Sony Japan Studio: 28 Best Games They Helped Create

Developed by: Team Ico/GenDesign

While Ico and Shadow of the Colossus didn't sell like hotcakes, they are both considered iconic works from the PS2 era, plus top-tier examples of Japan Studio's output.

So when Team Ico announced they were creating a third game for the PS3, gamers paid attention. A cryptic teaser, had a boy being adorable with a large dog/bird creature, and that's all the info we got.

The game's development went radio silent for seven years. During that time, reports that Team Ico struggled to work with Sony publishing, and they eventually disbanded completely. Developer Fumito Ueda, reformed the studio as indie GenDesign, and they finished the game on a contractual basis, with it finally releasing on PS4 in 2016.

So, what of the game itself?

At this point, Ueda's minimalist melancholy fantasy world had been replicated to death, and his janky platforming controls were inexcusable. Also, it didn't help that the game could be frustrating when interacting with the central creature, named Trico.

Yet, this was also the game's power, Trico is impressively a living, breathing entity, one that has the gamer grow a natural bond with, as they venture through a mysterious land full of tense and challenging puzzles and set-pieces...plus the touching payoff still resonates.