Pure Fantasy - A game designer's favorite game

One of the most difficult challenges I've faced as someone who has tried making multiple games for a considerable portion of my life is to get the people actually playing my games to even fundamentally have any sort of investment in understanding the mechanics/story of the world I set up, and I'm still working on that.

It really says enough how this game does not explain anything to you so you feel absorbed in just trying to understand it even if it does have a very strong adventure-game/Zelda origin point. The emphasis on realism with the art direction is insane and only serves to make you believe you are actually sending commands to some boy in a box (even the rumble is used for the footsteps of the main person you're trying to protect here).

The map is about as fluid to move through as you could get in this era, puzzles are hidden about, and the combat is basic but plays into your fears and uncertainty.

Ico is a game that isn't really about blowing your mind or making you live in the game for a long time, it's a short fantasy adventure with emotion and heart and I had a pretty good time with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOwreeWIz_A