My instinct in tackling my opinions on these beloved classics was to use the compliment sandwich, the most reliably annoying of all the sandwiches. Instantly, this should tell you that I do not believe them to be perfect video games, however, my feelings were far from what I would describe as negative. Let's do this then.
Ico
Starting with Ico seems fitting, and straight away I will state that this was my least favourite of the two. I found the controls to be exceptionally frustrating at times, the camera proved to be useless throughout 90% of the game, and I thought that the combat was repetitive and lacklustre. Each one of these points can be easily and quickly refuted; the controls are a relic of PS2 Japanese third person games, the camera a similar issue, and as for the combat, this is far from a combat-oriented game.
I'll happily concede that the camera and controls could not be helped as much as if a game were made today, but I will not allow the awful combat to getsuch a pass. If a game is going to include combat, the combat needs to be good, it's as simple as that in my opinion. No part of a game should be half way done.
On the more pleasant side of things, I found the game to actually be a lot more moving than I had anticipated. During the rare occasions where the camera would frame a scene perfect, the views could be beautiful, and as your running along dragging Yorda behind you, the atmosphere of escape and a wish for freedom was notably present. The ending was incredibly satisfying, the final 'boss fight', although I hesitate to call it that, was cleverly done as well. Sure, destroying what felt like hundreds of shadow enemies was ridiculous, but by the time I made it into the next room, I had already forgotten about it.
Indeed, Ico was hugely enjoyable, and I found the journey to be inarguably worth while. The puzzles were masterfully devised, and the experience was most definitely unique. I feel far better with myself having played it once and for all, and if you're reading this and have not yet had the chance, I seriously recommend you get your hands on a version of Ico.
Shadow of the Colossus
Here's the game I was looking forward to discussing. SotC is probably going to be a video game that I will forever remember and at various times think about. The story was touching, the exploration and journeying was spevial, and the Colossi encounters were mind-blowingly awesome. As I raised my sword and plunged it into any of these fantastically designed creatures, the confilct was insurmountable. Whilst the epic nature of the battle brought about a feeling of joy and excitement, the cold reality of what I was doing countered any elation perfectly. The context in which I was killing the Colossi was never lost amidst the action, and this really allowed me to immerse myself completely into the experience.
At various times, from different people, I have heard that Team Ico say that Ico and SotC are not related, but the links are overwhelmingly obvious. One similarity I'm glad the games do not share are the controls. The camera, whilst not exceptional, was far better here than in it's predecessor. The combat was fleshed out to a satisfying degree as well, with the sword play and firing of the bow feeling fine (but the turning on pulling up the bow grew rather silly).
Again, Team Ico delivered a fantastic, albeit obscure, ending. I sat and watched the credits, waiting. I instinctively knew there would be more, and I was proved correct. Every scene, and every interactive moment was necessary, nothing came across as a surplus, and all of it worked smoothly to build an emotional resonance all too rare in gaming. Oh yeah, and the horse, Agro, is my favourite animal in video games of all time.
There it is then. I give the Team Ico Collection a 97 out of 6 on the James Valaitis Can't Review Games Properly scale. Definitely play it.