2) Team Ico
Known games: Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, The Last Guardian
Working endlessly from the deep, dark depths of Sony’s top development studios sits Team Ico. The young development team released their first game in 2001 for the Playstation 2 with a tidal wave of positive feedback, reviews, and awards. The third person game, Ico, was a quiet epic adventure that followed a young boy through an overworld filled with puzzles. Sound familiar? Team Ico have only released two games in their lifetime and each borrows building block elements that make up a Legend of Zelda game.
Their second game defines video games as a work of art. Shadow of the Colossus was released in 2005 and is ultimately a reason why every gamer should own/borrow a Playstation 2. To be frank, Shadow of the Colossus is Zelda with huge bosses rather than dungeons. Let me rephrase that last part. Extremely gigantic bosses that stretch the level of game design to a new benchmark.
Why should Team Ico develop software for Nintendo consoles?
Much along the lines of Miyamoto’s style, Team Ico believes top notch art design in a game can make up for underpowered console hardware. This development philosophy is undoubtedly true and is something that Nintendo needs right now. We don’t always need guns, explosions, or photo-realistic graphics, but an epic work of art that is propelled by an unforgettable storyline.
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