What is needed to be said? This collection contains two artistic masterpieces that capture the imagination. Ico provides wonderful puzzles with a companion tagging along while SotC has some of the most epic and dynamic gameplay around. Ignore the trolls who try to mark this down, the collection is well worth the money!

For those who missed out on these two amazing PS2 titles, now is the time to go and rectify that. This HD collection brings together Team Ico's flagship title 'Ico' along with it's cult hit 'Shadow of the Colossus' is a subtle yet expansive way.

The HD reworking of 'Ico' delivers to the United States features that were only included in the Europe and Japanese versions of the title, including a secret ending, 2-player mode, and several Easter Eggs. The game has been cleaned up and the frame-rate is solid.

'Shadow of the Colossus' might be the best reason to pick up this HD collection. The best inclusion is the locked 30 frames per second. In the original PS2 version of the game, the frame-rate dropping was the biggest issues during the massive Colossi encounters. Now that it has been fixed, the game looks amazing during the games action scenes, and handles amazing.

As the game is 3D enabled, I had a chance to play an hour or so of each game with 3D on. While Ico doesn't feel much different with 3D on, Shadow of the Colossus increases the scope and size of the game world more than I though possible, especially while atop a giant boss with the threat of being thrown hundreds of feet to the ground.

Priced at $39.99, this collection should have a proud spot in any gamers PS3 collection. The HD doesn't make these games look brand new, but these timeless classics are aesthetically pleasing no matter what year it is.… Expand

This is a definite game for anyone who loves puzzlers and a very in depth story without much being said but with a great deal of emotion. These games are phenomenal, unique, and will be cherished by many for a long, long time. This time around both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus have had a wonderful HD make over. A lot of gaming sites/magazines rant and rave about SotC and how it looks so much better and made the transition to HD very well, but Ico still has some problems. Well I totally disagree. Both games look amazing for being games built on older technology. If you didn't know this, Ico was originally designed for the first Playstation and before it was completed it moved platforms to the PS2. With the depth of gameplay in Ico and SotC, it's very surprising that the earlier platforms would have and did work. There's just so much beauty in these games, from the artwork to the emotion and all that went into delivering such deep stories. If you enjoy games like Tomb Raider or Soul Reaver, you'll love these games as they have very similar styles, but of course a totally different story that's easily enjoyable. I'm glad to add these classics to my collection, even though I still have them for the PS2 I totally love playing them in HD. It's too bad I don't have a 3D TV; I'd love to try that out with SotC, but alas, I don't. Get this as soon as possible if you cherished them the first time.… Expand

This is a great chance for the new generation to experience two games that are timeless artistic masterpieces. Prepare to be amazed, you just don't come across games of this quality nowadays.

By the way I haven't even bothered to play ICO yet. So my score is based on Shadows OT Colossus. I'm not trying to trump ip the score scoring twice.

What can you say about Ico and Shadow of the Colossus? How one can describe these magnificent piece of art? You cant really, you need to experience these games yourself. Both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus proves that games can be more then just simple action games with pretty graphics or anime spirited goofy roleplaying games. Games can be deep, emotional and something that stays with you for rest of your life.… Expand

I've played these gems back in their times and I honestly thought my mind was not going to be blown again by these remakes. I was completely wrong. I cried the same tears of before during a very specific scene in Shadow of the Colossus (I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about). These games don't deserve our mundane shelves. They should be in museums.

When the game Shadow of the Colossus came out I never bought the game, but I played the demo. By just playing the demo I was blown away by how amazing it was. I never bought the game though (I do not even know why myself). Right after shadow of the Colossus came out people were mentioning about the game ICO that was from the same developers of SotC. I never got around to playing the game ICO. Finally after 6 to 10 years both games have been released on the PS3 as a collection. So I made sure I went out and bought the games and I am not disappointed.
ICO is a game about a boy with horn born in some village and appearently the village uses kids who are born with horn as sacrifices to keep the village safe. The boy is taken to a temple and put in a stone tomb. When the boy is trying to get out there is a little bit of shaking and the tomb comes loose releasing the boy. Soon after the boy finds a girl and tries to escape the temple with the girl. Playing ICO feels different than most games. The flow of the game is very slow and quite, which might turn of players that get bored easily. The relationship between the boy and girl is very heart warming and helps make the game engrossing. The soundtrack to the game is also a very strong point of the game intense at times and calm in others and also creepy when it needs to be. Shadow of the Colossus is the other game in the collection. The story to SotC is a young man's girlfriend is dead so he takes her into the forbidden land, which legend has it can bring people back to life. When the man gets to a temple and lays the body on the alter a spirit tells the man that he must kill 16 Colossi that roam the land in order to bring the woman back to life. The battles in SotC are intense, but also very fun. Using your sword on the game you will climb the colossi and find their weak spots. The colossi are huge some are almost the size of skyscrapers. When you enter a battle the music becomes intense. I love the music on this game, it has a feel to it that is rare in most soundtracks. When the player defeats a colossus, you actually start to feel sorry for the colossi. You do not know if the colossi are good or bad. Most do not even attack you on site. So you actually start to question the acts you are commiting. The colossi are the only creature on the game that you fight. So much of the time you are traveling to the next colossus. It takes a while and it is very quite, but the land is amazing to look at. It is truly art. I am a believer that video games can be art. If you thought about playing these game, but never bought them on their release now is the time to play them.… Expand

ICO and Shadow of the Colossus are two games unlike any other. They require you to think, feel and are not afraid to test you both physically and emotionally. In ICO, you control an imprisoned young boy (that's Ico) who finds a mysterious girl who speaks an strange language (thus, it's not translated for the player), Yorda, and decides to escape the shadowy castle that confines them. Yes, for most of the game, you'll have to escort a completely helpless companion but the game does a wonderful job of making you feel connected to Yorda... the way you hold her hand to guide her, the way Ico helps her up from a high cliff, her body language to signify hesitation or pain, the way she gasps when Ico falls & hurts himself are just some examples of how emotional attachment is created between you (as Ico) and Yorda. You're basically thrown into the game and are given no tips or advice, only subtle clues on how to complete the masterfully designed puzzles. In Shadow of the Colossus, you'll have to fight 16 colossi in order to revive your lost love. You have to travel a vast land on your horse, find each colossi and kill it. Of course, killing a colossi isn't simple and each one is a puzzle in and of itself. Both games look fantastic in HD (though Shadow does suffer from some texture pop-in) and have amazing soundtracks. The controls are a bit rough and the character animation/movement might feel outdated but consider that they were made to move as realistically as possible using the PS2 hardware. Overall, you're getting two magnificent games for $40 and the additional game content for ICO (minor changes to puzzles, secret ending from PAL version, New Game+ co-op play and translation for Yorda's dialogue), 2 dynamic themes and bonus videos all make it a fantastic value. If you have some patience and can open up your mind, these two games will forever change your perception on video games.… Expand

2 of the most underated and best games ever made for price of 1, if your a long time fan of team ico's work or even if you missed out on these hidden gems id highly recommend you pick this collectoion edition up.

The games are more of an experiance than a game, the animation, lighting, gameplay, charectors and asthetic design all culminate to create an atmospheric and beutiful adventure.

ICO is about a young boy who must escape a strange land with a mysterious girl who is held captive by strange shodowy creatures, you must work together to solve puzzles, escape enemies and traps, defeat monsters and ultimately win your freedom, truely one of the most beutiful and atmospheric games out there on any generation of console, this game deserves to sit proudly amongst your collection.

Shadow of the Collosus is the sequal to ICO, your charector has grown into a young man and travels to a forbiden land to seek the aid of a demon to save the life of your mysterious companion from the previous adventure. Whilst the game keeps the sthetic qualitys of the origional it has vastly differant gameplay, for a start it is an open world sandbox adventure, your main task is to destroy huge giants, there are no minions to fight, only the hugely intimidating creatures which the game has you clambering up like some sort of animated structure, theryre made of part stone part flesh and each colossus has its own individual way of defeating it whether it be climbing up it back hair and gripping to it back for dear life plunging a sword into its weak spot, leaping fromyour stampeding stalion onto a giants wing and slowly working your way along its snake like body and 100 mph 10,000 ft in the air or even being tossed around on a giants beard as you desperately slash at its face with your sword, truely epic in every sense of the word, if you regard yourself as a serious gamer you owe it to yourself to experiance the adventures of a young boy named ico.… Expand

I had previously played Ico, but never picked up shadow of the colossus. I had a lot of people tell me shadow of the colossus was a must play so I picked it up. Both of these games are excellent and well worth 20 dollars a piece(since it is 2 games in the bundle.) The graphics on Ico are quite a bit better than before and shadow of the colossus is a beautiful game as well. I can stop playing it

Shadow of the Colossus was one of my all-time favorite games and nothing has changed. There's not much else that's needed to be said, the games are beautiful, fun and full of life. This collection is well worth the money spent.

When they were originally released, each of these games made a strong argument for the games-are-art crowd. They are both patient and beautiful games, with much of their sophistication shown even between the battles. Neither try to be all action, they are all immersion. Yes, the controls are dated, and yes, the poly count is low. But these two games set the standard for emotional, engrossing environments that games today still have trouble touching. If you've never played either and want to know what inspires amazing games today, got get it. And if you played either on the PS2, and wonder how they look and play on modern technology, the answer is: timeless.… Expand

It doesn't matter if you have or haven't played the PS2 versions of both games, seeing them back in HD after more than 5 years it worth your time and money. Games with an originality and gameplay like these are rarely made. You won't be disappointed.

A masterpiece! Two of the most before their time games repackaged with crisp visuals. Although there is room for improvement, there is something satisfying about knowing they stayed true to their original game - flaws and all. Brilliant.

Even though these two games are the only games Team Ico has made for the last ten years, I consider Team Ico one of Sony's most dangerous assets in video gaming. These two games alone are one of my greatest gaming experiences and I am grateful that they are re-imagined in HD. ICO, while now I did find it a bit slow and the controls really awkward and took time getting used to, the build up and emotional depth of the story is just as fantastic as it was ten years ago and Shadow of the Colossus' minimal concept of just fighting giant colossus is still breathtakingly awesome. If you have missed out on these PS2 classics, I suggest getting this on the PS3 while you still have the chance and hope that Team Ico's next release, The Last Guardian, will be released as soon as you wished.… Expand

Great collection of games! I will keep it short. This franchise of games reminds me of Zelda. To me this is this generations Zelda (I know Zelda is still currently in production). You get a great value for you money with two top rated games. Explore this wonderful world and enjoy a rebirth of 2 PS2 games on the PS3. Scores: Game play 5/5, sound 5/5, graphics 5/5, fun factor 4/5, replay value 4/5.

What is better than a masterpiece? That's right TWO. Although I prefer Shadow of the Colossus more then Ico this collection is one of the best I've seen in years.

Amazing. Pure art. Beautiful. Masterpiece.
There's nothing else to be said about this game.
BUY IT NOW!
ICO is so fantastic that almost made me cry. It's so beatiful!

Two Playstation 2â

Shadow of the Colossus and Ico are both great games, both have a unique gameplay and storyline, if you want a great game experience and a beatiful storyline, this is for you.

The complete Package. When i first played these games back in 07 they were considered to be at or near the top of the gaming world. Ico was considered to be one of the best, and most innovative puzzle games ever made, and Shadow of the Colossus, was the best action packed, heart racing game to ever grace the ps2. Now steeping ahead more than 5 years it's interesting to see how these games stack up to modern games. I'm glad to say that this time around neither of these game's left me feeling disappointed, In fact together they manage to make this collection masterful. The first thing i would like to note is that these game's got the much needed face lift they deserve. Not only that, but there was a lot of work that went into making these games look the best they will ever look. Before and after i got done playing shadow of the colossus/ico i pop'ed in the original ps2 disk's just to check out the difference between them. And on a 46" flat screen, the difference was outstanding. The ps2 version's looked more like a high-mid end psp games, you can barley make out any of the textures or even some of the objects in the game, not to mention that Shadow of the colossus didn't even play at 30 fps. The remakes however look like they could be early, flat ps3 games. Not to say that the games look bad in any way, both of these games were made with the developers understanding the hardwhere they were working on, so both of them are more focused on aesthetic value rather than textures or high end models or environments. Even without the use of high end textures, effects, and animation these game look exactly like they were supposed to, and both have their own very unique look . At no point in Shadow of the Colossus, or Ico did i louse the sense of immersion, because of how the game's looked. The only gripes that i had with these game's is that the controls are not perfect. Now as i mentioned before i have played both of these game's before so when i got around to playing the collection i already knew exactly how to work each game. So the controls were only off putting for one of two brief moment's of either game, but i can defiantly see new players having issues with the camera, horse and climbing controls of these games. However even the greatest issues never ruined either game for very long, and don't diminish the over all experience of the games at all. The thing that makes these games shine however isn't the game play, or the graphics, these games gave birth to an entirely new way that game's could be looked at.One where the player experienced the story through the game play. When Fumito Ueda was creating Ico he didn't even think of it as a game, it was to be a new experience. It didn't have life bars, stamina, engaging combat none of the elements found in traditional games.It doesn't even have a many elements of conventional story telling, the game doesn't use dialogue,character expression, or music most of the time. Nothing in the game tells you how you should feel about the relation of the two main characters except for how they interact with each other. The game proves that, it doesn't need anything, but game play to tell a complex story. Ico was the fist game to ever do such a thing, it literally turned game play into an art from. Shadow of the colossus also did the same to a certain extent. Even though wanderer almost never speaks, and doesn't display much emotion, at the end of the game i felt a great deal of empathy, and sadness for him, and the colossus he slew because of how the game played out. These game's are not conventional, and should not be judged by most conventional game standers. In fact the games would ultimately be ruined by adding modern innovation, especially Ico. You play as a kid that's twelve or so years old, who has to defend himself with a stick, modernizing the combat to make it even a little more like god of war, or devil may cry would kill the experience. The experiences that these games offer is complete, out side of some control issues nothing about them need's to be changed. If your just looking for a new game to play or want to experience some of the finest work in video game history this collection should not be over looked.… Expand

This remastered version of the beloved game ICO and Shadow of the Colossus truly brings back memories playing these fantastic games on the PS2. Both of these games are emotional and artistic masterpieces and this gets me pumped for Last Guardian. If you like platformers or games with huge boss fights get this games right now.

One of the Best games of all time comes to the PS3 remastered in full HD. The game looks Beautiful, the soundtrack is the one of the best IF not the best soundtrack of all time. Both games have a unique charm that most games lack. Do not pass out on this game, you will regret it!

Great HD remix of these delightful games. These games are story based, fairy tale adventures. ICO is a puzzle-based, exploration game with light platforming. Shadow of the Colossus is much like the boss battles in Castevania, where you must find weak spots on giant titan-sized bosses. While gameplay in the latter can get repetitive, getting both of these triple-A titles is a bargain for the price.
One last note, the 3D effect is nice and most impressive in Shadow of the Colossus. Definitely bust out the 3D glasses if you have this available.… Collapse

Full stop. You HAVE to play these games! It makes me sad that they won't come out on xbox, because everyone should play these masterpieces. Ico may not have aged as well as Shadow, but Shadow remains to this day one of the greatest games of all time! Must buy!

These games ARE NOT art. They're just damn good games. Just because the art design of the game world, charcters, colossi are sublime; and the musical scores are perfect, and the stories are so well crafted into the actual gameplay does not mean we need to parade these games around like they are something other. I do consider Fumito to be an artist however. These are two innovative ass games point blank period.… Expand

Only reason I am typing review is because stupid metacritic would not let me just give the game a score.
I wish metacritic had a score so I can score it right for it's lagging service.
I wanted to give the collection a 10 because it deserves it. Those games took me places and made me feel things no other games did. In ICO, responsibility and care I felt for the girl was awesome, and in Shadow of colossus it was a conflict between fight for bringing the loved one back to life and having to slay those great beasts in order to do so.
Both games are true masterpieces of the game design supported by awesome and appropriate visuals and manage to get the player emotionally involved much better than most of the rest.
Looking forward to the next one.… Expand

This is a very atmospheric game. Not really sure its everyone's cup of tea, but the visuals still impress today. The HD update hasn't really added much, but it's made it possible to enjoy all over again. Its all worth it for the ending that definitely is up there with the greats.

Two amazing games. Ico is much harder to get into compared to it's twin brother Shadow of The Colossus, but both games are worth a shot if you have an open mind to something different.

Is this game good or bad? Trick question...it's amazing. The more unfavorable reviews have been by the players who sit at home and cut fruit on their iPads. Theyre more into games that send you into the action immediately, games that require no investment on your part. Though those games can be fun they are not the kind of game this is. To get anything out of these games you must put time into them. Let's start with SotC. The music is absolutely phenomenal. When you climb unto your first colossus and that music starts beating away in the background it feels so overwhelming. It's just that it though...it FEELS... That's what's lacking in some games... soul.... Every colossus is an epic encounter that just makes you think about how beautiful and surreal it all is. There are 16 colossus in the game but no conventional grunts. That could be a turn off for some players not being occupied enough between colossus encounters. I never understood that though. Why is it that for a game to be played over and over there has to be some generic enemy that you fight all the time? It's shows how un creative society has become. What were games on the Atari 2600? I'll tell you, bee boo bee bloop, some squares and a bunch of sounds. Kids still played the heck out of them though. When every gamer falls into that horrible shooter/casual cliche it leaves little room for a new ip to bust its way in. Nobody wants to work on things that are 'different' anymore. They feel they need a AAA Call of Duty/Battlefield type game to feel current. When you bought your first play station, what was parappa the rapper? Some game that was uniquely different, a game that no one in this day and age would even conceive of much less make it. SotC is a game that needs to be played not on the play station 3 though but rather on the play station 2. It brings me to another thing.. Graphics. I used to think Oot had the best graphics ever. All the jaggies and pixels never stood out. Sure graphics give the game a layer of but they don't make the gameplay better. It's just pissy little 14 year olds who are more into their Skyrims and Call of Dutys than homework, sports, etc. They talk about graphics this graphics and saying that the games they play are innovative and awesome. Games that require no brains or anything but rather a higher sensitivity setting. Games that get 9/10's on the biased IGN are considerd best game ever. Why? Why when a game like chu chu rocket provided everlasting fun? A game like chu chu rocket would not be accepted into today's gaming society because of the appeal towards Micheal Bay-esque video games. A game that was good 10 years ago cannot get the same score today because of graphics and other small details. How does Code Veronica get 9.5 editors choice award back in the day but now gains a paltry 6/10? I'll tell you why. Today's gamers are the worst there's ever been. Developers are following a trend that has turned into a spiral. A spiral into garbage games and half assed ideas. If arcades were still around, they never will be back in a big way because of the lazy everyday gamer, they would be populated by 3 kinds of people. Average joes, wannabes and people who played these games as a kid. If time crisis and house of the dead came back into arcades I personally would dump quarters into the machines like BP dumping toxic waste into the Michigan River. Ico whoever is not as good sat SotC. It's more puzzle than adventure. I do agree with it being slow but it's still a solid game. Can't wait for the Last Guardian to come out.

Shadow of the Colossus 10/10
Ico 7.5/10… Expand

This package includes 2 wonderful games in one. One of the best thing about these games is how different the two of them are. ICO is more of a puzzle platformer game while Shadow of the Colossus features very few puzzles and is instead almost entirely based on boss battles. However, both games manage to totally immerse the player.

It takes a bit of an artistic eye to really appreciate how great these games really are. The stories are very good and deep, although on the surface there really isn't a whole lot there. If you're able to look into the game it becomes so much more deep.

2 beautiful and great games in one package. The added HD brings a little bit to the table, but not a whole lot. Still, a very worthwhile package.… Expand

If you havent played either of these games, then this is a must buy. These games are a calling card to modern games about how to give the player motivation in their goals, without shoving it in your face. When people reviewed the game Journey, they mention that it reminds them quite a bit of Ico, due to its vast environments, great soundtrack(note though that most of the game is filled with the sound of empty castle winds, yet when the music does play its great), and gameplay based on pure empathy. Granted, its easier to want to help a complete stranger when they're of the opposite gender and its literally defenseless, but its still empathy none the less. Ico is all about atmosphere, environments, motivation for the player, and subtle story telling. As far as SOTC goes, I shouldn't need to explain why you need to get it. You roam a distant far off land fighting giant stone monsters with just a sword and a bow, that's all you need. Not only that, but its also got an immensely good soundtrack, even better subtle storytelling, and graphics that were literally bogged down by the limitation of the ps2. The HD conversion is done brilliantly for both games, however Ico has aged more noticeably, as seen in textures that, while cleaned up, still look muddy. There are 2 reasons this game doesn't get a 10. 1st is control gripes, such as Ico being clunky at times, or Yorda, the princess, being fickle. The other is that you cannot switch between the 2 games, you have to pick one, then if you want to switch, you have to quit out to the XMB. Overall, a great collection that cant be missed.… Expand

Two masterpieces on one disk in HD it's just amazing! If you do not play on PS2 can not skip, and if the game is able to do it on the big screen with the best texture a great reason to buy.

So I never played the PS2 version, and I didn't hear about it until shortly before I played it, it was probably mainly reading the reviews, and hearing some of the praise it got, I must admit it really deserves it, the game feels epic, the music is awesome, and feels like a part of the whole experience. Although I have to admit I was a little disappointed in the PS3 HD release, as it still looks like a PS2 game, this doesn't ruin the game, but you'd think they could update some of models, like I did see screenshots of someone emulating the old PS2 edition 1080p and I couldn't really tell the difference.

I'm not some huge fan of Japanese games, I enjoy games from everywhere, so I'm not a apologist, I find Final Fantasy (10 billion) As engaging as watching the weather forecast in the middle of winter, but this game is awesome, and if you want a unique gaming experience that's challenging and visually impressive, then I'd encourage you to get this game. It's also one of the few games that can get my heart pumping, I think that's a mixture of the music and the intensity of the Colossus battles.

No game is perfect though, there was the lack of enthusiasm put in the HD release, and some of the Colossi are so un-intuitive to figure out how to fight, you just have to praise the fact we have the internet(The worst imho was the Gecko-like one).… Expand