiring. The animation of everything is beautiful and seamless. Without dialogue, without anything but gameplay, the game manages to create both mood and emotion, and it will blow you away. I cried.
Ico is mostly a puzzle game, although there's some fighting involved; the puzzles are complicated without being impossible. There's no inventory, no healing items, no hit points or damage or mana points... and it's just so cool.
The only flaw I can think of is that Ico is short (ten hours or so of gameplay) and doesn't have much replay value. Oh, the pain. Wah.
And then, on the other hand, we have Okage: Shadow King.
This is one of those peculiarly Japanese games: falling-out-of-chair funny, meant to be funny, and yet it has an amazing amount of depth if you just look for it.
The art is very obviously inspired by Tim Burton films like Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach. The people are strange mutant things, the architecture is swooping and full of weird angles and corners, the world is just so wrong. I've never played any game that looked more 3D. Seriously. I kept thinking I could put my hand through the TV and touch the little buildings. The people are terribly unrealistic and oddly animated, but that's more or less right for the style.
The characters aren't very deep... or are they? Plus the final boss makes more sense than any other final boss I've ever seen. He has a legitimate reason for what he's doing! A good one! One that I can sympathize with!
Some people complain that the game slows down, and it's true that the final dungeon is a grouchy-making maze and the combat is a little repetitive. But the plot is amazingly cool, and it'll actually make you think. It's the kind of game that you'll finish playing and spend the next three hours having little realizations about. I didn't cry, but I said 'awwwww' and 'eeeee!' a lot.
So cool. Just so damn cool. I only have one thing to say: Ompwa?
Replies: add your comment: currently 5 comments
Thanks for the suggestions, Moon! I have been looking for a PS2 game to play (although I have no time, so I am in no real hurry...). I have heard that Ico was a pretty good game; they even made a comic strip about it at Penny Arcade!! LOL Shadow King I heard the name of but knew nothing about it.
Arigato!!
Speaking of PS2 games, go to IGN and check out how the U.S. is getting the screw for Xenosaga. Japan gets this cool boxed set for their game with some cool stuff in it....and most likely the U.S. will not get it of course. >:(
Posted by Wolf @ 11/06/2001 06:03 AM EST
Somebody out there thinks that we suck, Wolf. ^_~ Need I mention FF4 easytype? (That word looks wrong spelled out...) And worse, the bastard offspring of Squaresoft, Mystic Quest. Eesh.
Anyhow, this is making me want to ask for a PS2 for Christmas... I was holding out till they got cheaper, but maybe not.
Posted by StB @ 11/06/2001 10:03 AM EST
I played Ico. Thus the aforementioned Penny Arcade strip was ALL TOO MEANINGFUL. "I feel sorry for you guys" XD Even so, I ADORE that game. It's incredible. Sony really outdid themselves. I could rave for years about this game...
In any case, I had really high expectations for Okage("shadow" seasoned with deference?), but I heard that the localization was "interesting" and that the battle system... wasn't. That it equated to button-mashing. However, if the point of the game is the Burton-esque interaction of "Satan King" and the little boy, then I am going to go and get it to-day. I didn't want Onimusha anyway.
Posted by Kitten @ 11/06/2001 12:39 PM EST
LOL You're right, StB! And I still need to play FF IV, even though the full version IS out right now!! *_*
PA has been hysterical lately and that Ico strip was great! I'm glad other people around here do read it! ^_^
Posted by Wolf @ 11/06/2001 10:34 PM EST
::looks up from soul reaver 2:: you mean there are other games besides this that are worth owning?!
Posted by Celes @ 11/07/2001 02:47 PM EST
