ICO - by Sony Computer Entertainment America, 2001: Adventure.
ICO’s initial cinematics really put me in its world. Granted, I come to digital games as a beginner and chances are that the flashy animation and dramatics would probably impress me no matter what. That said, I think that the oppressively lonely surroundings and plot itself, seen through the eyes of a little well-intentioned boy, succeeded in creating a deep sense of loneliness inside of me. The controller shaking at the instances it does brought me closer into the world’s reality – a simple and even trite technique I may have thought earlier, but you know what? It’s successful, at least in ICO. I played past a couple of challenges (that is, I moved on to a couple of different spaces which I had to explore thoroughly) before I found the little frail girl, terribly hanging from a large cage in the middle of an open space, like a big but beaten bird. There was a sense of injustice I realized I was feeling, why portray this kind of Sadness? Why show this little girl in such a state? It seemed manipulative and I felt a little bit of anger. But, I also felt happy that, when (not if) I accomplish this next challenge, I would have her company.
Well, I tried and tried but couldn’t figure it out and I simply got tired of the repetition and the frustration. I quit. I didn’t liberate her and I didn’t find companionship for my little boy agent. I might try again.