Quick Note: Toren succeeds at being a unique, artistic look at the concept of time and a hero's sacrifice. Watching yourself grow older and seeing the numerous sacrifices made is interesting, but the wonky combat controls and the sparse details to story can make the two hour experience feel jagged at times.
Ico has long been revered as one of the best examples of minimalist story telling in a AAA video game. Dropping players into the shoes of a mysterious little boy with no backstory and no narration, the game is excellent at telling the game's story without beating players over the head with narration or even text. Surprisingly enough, this format hasn't been emulated all that much in games, possibly because it's very difficult to balance. Toren is a great attempt at using the world to build a unique and whimsical story, but the game falls short of the well designed game it is influenced by.
