Marks said:
My mom randomly bought me ICO (i hadn't even heard of it) back when it was new or fairly new and I didn't like it at all. Can't speak for SoTC but definitely ICO. |
Ico did some things well, and differently, and pushed some new boundaries. But some of it wasn't as compelling as it could be at its best, and as a cinematic platformer the appeal for enjoyment is niche. Lots of the experience lies in noticing the details or appreciating the ending and not majority of people will be compelled enough by the kind of monotonous gameplay to finish it.
SotC is simply more compelling and overall a better game. Of course it still has rough edges where it tried to push technical boundaries or do things differently from other games, but I think its design is pretty affecting and it carries over a lot of Fumito Ueda's vision from Ico into a probably superior experience. More engaging.
I think both games benefit in the critical eye from being seen as Ueda's personal projects as an auteur.
