toblix

ICO.

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So, I've finally played ICO, the game everyone was talking about, saying it was great and everything. Now, I'm liking the game, but it makes me fucking depressed. This game is crushing my soul, with its vast, abandoned halls and courtyards, and the shouting for the girl echoing in the hard brick walls of this crazy fortress.

And then the god damn motherfucking shadow guys always come when I just got somewhere interesting, and I have to start finding a way back to fight them, and the fighting isn't that great. It's sort of tedious, really, with the hitting and disappearing and flying and pulling the girl from those holes. AND NOBODY SAYS A WORD EVER. If I were attacked by shadow beings I'd shout and cry like a little girl, even if I was the boy.

It's sort of dreamy and weird, and I like it, but also there's some magical feeling that says to me, in my most inner of hearts: "No, don't play it," it will say. "Why would you return to that depressing and sad world of shadows and windmills? There is no joy for you there." And mostly I'll listen, because there's Guitar Hero and Broken Sword 4 and fucking Phoenix Wright!

And also Contact, but, you know.

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Yeah, the combat sucks. The fact that it can make you feel like that is why it's so great though. It's what that team does. You can't tell me that you didn't hate yourself a little bit every time you downed a colossus in Shadow, and it's the same sort of thing. They don't make happy games. Who said they had to?

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I haven't played Ico yet, but I'm in love with Shaddow of the Colossus, and I agree, part of it's magic is that you feel empathetic towards the giants. The emotion doesn't come in the infrequent cutscenes but in the gameplay itself, which is a mark of extreemly good writing and art direction. The fact that you're killing the lumberring beasts selfishly and unnessicerily really gives the love story a bittersweet edge. Your character is kind of like the villain in a way, when you look at so many movies and stories in which the antagonist is the character who destroys needlessly and recklessly for love, and the protagonist is the person who can transcend the unneccissary bloodshed and accept love in whatever form it presents itself.

Utterly off topic, what is this from:

"So who made the machines? That's who we want to contact."

"They made the machines. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Meat made the machines."

"That's ridiculous. How can meat make a machine? You're asking me to believe in sentient meat."

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Google it, I did!

I have to confess that I didn't ever feel bad about killing the colossuses...colossi...things. I felt a little bad that I didn't feel bad about it, if that redeems me.

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LOPcagney, are you a real adventurer? The answer is right where you found the quote. Isn't there a link somewhere in there?

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Rodi, have you clicked the link? It's a video that has been removed from youtube....

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It seems Google's takeover was all for the worse ;) The last time I clicked it was months ago and then it still worked.

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It was down well before the google takeover, heheh. I also tried it months ago, but failed to get enlightened :(

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What?! The video is gone? Godsdamnit!

You should still be able to find the short story online. Look for "they are are made out of meat".

Now I need a new sig ;(

Back on topic... The combat in Ico is a bit weak, but I didn't find it all that difficult. Once you get the hang of it you can blast through most fights without being slowed down too much and get back to the puzzles.

I still haven't beaten the last boss though...

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LOPcagney, are you a real adventurer? The answer is right where you found the quote. Isn't there a link somewhere in there?

Link's broken.

But I found the play and it's really great. I love the line: "A dream to meat! How strangely appropriate, that we should be meat's dream." Very clever stuff. Here's the video: Meat

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It seems Google's takeover was all for the worse ;) The last time I clicked it was months ago and then it still worked.
*sigh*

A simple search will provide

.

It's a pretty good film but I find the original short story much more evocative.

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It's a pretty good film but I find the original short story much more evocative.

Agreed. I like the end of the short story much more than the film's. Has more of an impact, methinks.

"Good. Agreed, officially and unofficially. Case closed. Any others? Anyone interesting on that side of the galaxy?"

"Yes, a rather shy but sweet hydrogen core cluster intelligence in a class nine star in G445 zone. Was in contact two galactic rotations ago, wants to be friendly again."

"They always come around."

"And why not? Imagine how unbearably, how unutterably cold the Universe would be if one were all alone ..."

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There's no doubt that ICO can be depressing, but make sure you play it all the way through because there is a payoff at the end...

...after the credits

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So, I'm at the

water tower place, and I have just:

  1. Toppled the water tower with a bomb.
  2. Gotten over the chasm, pushed the crate and pulled the lever.
  3. Climbed over and turned the giant fucking wheel that makes the cage come out.

Now here's my problem. I can't get back to the platform I came from. I jump back on the chain, but when I try to jump back onto the wooden walkway, no matter what I do the kid just jumps and falls to his death.

All the walkthroughs seem to skip this part.

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I can't remember I'm afraid. The reason the walkthroughs skip it may be because it is one of the puzzles that was added for the Euro version.

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But even the Euro versions does it! And it's not even a puzzle, it's just jumping from a damn chain. Ah well, I'll try some more later.

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That's not one of the additions to the Euro version, I think I know where you are but I'm not sure I can tell what you are trying to do...

It sounds like you are misjudging the space, which can happen easily, and are trying to jump to the wrong place.... dunno

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Does this help? Is this where you are?

Jump the gap, go to the rope, go across. Down ladder. Up tower to left, across, down chain. Swing and jump at bridge to push it down. Catch her. Go to the end. Get a bomb from the bomb room. Bring it to near the torch. Get a stick, light it on the torch, light the bomb. Now throw it at the water tower (the structure to your left) - it'll blow up and land as a bridge for you.

Go up the chain over to the block. Push it down and follow it. Push it right. Climb up, push the lever. A chain goes right. Now go back up, jump to the chain, jump to the circle wheel. Push it around. A hanging box appears.

Monsters come, jump across box to idol doors, get her to follow you, they all die.

There's a ledge at the other end of the drawbridge and an idol gate. Then castle walls and an idol gate. Go in and they slam shut. Up ladder, cut 2 ropes in the left door, monsters will come. Save. "West Idol Stairs"

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Does this help? Is this where you are?

Jump the gap, go to the rope, go across. Down ladder. Up tower to left, across, down chain. Swing and jump at bridge to push it down. Catch her. Go to the end. Get a bomb from the bomb room. Bring it to near the torch. Get a stick, light it on the torch, light the bomb. Now throw it at the water tower (the structure to your left) - it'll blow up and land as a bridge for you.

Go up the chain over to the block. Push it down and follow it. Push it right. Climb up, push the lever. A chain goes right. Now go back up, jump to the chain, jump to the circle wheel. Push it around. A hanging box appears. M--

Aaaand that's where I'm stuck. Well, not so much stuck as falling to my death.

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How 'bout this...

Run back and get your sword, then head

across the newly created bridge to the castle platform.

Nearly there. Leave Yorda and head up the chain, push the box onto the lower

platform near the idol doors, climb down the ladder, push the box up against

the ledge and climb on up. Pull the switch there and then head down and back

up the ladder. Jump off the greenish wood to the chain, then swing across to

the platform with the large handle. Turn it until the box pops out, then head

back across the chain, down the ladder, and onto the box. Help Yorda across

to the idol doors, and then through them. Whew!

Keep going. This game made my wife cry. Actual tears. And she is a ninja I shit you not.

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How 'bout this...

Run back and get your sword, then head across the newly created bridge to the castle platform.

Nearly there. Leave Yorda and head up the chain, push the box onto the lower platform near the idol doors, climb down the ladder, push the box up against the ledge and climb on up. Pull the switch there and then head down and back up the ladder. Jump off the greenish wood to the chain, then swing across to the platform with the large handle. Turn it until the box pops out, then head back across the chain, do--

Right there. Across the chain. I can't. I've tried like six times.

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Fucking. I just tried it again. The guy just doesn't grab on to the edge.

Thankfully I've found a video runthrough on youtube, and it's loading as I type this. I'll be excited to find out what the Hell.

YOU CAN FUCKING SWING ON THE CHAINS?!

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Oh, yeah. Ropes too.

I think I've lost my save for the last level. I'll have to start again :P

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YOU CAN FUCKING SWING ON THE CHAINS?!

:hah::hah::hah::hah::hah::hah::hah::hah:

*gasp!* Ok, gotta catch my breath. Thanks man, you just made my day.

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