Fumito Ueda doesn't make many games, but when he does the entire industry sits up and takes notice. Including his first as lead designer way back in 2001, Ueda has only actually released three; most recently The Last Guardian in 2016, Shadow of the Colossus back in 2005, and 21 years ago this week, his debut, ICO.

And what a debut it was.

"Beautiful or attractive, commanding attention, causing or capable of causing bewilderment, shock or insensibility. Striking or overpowering the senses with astonishment, especially on account of excellence."

ICO is stunning in the literal, dictionary-definition sense of the word. A game that dropped into the vast ocean of PlayStation 2 software almost unnoticed in 2001, but which produced ripples that grew and swelled until they reached every corner of the gaming landscape. Ripples that can still be felt 21 years later.

Team ICO and Japan Studio's game was unlike any other. Firstly, the visuals were striking; not so much an early glimpse of next-generation graphics, but like a completely new aesthetic altogether. As if built not on updated versions of hardware already available but on different architecture entirely.

Even the card packaging (in Japan and PAL regions at least) was beautiful. The cover art - looking more like a Criterion Edition of a classic movie than a game - was designed by Fumito Ueda himself and inspired by the works of surrealist painter Giorgio de Chirico. It all combined to give the impression of something different. Something special.

It was in stark contrast to the thousands of identikit plastic PS2 cases that surrounded it on retailers' shelves at the time. Retailers who bothered to stock it that is. For while ICO was loved and lauded by critics and industry folk alike, like so many games throughout history that tried something truly different, it had a difficult ride at retail.

This was around the time of Devil May Cry, Silent Hill 2, Grand Theft Auto III and Metal Gear Solid 2. Wonderful games in their own right, but examples of the blockbuster scale the industry was aiming for at at the time, and just how much of a bolt out of the blue Ueda's ethereal, understated game was in comparison.

In simple terms ICO is a puzzle/platformer in which a young boy and girl are tasked with escaping a giant castle together. But like the game itself the relationship between the two leads is delicate, poignant and utterly beautiful. ICO was developed with Ueda's "design by subtraction" ethos in mind, where the team tried to remove anything that wasn't essential to the experience. This is no more evident in the game's minimalist, achingly beautiful score, which can barely be heard above the sound of your footsteps echoing through cavernous rooms, and the ambient sounds of the wind and waves crashing against distant cliffs.

It was a difficult sell to the masses, but although it had a muted reception commercially in terms of influence its impact on gaming cannot be understated. Eiji Aonuma (Zelda), Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid, Death Stranding), Neil Druckmann (Uncharted, The Last of Us) and many others have all cited ICO and Ueda's work as having a significant influence on them.

Perhaps most remarkably, FromSoftware boss and Souls, Bloodborne and Elden Ring creator Hidetaka Miyazaki even credits ICO as the very reason he chose to pursue a career in game development in the first place. “That game awoke me to the possibilities of the medium,” he said in an interview with The Guardian. “I wanted to make one myself.”

Of course, it would be unfair to give Ueda sole credit for the creation of ICO, Shadow of the Colossus and The Last Guardian - numerous developers spread across different teams were involved in bringing them to life - but he is rare in that he has a singularly unique vision for his titles and is able to pull these different teams together in service of it.

He's also very fortunate to have had a publisher in Sony loyal and trusting enough to let him see these visions through to fruition. Especially in the case of The Last Guardian, where “development hell” doesn’t even come close to describing its protracted nine-year development cycle.

ICO built a passionate cult following and remains near the top of many ‘must-have’ lists to this day. It never got the commercial recognition it deserved, but its influence can still be seen and felt in so many areas of gaming. Even if a lot of people don't know it.

-

I hope you enjoy the rest of the newsletter.

Take care everyone, and see you next week!

Jeff

If you enjoy The Week in Games, please consider a Premium Membership. You'll be supporting independent game writing and get access to the weekly Sunday Supplement bonus issue!

POLL OF THE WEEK

THE WEEK IN GAMES

The best news, deals and gaming content of the week!

NEWS

• The Game Awards 2022 were held this week and plenty of announcements sprinkled throughout, including Death Stranding 2, a new Armoured Core, Horizon DLC and plenty more. You can find a list of all announcements complete with trailers here.

• December's PlayStation Plus games line-up is available to claim now.

• The first full trailer for HBO's The Last of Us TV series has been released. And oh boy does it look promising.

• The Federal Trade Commission is suing to block Microsoft‘s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, it’s been reported. This news came shortly after Microsoft committed to bringing Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms if the deal goes through.

• Xbox will join the growing trend of selling new blockbuster console games for $70/£70 next year.

• God of War Ragnarök's Photo Mode is finally here as part of a new update.

• Sony is holding a free PlayStation Plus online multiplayer weekend starting on Saturday.

• Nintendo has released the next collection of new tracks from the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass with the release of Wave 3. Custom items have also been added, which according to Eurogamer is the best thing to happen to the game.

• Epic has added new for-kids accounts in Fortnite, Rocket League, and Fall Guys.

• The next Bioshock game lands Far Cry and Ghost of Tsushima writer as narrative lead.

• Microsoft has announced a partnership with Calm, a popular sleep, meditation, and relaxation app, that will bring video game-themed soundscapes to the Calm app.

• Sonic Prime debuts December 15 on Netflix, but Roblox players can watch it almost an entire week early.

• Days Gone wasn't a hit because reviewers were too woke, the game's director claims.

• England's Jordan Pickford has been spotted carting a PC setup abroad to play Fortnite at the World Cup.

• Unpacking has won Game of the Year at this weekend's Indie Live Expo awards.

• The Callisto Protocol gets its own official beer, and it's strong.

• Metroid Prime developer Retro Studios once did preliminary work on an XCOM style tactics game set in the Metroid universe.

• A ToeJam and Earl film is in the works at Amazon.

• GTA Online is getting ray-traced reflections on PS5 and Xbox Series X in a December update.

DEALS

• PlayStation has a Game Awards Sale on with up to 67% off games that have featured in the show. The End of Year Deals sale is also still running, with up to 80% off a comprehensive selection of games both big, small, old and new.

• There's also a PlayStation Indies sale running, with up to 75% off indie games and associated add-on packs. You can also save 40% on the PS4 and PS5 editions of FIFA 23.

• Over on Xbox there's a Tis the Season Add-on Sale, with up to 60% off DLC and expansion packs, a brilliantly named Get Yourself Something Nice sale, with up to 80% off a load of games, and a Game Awards Sale, with up to 67% off games featured at the show.

• There's no specific promotion on Nintendo's eShop at the moment, but there is a general sale running with offers on almost 1000 games.

• Saints Row IV Re-Elected and Wildcat Gun Machine are currently free on the Epic Games Store. And there's a general sale running with discounts on a host of games.

• Over on Steam, there's a Game Awards Promotion currently running, and a number of decent games are currently on Special Offer, including Read Dead Redemption 2 and Forza Horizon 4 for £18.14, Stray for £19, and more.

MORE!

• The Week in Games Referral Program and Sunday Supplement

This week marks the introduction of The Week in Games Referral Program. As a thank you for sharing the newsletter you can now earn rewards such as digital guides, social media shout-outs, gift cards and more! You can find your own personal referral link at the bottom of each email.

Just one referral gets you access to The Week in Games: Sunday Supplement; an additional issue that will include a few links and articles to enjoy with a cuppa. All Premium Members will also receive the issue, which starts next week.

• [lock.on] Volume 005

The latest edition of Lost in Cult's wonderful [lock.on] gaming journal is available to pre-order now. Available in standard, hardcover and deluxe editions, Volume 005's 260+ pages feature "...a cultural exploration of Immorality's literary tradition, Rollerdrome's high-wire opera, The Last of Us' desolate landscapes, and much more".

The pre-order campaign ends on February 1st, check it out here.

• Classic Nerd Newsletter

A huge thank you to Classic Nerd for recommending The Week in Games this week. Classic Nerd is a brilliant newsletter covering movies, music, games and all things old-school, and I'm sure it'll appeal to many Week in Games readers. You can select this one-click subscribe button to sign up!

NEW RELEASES

All the major releases arriving this week and next!

THIS WEEK:

• Divine Knockout (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – December 6

• Hello Neighbor 2 (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC) – December 6

• Sky: Children Of The Light (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4) – December 6 – Read review

• Chained Echoes (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – December 8

• Crossfire: Legion (PC) – December 8

• Choo-Choo Charles (PC) – December 9

• Dragon Quest Treasures (Switch) – December 9

NEXT WEEK:

• Wavetale (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – December 12

• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC) – December 13

• High On Life (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) – December 13

• Neon White (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4) – December 13 – Read review

• Lil Gator Game (Switch, PC) – December 14

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S) – December 14 – Read review

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) – December 14

• Aka (Switch, PC) – December 15

• Blacktail (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC) – December 15

• Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Switch) – December 16 – Read review

RECOMMENDED READS

Hand-picked gaming articles from around the web!

Why Google Stadia Died, And Why It Should Have Lived

By Rhiannon Bevan - The Gamer

Those who worked with Stadia tell us about its life, and how inevitable its death was from the start.

Grounded is a masterclass in horror gameplay and won't admit it

By Joel Franey - Gamesradar+

How Grounded made its creepy crawlies even creepier still.

-

More for your inbox!

• The Goodnewsletter* - The world is filled with good news - you just have to know where to look.

• Classic Nerd* - Twisted takes on old-school nerd topics, nerd trivia and rad giveaways.

• Tip News Daily Brief* - Daily news highlights on the most need-to-know issues.

• Refind* - Refind picks 7 links from around the web tailored to your interests.

*These newsletters are part of a cross-promotion

SUPPORT US

Support independent games writing!

The Week in Games remains possible thanks to the ongoing support of valued members BitBloggist, johnXprinter, SeánLynch and Px.

If you enjoy it, please consider a Premium Membership! You'll be supporting independent game writing and get access to the weekly Sunday Supplement bonus issue!

…and that’s it for this week!

I hope you enjoyed the issue. If you have any comments, suggestions or enquiries, please reply to this email directly or catch me over on Twitter or Hive!

Thanks again, and see you next week!

Jeff