The Last Guardian – The Silent Cinema of Team Ico (A Video Essay)

I have always, since my early days of playing games like Super Mario Bros, Wolfenstein 3D and even titles like Street Fighter, thought of games as being something more. Any game, is a form of art. It’s a form of group or sometimes individual expression, that exists to portray a message, to put across a story, to mirror something in real life but always to try and entertain.

A YouTuber, named Orrin Luc has posted a “video essay” comparing the game design skills of Team Ico (of Ico, Shadow of the Colossus and the upcoming title The Last Guardian) to the early days of silent cinema with the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. If you have a decent level or respect for video games – not just enjoyment, but respect, then leave for a minute, get a drink come back sit comfortably and take 10 minutes to watch the following video.

A lot of interesting points, but a lot of points that I think have been thought of and highlighted many times before, but comparing specifically Team Ico with the Golden Age of Silent Cinema is a very astute observation, and one the Orrin Luc deserves praise for by putting across in such a succinct way.

What about you Real Gamers? If you want a good story, do you watch a film or play a game? What are your most compelling narrative driven games? Let us know in the comments below or in the RGM Forums.