ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection for PlayStation 3 Reviews by Gamers

ICO is like playing a classic fairy tale. It is an adorable and emotional story that can bring you back to your childhood in ways. It is a puzzle game at heart, and it can really test your brain, so have a guide handy if you are so inclined. And keep in mind that it is a 10 year old game, and although it visually is still beautiful, some of the control may get finicky, but the animation is surprisingly good! ( P.S. play this one before Shadow! )

Shadow of the Colossus is an emotionally epic experience. You will scratch your head at some cinematics but will soon be sucked in to the style of the story. No music plays when journeying to 'thy next foe', and that was a brilliant narrative choice, keeping you attatched to your horse Aggro and the Forbidden Land. The Collosus battles are indescribably fun and each is unique. The later beasts get more puzzle-like and can get very creative with how you must take them down, and the battle soundtrack is incredibly heart-pumping.

These are 2 classics that must be experienced by every gamer, and are beautiful examples of game design and interactive narrative.

Was really excited for this release because these were two of my favorites from the PS2 era (SotC more so than Ico). Both were extremely original, fun, and pretty, at least for their time. Ico is almost as I remember, yet this time around, it seemed easier (maybe due to not being a new thing). On the other hand, SotC, which used to walk that fine line between challenging and frustrating, somehow became more difficult. I don't know if they tweaked the controls or gameplay, but I don't remember the hero being so clumsy and uncooperative. I'm ok with making a wrong move and having to start over, but now it seems like the dude stumbles or loses his grip everytime the monster thinks about breathing. One thing I thought was missing was a joystick sensitivity setting; sometimes, you want to adjust slightly while running, riding, or climbing, but your little guy feels like a 90 degree turn is called for. Maybe it's just me. Would like to give Team ICO a 10 just for bringing these favorites back, but take away 2 because of the frustration factor and another point just because [SPOILER...-ish]
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Team ICO seems to like (somewhat) downer endings.