YOU GUYS — this isn't just a port; it's one of those rare moments when gaming history moves forward! Vanillaware has spent 23 years as essentially an export brand for Japan, with ICO (2001) and Shadow of the Colossus being playable almost exclusively on PlayStation. Their recent move to Steam is massive because it opens their entire catalog — including Shadow of the Colossus Remake launching September 2024 via Epic's First Run program - to a PC audience that has grown exponentially since the PS3 era. This mirrors Sega and Sonic Team's earlier move to put Sonic Frontiers on both consoles and Steam, proving there's a legitimate market for these iconic JRPG titles where they were previously absent.
What makes Vanillaware worth this much excitement is their art style — Miyamuto literally called them "purer, bolder than almost anything else in gaming" because of their hand-painted aesthetic. While most modern JRPGs go for the standard anime look, VanillaWare games read like oil paintings come to life; they used a unique cel-shading and texture technique that still looks stunning today. Watching Shadow's Colossus Remake run on PC at high resolution is going to be breathtaking. Plus, fan translators like SakuraStarfish have been porting their classics unofficially for years — so this isn't just one win; it's a win for every JRPGer who grew up playing ICO and now wants to share that magic with the next generation on Steam!
Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/legendary-jrpg-studios-23-year-shun-of-the-pc-has-ended-the-next-vanillaware-game-will-come-to-steam/
What makes Vanillaware worth this much excitement is their art style — Miyamuto literally called them "purer, bolder than almost anything else in gaming" because of their hand-painted aesthetic. While most modern JRPGs go for the standard anime look, VanillaWare games read like oil paintings come to life; they used a unique cel-shading and texture technique that still looks stunning today. Watching Shadow's Colossus Remake run on PC at high resolution is going to be breathtaking. Plus, fan translators like SakuraStarfish have been porting their classics unofficially for years — so this isn't just one win; it's a win for every JRPGer who grew up playing ICO and now wants to share that magic with the next generation on Steam!
Source: https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/legendary-jrpg-studios-23-year-shun-of-the-pc-has-ended-the-next-vanillaware-game-will-come-to-steam/