The Devil is in the Details

SotC is an amazing game. Few games can compare to the mood, story, animation, or characters encountered in this game. Personally it is the details which contribute to making this game special. Here is a list of those details in no particular order, and the reasons why I think they are important.

1. Agro – she is the most amazing character I have encountered in a game. Possessing more personality than any other game character I have ever seen in my 20 years of playing games. I love the way she moves, the animation of this horse is like nothing else. Having played Assassins Creed and riding a horse in that game, despite the additional processing power of the X-Box 360, Agro’s fluid motion on the Playstation2 is a marvel of programming and attention to detail which surpasses any other.

2. Wander – as an avatar I sympathise with his position immediately. The love he shares for the maiden is a love which has taken him to the end of the world to do battle with giant un-godly creatures and risk his own life to restore hers. At every point he displays emotion from the way he stares at his love, to the way he rides Agro. Everything about him is so full of meaning a thought that few avatars have ever come close.

3. Colossi – The stars of the game. The Colossi are quite simply one of the most amazing things ever seen in a video game. The way they move, the way they stare at you, to the way they react when injured. Towering above you with complete dominance they create an air of mystery and fear.

4. The Landscape – The Forbidden Land is vast, but this size is necessary to making you feel small and alone. There are areas of the map which feel so well accomplished that they make you feel you are part of something very special and change your mood accordingly such as the rocky waterfall paths, the dark forests and the huge open dessert complete with sandy ruins and dunes.

5. The Wildlife – Lizards, doves, eagles, fish and even tortoises. The lizards are quite hard to catch. On my first run through SotC I wasn’t even aware they existed. It was only after I managed to obtain the Lizard Detection Stone that I realised they were there and that they played an important role by increasing ones stamina. I love the way they react to Wanders presence and try to hide.

The doves appear around the alter in the temple every time a colossi is defeated and the eagles track your journey across the landscape. At the time of writing this I am yet to find a use for the tortoises, they are just there. The same goes for the fish, though I suppose a pond wouldn’t be complete without them.

6. The Save Points – Games rarely incorporate save points into a game with such thought. Usually they either crop up without warning or they are a sub menu in the pause screen. SotC makes them a part of the landscape and they work them into the game with meaning by allowing Wander to ‘pray’ whenever saving a game. When a game is loaded Wander is found dozing with his head in his arms giving the impression that little time has passed but while you were away he had a well deserved rest.

7. The Sword – Wanders arsenal of swords help him in different ways. The default sword lights his way to the next colossi as well as helping him take it down by lighting up the vitals on a colossi. The sword can also be used to kill various wildlife for Wander to eat and the un-lockable swords, such as the sword of the sun can help light Wanders way in darkened caves.

8. The Bow and Arrow – My favourite weapon in the game. The Bow and Arrow help Wander grab the attention of the colossi so he can goad them into a certain position or location. They also allow him to capture the elusive lizards, shoot birds, fruit from trees and fish from the water. Shoot an arrow into a pond and it behaves realistically by diving, then re-emerging on the surface and floating about. If you already have the bow drawn with an arrow and you don’t want to take the shot it can be cancelled by pressing the circle button whilst aiming. Wander replaces the bow into its holster.

9. The Wind – Without the windy weather I doubt SotC would carry the same atmosphere (excuse the pun). Constantly tearing at the clothes and hair of the duo and making a wonderfully earthly noise, the wind makes me feel so lost in the wilderness and somehow makes the landscape seem much larger and older than it appears.

10. The Map – As the forbidden land is vast and mysterious it would be a shame if the map was too helpful. Fortunately it isn’t. Mostly covered in cloud until explored it simply acts as a guide and does not show you exactly where to go, only where you’ve been. The map is quite vague in parts and cannot be relied upon which, in my opinion is the way it should be.

These are simply a drop in the ocean of what SotC has in terms of details and accomplished design. No other game has come close as far as I’m aware and it is a shame that developers don’t replicate Team ICO’s design ethic to create games with such flair, feeling and thought as SotC has.