I recently played through the PS4 remake of Shadow of the Colossus. The graphics are really fantastic on the PS4 build, to be sure. I think that the shitty controls were something we just sort of 'put up with' because the scope of the game was so vast and unlike anything we'd ever seen before. The horse controls like garbage. The camera control is frustrating. Wander is a clumsy fuck that controls like he's always drunk. The monotony of the game's core mechanics expose how threadbare the gameplay is. (...) Also, The Last Guardian was absolutely NOT worth the wait. That game was a steaming pile. Oddly enough, Ico may be the best game out of the three.
I haven't played the PS3 version, nor the PS4 one, but I think that's a bit harsh, especially you not only bash the controls, but also the whole idea of what this game is. Sure, it was frustrating to have the character lose grip seemingly without a reason, but to me, the framerate was the biggest issue on the PS2. The game was pushing the console too hard. Frameskipping was insane at times.
The controls I got used to, and actually didn't mind at all after I got good at the game. I even made the climb to the top of the tower, which forced me to complete the game a whole bunch of times to build up the stamina. Some of the colossi are more frustrating than others, but I always thought about it this way. Fighting them is the only thing you do. Were the controls super-tight and everything would just happen the way you imagine it to, the game would be too easy.
In fact, it is really easy once you beat it a couple of times and are able to kill some of the colossi with a single blow.
As for the monotony, I kind of enjoyed it. Not the monotony, because I don't feel it's the way the game is, but the emptiness. There are no two ways about it. The whole world exists only as a hub, with little to no exploring to be done, but it's such a peaceful place.
If the camera is a problem in SotC, I don't know how you can just accept it in ICO. The game is all about platforming, and some camera angles are just crazy. It's sometimes impossible to gauge the jump distance, which is frustrating, to say the least.
The Last Guardian was OK. I did enjoy it, but it wasn't all I had hoped it would be. It's not bad, either, it's just unremarkable. I guess this was to be expected after being in development limbo for so long.
It can't be denied these games share the same world and atmosphere, and that's what these experiences are about for me. It's such a intriguing place. I feel like Lost in Shadow / A Shadow's Tale for the Wii shares this world in a way. I've enjoyed it as well and I recommend it. It was one of the Wii titles I was really excited about back then.