15 Years Later: Is 'Ico' One of the Most Influential Games Ever?

It was not the first to do anything. It was, rather, a unique creative direction that shaped the conversation to come and is still a recognizable model for video game art.

[RpgSama]

For me it is, One of the greatest game experiences I ever had.

[Ozmoses]

I got my mom to rent this when we went to Blockbuster.... I rented it for 10 days straight..

Those were the days..

[ShadowKnight]

Yes

[Gazondaily]

What did it influence?

[ShadowKnight]

Ico was *one* of the first games that tried to evoke emotions from the player, Ico was the starting point and proof that emotions can exist in games, kind of a wake-up call for designers. Thankfully, we are now seeing many games trying and succeeding in doing the same thing like the game called Brothers, Soma, and Rime before it got canceled. Its all about relationships, friendship, and emotions and how it represents emotions through architecture, design and gameplay. Thats why I'm excited for the Last Guardian because I already know what kind of game its going to be. And when a player today looks at a game with a stark visual style and a minimalist approach to gameplay mechanics, they no longer struggle to understand what sort of game it is. Oh, they just think, so it’s like Ico an unique game that playstation fans can only understand. I actually thought Halo 4 had that same emotion with Master Chief and the A.I. in certain parts and that's what made the campaign even better.

[miyamoto]

will you please read the article?

And you consider yourself a Microsoft Xbox fan blogger???
http://n4g.com/news/617040/...

Yeah your favourite Xbox developer and his famous game.

I am not an Microsoft Xbox fan but I do my homework about them. You should do yours and find about the truth.
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[Imalwaysright]

"Ico was *one* of the first games that tried to evoke emotions from the player"

No, it really wasn't. Sure Ico was an emotional ride but FF games, Terranigma, Silent Hill 2, Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, MGS1.... tried to evoke emotions from us *well* before it.

What Ico did have was level design that was on another level compared to most games and even today is still pretty much unmatched in that department.

[rainslacker]

I think he meant that Ico tried to evoke them naturally, and not just through story elements which cause the emotions through character connections and narrative.

Ico had very little plot, in fact, the actual purpose for being there, and why the girl was there, wasn't really known...at least not until later, and even then it was ambiguous. But through the use of clever level design, and making it the players goal to help the girl, you became connected to them through your own will, instead of the story implying that you were supposed to be because they were connected to the protagonist in some way. It was a game when your charge was actually in danger, you felt the urgency of actually helping them. Not just to keep them alive to continue the game, but because you came to care about them through the course of the game.

[UCForce]

Just don't forget about The Last of Us. And you right about that. Video game make us do care about character.

[Deep-throat]

This year is crazy in gaming's history.

[SuperbVillain]

ps2 was one hell of an era

[Imalwaysright]

The best.

[RosweeSon]

Yeah im loving the ps2 classics been a while since nailed some of these great games.

[The 10th Rider]

Sorry, it's not even close. It's influence is definitely understated, but I doubt it'd crack the top ten.

There's Pong, of course. Pac Man, Super Mario Bros, the original Zelda, Halo, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, World of Warcraft, King's Quest, Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, Myst (which is ironically in the article as influencing Ico), Minecraft, Diablo, Angry Birds, Goldeneye, Mortal Kombat, Doom, Street Fighter, Pokemon . . .

Sure, many of those are debatable, but that's just off the top of my head and you can't tell me you can't find 10 on that list more influential than Ico.

[ifrit_caress]

Don't forget Demon's Souls...

[miyamoto]

You wanna hear what influnce ICO has on many great game developers?
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

You might not read it on blogs but surely people have ICO in their hearts.

Good begets good.
ICO influenced Shadow of the Colossus and both influenced Uncharted which influenced The Last of Us

[Gazondaily]

Lol funnily enough I came across what looks like your comment on that YouTube video:

http://imgur.com/KiMIxXh

And you're spamming the comment of yours everywhere I see. Keep up the good fight! Especially against those 'racist xboners' 😂😂😂

[miyamoto]

@ septic

yeah. there is a plenty of racist patriot missile Xboxers out there ... don't be one of them
They hate Japan with a passion for no valid reason at all.
They don't appreciate what Japan contributed to video games.

[ifrit_caress]

ICO is, by far, one of the best games of all time... Hands down, mic drop, I'm out of here... Peace ✌

[miyamoto]

ICO is one of the most influential games ever made.
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

Good begets good.
ICO influenced Shadow of the Colossus and both influenced the Uncharted series which influenced The Last of Us which influenced Uncharted 4 and so on.........

edit:
@imalways
""ICO influenced Shadow of the Colossus"

??? They're from the same studio!!"

which makes a lot of sense right???

Ueda used what he learned from ICO to make SOTC the sequel

[Imalwaysright]

"ICO influenced Shadow of the Colossus"

??? They're from the same studio!!

[Imalwaysright]

Not to me it doesn't. Ueda just continued what he started in Ico.

[WeAreLegion]

I'm not sure it was influential, but it is one of the best games ever made.

[miyamoto]

Please take the time to hear what game developers say about ICO.
https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[MetalGearsofWar]

Probably not influential.
When I think of influential I think of GTA, Gears of War, etc....
Still a grea game

[Red_Renegade]

gears of war? you must be joking.

[italiangamer]

Yeah GoW is basically Resident Evil 4 over-the-shoulder camera mixed with Kill Switch cover system. Gears of War has the same influence of my butthole.

[MetalGearsofWar]

Cover system is pretty much a requirement in modern games.

[Germany7]

Gears of War? Hahaha...

[Pastorfuzz]

First game I ever played on my new PS2 back in the day. A great game.

[GrimmyReaper]

unpopular opinion time

I didn't like it. Just thought it was tedious.

Has a hell of a following but if it is influential, shouldn't it have actual, you know, influence on the industry?

*grabs popcorn for backlash because if you don't like Ico or Shadow of the Colossus, you apparently are worse than Hitler*

[EazyC]

Ico is the SikTh of gaming: influenced an entire generation whilst remaining somewhat modest in its own successes.

[hiawa23]

Not for me. Did not like the game.

[Germany7]

Are you a game developer?

[Dangerous]

Of course yes, one of those games you have to play.

[Pego]

Definitely in my top 5. It was one hell of a experience. :)

[andrewsquall]

Its a great game but influential? I WISH developers would take a page from ICO more. People say the same about Shadow of the Colossus but its the same thing, I WISH developers would be influenced by the, decade in advance, animations of that masterpiece.