alienjesus wrote:So I'm playing through Ico atm. I'm loving the puzzles, I'm not loving the fights. At this part of the game there seems to be a lot of puzzlesinvolving leaving Yorda on her own, which fills me with dread. Does it carry on like this for the rest of the game?
Currently I just passed a windmill, a stone tower and a sewer, now im in a big new area in the east arena.
I think it's brilliant how the game world is designed so that you can't solve certain puzzles without leaving Yorda's side. It adds to the connection you feel for her. You worry for her safety when she's out of sight, and you feel relieved and happy to see her again when you finally work out the roundabout way to opening some door and letting her in from the other side. Once again, this is an example where Team Ico uses the advantages of videogames as a form of media to improve their story. In a movie, when someone gets left behind, they are often forgotten by the audience because they are off screen and the action has shifted elsewhere. They may reunite with the main character, or they may be killed by an attacker, but there's nothing you can do but watch to see how the story plays out in a movie. In Ico, when Yorda is off screen, you are always aware that she depends on you to quickly figure out the puzzles and get back to her. It creates tension and concern in the story in a way that only a video game could do. And in the cycles of separating and reuniting, you develop a deeper connection with Yorda and you want to see the two characters survive to the end.
