Speaking of underrated masterpieces. Here's two of them ^_^
#152 – ICO (PS2)
Many claim ICO to be the underrated masterpiece of the Decade and why not? It is a unique puzzle game which really requires you to think and grants immense satisfaction when you advance to the next area. The area and atmosphere in the game is breathtakingly beautiful and the game just gives you that strange feeling as if you are isolated from the world (And you are). This game was made by the developers of the famous “Shadow of the Colossus” and so fans even go around saying its better than its successor. I disagree to it. I think ICO is a great game every way you look at it but it doesn’t come without its flaws.
First of all the game is way too short, second the combat in the game is one of the most annoying things you’ll experience. Babysitting a girl older than you (Yorda) nails the coffin at that. Not to mention if you leave her alone she’ll be taken by the shadows within mere seconds and then the game over screen will follow very shortly. For around 90% of the game you’ll be with Yorda and at times you’ll be shouting at your TV screen for her to not do something stupid or to follow your orders. If the AI responded aptly it wouldn’t be a problem but just so you know it isn’t perfect in this game.
ICO is an underrated gem without a doubt but it has its fair share of flaws and thus bars it from being the underrated masterpiece of the Decade as many claim it to be.
#151 – Shadow of Rome (PS2)
Now here’s a truly underrated masterpiece. This game is set in the Roman Ages where Julius Caesar was the almighty ruler. The story of the game is about the conspiracy regarding the murder of Caesar (*Not a spoiler I hope) and it does more than a decent job at that. This game is like a cross between the movie “Gladiator” and a stealth game in medieval setting. Many have complained about how brutal the stealth part of the game is but I disagree. With a little patience the stealth part requires little to no luck and is very interesting once you get in the groove ^_^. Now the meat of the game is the Gladiator games. The gameplay just goes off the charts and trust me I’ve never had a more thirst for blood once I started to get on a roll. The SALVO points (Points you get from performing different moves) makes each Gladiator game much more replayable (Gladiator games include: Battle Royale, Fighting with wild animals, Chariot races and so much more). Now some of the games (especially mid-way) has a huge spike in difficulty and may annoy the hell out of you (mainly because of broken weapons) but these are about the only flaws I can find in the game. Oh yeah and I thought the Boss battles were simply astonishing. It does require a fair amount of patience (quite a few complained about this) but the satisfaction of tearing your opponent limb from limb is well worth it. If you haven’t already, try this game out. You won’t be disappointed.
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