The ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection

 PlayStation 3
  • Publisher: SCEA
  • Release Date: Sep 27, 2011
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 696 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 592 out of 696
  2. Mixed: 47 out of 696
  3. Negative: 57 out of 696
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  1. Gamma626
    Nov 9, 2013
    6
    Shadow of the Colossus is an amazing game. The collection is worth it for that game alone. However, Ico on the other hand, is a prime example of a developer being Artsy for the sake of being different. Nothing about this game stands out. The art design, point blank, sucks. It's grey. Gray, Gray and more Gray. The castle is gray, the sky is gray, and there is nothing interesting toShadow of the Colossus is an amazing game. The collection is worth it for that game alone. However, Ico on the other hand, is a prime example of a developer being Artsy for the sake of being different. Nothing about this game stands out. The art design, point blank, sucks. It's grey. Gray, Gray and more Gray. The castle is gray, the sky is gray, and there is nothing interesting to look at in the entire game. there is no art on the castle walls. It's a big, empty building with nothing to see. This is exacerbated by the fact that there is nothing to hear. In doors, there is no music. Outside all you hear is wind and the ocean. It's not interesting.

    What the biggest problem with the game is though, is that the quest, honestly, offers nothing. Yorda is quite possibly the worst companion in a video game ever. She says nothing to you. She offers no help. She just stands there like a drugged up crack whore, having you do all the work for god knows what reason. You have to manually drag her around the entire game. She will literally do nothing if you leave her be. She just stands there. The two characters cant understand each other, so there is no dialogue between them. It's just dragging this weird, albino chick around for five to ten hours. And that's when the game is enjoyable. Then there is the combat. Oh the god awful combat. You swing your stick around at monsters hoping to eventually get them to fall over. It takes forever, and is incredibly boring after the first few combat sequences. Coupled with the fact that there is no reason to attach yourself to Yorda, you'll eventually just wish that they'd take her and the game would be over.

    The puzzles are annoying, but at least it isn't the dull combat. They're difficult at times, but not by design. The game tells you nothing, so half the work for the puzzles is figuring out what exactly it is that you can interact with in this bland, gray works that Ico inhabits.

    Ico all boils down to being just a very drab, dull, bland game. If you enjoy it as a bonus game, go ahead. But do not buy this collection for Ico. It's just not that interesting. Buy the collection for Shadow.    … Expand
  2. LittleMeow
    Nov 17, 2011
    6
    Honestly, as someone who had never played either one of these games before, I was legitimately excited to play, at the very least, Shadow of the Colossus. Unfortunately, I found myself extremely bored after the first 30 minutes of the game----I will give it one thing though, they did a great job restoring it, so if you liked the game on PS2 then you probably will still like it today.
  3. abcdefg
    Oct 5, 2011
    7
    alright. the graphics werent improved really. which is whta a collection hd thing is supposed to do. these games are really great but i dont think it really deseves a 91. maybe an 85. if the graphics were way improved then id sagree with the meta score
  4. Pundan
    Jan 9, 2017
    6
    I own both games on Playstation 2, but back in the day I never finished any of them. Luckily I got the collection for free on Playstation Network, decided to give them both a playthrough. Both games suffer heavily from clunky controls and bad camera angles. ICO is a lot of repetitive puzzles of jumping around in a big castle, and along with that you get an AI that you have to lead throughI own both games on Playstation 2, but back in the day I never finished any of them. Luckily I got the collection for free on Playstation Network, decided to give them both a playthrough. Both games suffer heavily from clunky controls and bad camera angles. ICO is a lot of repetitive puzzles of jumping around in a big castle, and along with that you get an AI that you have to lead through the entire game. Sure, it's OK AI, but more than 10-15 times have I had to wait for Yorda (the girl you're leading around) to find her way. And what is up with her climbing ladders so extremely slow? ICO took me about 7 hours to complete, you should be able to finish it much faster though. I had higher hopes for Shadow of the Colossus. I remembered that back in the day the frame rate was really poor, luckily that wasn't an issue this time around. However Shadow of the Colossus has the same clunky controls and akward camera angles. You fight giant beasts, or Colossi as they're called. In between the fights you ride your horse trying to look for a new boss to beat. There's little else to do. There's 16 Colossi to kill in total, the game lets you know that from the start. It gets pretty tedious fast. All in all I think most people give these games a good grade because of their good graphics and amazing soundtrack. The atmosphere's in these games are great. But for me as a player, there has to be some nice gameplay as well and on that point neither of the games managed to satisfy my needs of good gameplay.… Expand
  5. juicejuice
    Sep 7, 2013
    5
    These classic games are from a time when graphics were not great and controls were clunky as hell. Of course this is a comparison with current generation games. I may have enjoyed this collection more if the games had been remade rather than re-released.
  6. Funkymonk
    Oct 11, 2011
    6
    When i first started playing Ico all i could think was "Hello am i missing something here?" It just felt so dated and i'm not just talking about the graphics. The controls are terrible and the camera atrocious but i persevered anyway as i figured there's got to be something here that justifies the fanatical cult following it has. But no, hours of gameplay in and still nothing much excitingWhen i first started playing Ico all i could think was "Hello am i missing something here?" It just felt so dated and i'm not just talking about the graphics. The controls are terrible and the camera atrocious but i persevered anyway as i figured there's got to be something here that justifies the fanatical cult following it has. But no, hours of gameplay in and still nothing much exciting happens. Ther's no great innovation or surprise to the level design; You just explore the dull castle until you stumble across one of it's simplistic, unimaginative puzzles or another shadow monster to fight and that's it. I'll admit it's not a completely awful game and the main premise of having to protect another character is a good one but really thats all it has going for it. Ther's simply no way this deserves all the 10's it's been getting. All i can think of is that these people have been blinded to the games shortcoming by nostalgia. Oh,and i know the fanboys will mark me down as unhelpful but don't assume i'm someone who only likes games with big explosions or that i don't get slow moving or deep games because my collection is full of games like Portal, Fallout 3 and Limbo.
    To be honest i havn't played SOTC yet and, you know, i probably never will because Ico has pissed me off so much! I could have bought Dark Souls or Arkham City instead of this!    … Expand
  7. bobbsyw
    Jul 8, 2013
    5
    SOTC I never played this on the PS2, but judging it as it is, it's a big disappointment. The controls are terrible, and the graphics are just OK I can imagine that it looked good in its day, but time has moved on! There are much better looking and playing games out there.
    ICO sorry, just not for me the continual bleating from girl just got on my nerves. I made it about 30 minutes    SOTC I never played this on the PS2, but judging it as it is, it's a big disappointment. The controls are terrible, and the graphics are just OK I can imagine that it looked good in its day, but time has moved on! There are much better looking and playing games out there.
    ICO sorry, just not for me the continual bleating from girl just got on my nerves. I made it about 30 minutes in before turning it off through sheer irritation.    … Expand
  8. MiOdd
    Oct 3, 2011
    7
    ICO in my opinion is boring. You explore a mostly empty castle the entire game, while there are occasionally some breathtaking views outdoors the game never truly managed to capture me in its atmosphere, which is all the game has going for it. The combat and platforming are very weak and the puzzles are either too simple or too obtuse, there is no medium. I used the word obtuse because theICO in my opinion is boring. You explore a mostly empty castle the entire game, while there are occasionally some breathtaking views outdoors the game never truly managed to capture me in its atmosphere, which is all the game has going for it. The combat and platforming are very weak and the puzzles are either too simple or too obtuse, there is no medium. I used the word obtuse because the game fails to teach the player what is and is not possible, for example, swinging, the game never tells you how to swing and the controls are not intuitive enough to learn on your own, so I never knew that was an option until I read it in a FAQ, these instances sound silly, but they infuriate me because I attribute them to poor design.

    SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS is a masterfully crafted adventure with, unfortunately, little to no replay value. I loved the game when I first played it on PS2 and I highly recommend anyone that has yet to experience this game to give it a try. The reason I cite the games lack of replay value is because the games allure was due to the wonder of seeing each colossus for the first time and discovering (on your own) how to defeat each one, when you replay the game a second time that allure is lost. Naturally the game will never live up to that first experience but the gameplay elements itself, while adequate, aren't enough to make me want to play through the game again. It's a game best played once and remembered for its greatness and uniqueness.    … Expand
  9. LogantheRunner
    Sep 29, 2011
    7
    This game may have been a 9 about five or ten years ago... Now it seems cludgy, and I'm annoyed that it is NOT in 1080, just a stretched 400 or so lines and maybe about 720p?
    They are cool 'ambient' games, but games have moved on so much that the controls seem non-intuitive and unresponsive. I give it a 7, for subtlety and ambiance, not worth $40 this holiday season.
  10. Novelty987
    Dec 6, 2011
    6
    I really dislike the idea of game companies releasing old games for a few bucks. However, I had not played the originals of these games so ya, i purchased this. These games are unique and have nostalgia but that does not serve as a reason for a high score. The games are pleasant and intriguing enough to the point that I give it an above average score. I refuse to jump on the bandI really dislike the idea of game companies releasing old games for a few bucks. However, I had not played the originals of these games so ya, i purchased this. These games are unique and have nostalgia but that does not serve as a reason for a high score. The games are pleasant and intriguing enough to the point that I give it an above average score. I refuse to jump on the band wagon and accept these games today deserve anything more than a 6. These should have been remade from the ground up and a continuation of the originals.… Expand
  11. Bootador
    Jul 21, 2012
    7
    ICO was decidedly average for me, worth trying perhaps but nothing more.

    SOTC was certainly the better game, but is quite a poor quality HD port.

    Other than nostalgic purposes there's nothing stand out here, 2 good decent games different to what you can buy today, but both dated both dated in terms of controls, gameplay and graphics (even after the HD "upscale")
  12. DRVPereira
    Jan 6, 2013
    6
    As a person who played the original version of Shadow of the Colossus on the PS2, I must say that I was expecting very much of this HD version. I haven't played ICO yet, but unfortunately, my experience until now was kind of a disappointment. The controls are terrible! The camera... WTF are those camera controls? I don't remember those kind of problems in the original version. And also,As a person who played the original version of Shadow of the Colossus on the PS2, I must say that I was expecting very much of this HD version. I haven't played ICO yet, but unfortunately, my experience until now was kind of a disappointment. The controls are terrible! The camera... WTF are those camera controls? I don't remember those kind of problems in the original version. And also, the graphics are bad, comparing to other HD versions of old games I played, like Okami HD (PS3) and Metal Gear Solid (Xbox 360). Don't get me wrong here, I like these games a lot, but I think that maybe the conversion to PS3 and HD was not well done.… Expand
  13. ferrers405
    Sep 5, 2013
    5
    I really can't enjoy this game, Ico looks dated but with a simple and good gameplay while Shadow of Colossus looks yet good visualy but the gameplay feel horrible and i really tried to enjoy this because everyone calls a "masterpiece", but even considering me a player i didn't like...
  14. masonwallace1
    Feb 14, 2012
    7
    ico is wonderful and worth the price alone for the atmosphere. shadow is a much improved game graphically, yet some of the gameplay was lost in the remake. wander now needlessly shakes about making climbing the collossi extremely discouraging. the ps2 version had its moments, but some of the bosses are controller-throwing when you cant even remotely get to a resting point on the beastico is wonderful and worth the price alone for the atmosphere. shadow is a much improved game graphically, yet some of the gameplay was lost in the remake. wander now needlessly shakes about making climbing the collossi extremely discouraging. the ps2 version had its moments, but some of the bosses are controller-throwing when you cant even remotely get to a resting point on the beast to regain your grip meter. this needs to be patched. if you can look past that negative mark, shadow is still a good (but now frustrating) game. if you still own your ps2 hunt down an old copy of shadow, and just pick up ico on psn.… Expand
  15. Krizuwe
    Nov 20, 2013
    7
    Un juego que busca innovar y que con una buena base e ideas implementa algo novedoso. Pero la cosa no salió muy bien, la verdad se vuelve algo repetitivo, aburrido y no engancha mucho...igualmente hubiera sido un gran juego de enganchar mas y no ser tan lento...solo lo recomiendo a los que le gustaron el juego, para los amantes de tipo puzzles, pero para los demás no, no me gusto el juegoUn juego que busca innovar y que con una buena base e ideas implementa algo novedoso. Pero la cosa no salió muy bien, la verdad se vuelve algo repetitivo, aburrido y no engancha mucho...igualmente hubiera sido un gran juego de enganchar mas y no ser tan lento...solo lo recomiendo a los que le gustaron el juego, para los amantes de tipo puzzles, pero para los demás no, no me gusto el juego y eso que al principio me agrado la idea, pero se quedó en un quiero y no puedo...… Expand
  16. Nema_vrt88
    Feb 22, 2022
    5
    Игра красивая бесспорно, но меня так выбесили последние 2-а боса. Прям горю с них.

Awards & Rankings

6
#6 Best PS3 Game of 2011
27
#27 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2011
12
#12 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 58 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 58 out of 58
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 58
  3. Negative: 0 out of 58
  1. Push Square
    Feb 2, 2012
    100
    If video games aren't art, then ICO & Shadow of the Colossus Collection is not a video game. It's a staggering compilation of two of the most creative, intimate and emotional pieces of interactive entertainment ever conceived.
    Read full review
  2. Play UK
    Nov 27, 2011
    94
    They're absolutely, without a doubt, worth buying. [Issue#210, p.78]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Nov 15, 2011
    90
    High Def remake is one of the shiniest gaming jewels – this conversion is an extraordinary and unique game that is a must have for any PlayStation 3 owner. [Nov 2011]
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