Fumito Ueda’s game *Ico*, released on PlayStation 2 in September 2001, deeply impacted Neil Druckmann, co-creator and director of *The Last of Us*. Even now, 25 years later, Druckmann considers a late-game scene from *Ico* to be his all-time favorite video game moment. Be aware that the following discussion contains spoilers for this older title.
In a recent interview with BAFTA, Neil Druckmann described a particularly memorable game moment from Ico. He explained that the game features a mechanic where you hold the hand of a character named Yorda and guide her, creating a feeling that she’s vulnerable and needs your help.
There’s this one part near the end of the game that still gets to me. You’re on a bridge that’s falling apart, and Yorda ends up on the other side from you. You’re just running towards this huge gap, thinking you’re going to fall, honestly. But then, at the last possible second, she reaches out and *grabs* you! It was such a surprise, and so emotional, because she’d never done anything like that before in the whole game. It really stuck with me.
Druckmann described the moment as deeply inspiring, explaining that the game’s handholding feature made him feel more connected to the character Yorda than he had to any character in a game before.
This character and their relationship took an unexpected turn, and it’s impossible not to feel deeply moved while playing that role. I’ve been striving to recapture that same emotional impact in every game I’ve created since.
Druckmann recently shared his love for Ico, calling it his all-time favorite game while celebrating the title’s 20th anniversary.
Neil Druckmann recently left his position as co-showrunner of HBO’s The Last of Us to concentrate on creating games again. He’s now working on Naughty Dog’s new PlayStation exclusive, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. While a third season of The Last of Us isn’t off the table, there are currently no plans for its development.
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2025-10-15 23:39