7. The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection – Score: 90.5
Ico (PS2) – 90
Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) – 91
Before The Last Guardian, Team Ico’s previous works were two cult classics on the PlayStation 2. Ico isn’t quite as revered as its spiritual successor, but it’s still a great game in its own right. The whole game is a mix of puzzle solving, platforming, and some light action segments. It’s essentially one long escort mission where Ico and Yorda try to escape an abandoned castle. Although it’s not mentioned as much as Team Ico’s other games, it should not be skipped.
While 91 is an exceptional score, it’s surpising that Shadow of the Colossus is only one point higher than Ico. Shadow of the Colossus sets Wander on a quest to defeat a number of great beasts known as colossi. Both games excel at displaying a high level of artistic expression with minimal dialogue. A remake of Shadow of the Colossus with redone art assets is due for release on the PlayStation 4 in 2018. But until we get a 4K remake of Ico, this remaster remains the best way to experience that game.
