ICO

Although it looks like an adventure game and has some rudimentary action sequences, Ico is mostly about solving puzzles. Players will run, jump and climb their way through the gargantuan castle as well as figure out which objects and environments are interactive. Yorda is very much a damsel in distress, and isn't nearly as capable as Ico. A great deal of the puzzles require the player to create a safe path for Yorda, who isn't physically able to get to the places Ico can. The puzzles are quite brilliant, although a few are so tough that players will feel like ditching the princess.

Graphics, particularly the lighting effects and animations, are fantastic and the developers did a superb job of conveying the enormity and beauty of the castle. When Ico and Yorda move and interact, their actions seem totally lifelike. The ambient soundtrack and simple controls let the player focus on the tasks at hand. Sony has crafted a very unique game that anyone can play; few games are as elegant in their simplicity as this puzzler. --Raymond M Padilla

Over the last few years, some amazing games have been produced. Black and White, Halo, The Sims, Grand Turismo 3, Final Fantasy 10, Max Payne, Grand Theft Auto 3, Red Faction, Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty - these are all wonderful games that are frequently mentioned in reviewer's top game lists. However, amongst this sell-out crowd of greats, Ico quietly and gracefully stands head and shoulders above.

Ico takes video gaming in new directions by removing the traditional constraints presented in RPG, adventure, puzzle, and action games. Presenting a singular world with characters that are alive and emotionally moving, Ico gives players the freedom to think and to participate. As such, Ico represents the beginnings of a kind of interactive entertainment not yet seen. There are no "find the key", "manage scant resources", "worry about health points", "can't go here before going there", or "character leveling" mechanics in Ico. The theatrical world presented pulls players in like no game yet created. You don't so much play Ico, as take in the experience of having done so.

Although arguably a fairy tale, Ico has a universal appeal brought about by its ability to touch even the most staid of gamers with the plight of its central characters. If you haven't played Ico, you're missing something incredibly special. Ico is the reason I bought a PS2. If you own a PS2 and don't already own this game, go and buy a copy now. If you don't own a PS2, Ico is reason enough to buy one. For my money, Ico is unequivocally the game of the year. There is no other game on any current platform (PC, XBox, GameCube) with the same degree of artistic vision, storytelling, and technical quality. Forget Grand Turismo 3. Forget Final Fantasy 10. Forget Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty. (All great games by the way.) If you haven't played Ico, you simply haven't experienced what the PlayStation 2 is capable of. You've also missed a gaming experience not likely to be duplicated for a long while.

Gameplay
Produced by an internal development studio at Sony, Ico tells the story of a little boy sacrificed by his village because he is born with horns. After being taken to a mysterious castle and entombed, he is left to die. However, Ico's spirit and will to live are like no other. In his journey to escape the castle, Ico meets Yorda - a young girl equally imprisoned and whose language he cannot understand. Thus, the children begin their journey to escape against surroundings of impenetrable odds, yet immense beauty.

There is much more to the story than I have revealed. Haunting segments are scattered throughout the puzzles that make up the majority of the game. Usually, this type of storytelling annoys me, but the bond between Ico and Yorda is so great and the depth of their fate just as compelling that this hardly seemed to matter. After the game is finished, it is almost impossible to stop thinking about it. While the story is complete, many details have startling implications and are left to the player's interpretation. Like the revelation in the film The Sixth Sense, Ico takes on a completely different context when played a second time.

During the game proper, there is intentionally little story being told. The player is left to deal with the obstacles faced by the children. The bulk of the story's resolve comes during the last quarter of the game. This minimalist approach actually works to Ico's benefit. Had there been more revealed during the game, players would not be able to give attention to the immediacy of the tasks at hand nor would they find themselves as involved in them. When you finally come to understand how Yorda is inseparably bound to the castle, the dramatic impact leaves ones stomach feeling empty. I can't think of any game that has had the ability to affect me this way.

During many parts of the game, Yorda seems curiously detached and wonders away from Ico. At first this seemed like a bug or omission in programming. However, as the story is revealed, it becomes startlingly evident why Yorda has no real motivation to leave the castle. The power in the story is that Yorda is still inexplicably drawn to Ico and to his need to escape. (Note, it is important not to turn the game off as the ending credits role. If you do, you'll miss a significant part of the story that occurs after the credits have finished.)

While a difficult game to classify, it is certainly possible to identify what Ico is not. Ico is not an RPG or an adventure game in the traditional sense. Ico is not a survival/horror game, or a sports title, or a puzzle game (although, in an odd way, Ico is closer to the puzzle genre than to any other). Ico is not an action or fighting game despite the fact that there are battle sequences. Ico's gameplay is deceptively simple: get from point A to point B. It is in how you do this that sets Ico apart.

Ico's puzzles come from the environment that the children inhabit. To escape the castle, Ico and Yorda must navigate drawbridges, windows, caverns, windmills, ladders, ropes, and the great sea that separates them from land. Ico's agility allows him to climb and to leap great distances, however, Yorda is frail and unable to cross obstacles requiring such strengths. Ico must first determine his own path and then assist Yorda or find a new path that she can traverse. While this pairing might seem one-sided, Yorda's body possesses a magic that neither child understands. The essence of Yorda's abilities ultimately traps her in the castle's grasp, but these abilities also allow the pair to open passages that Ico alone could not.

Ico is the playable character, while Yorda will follow or may be left alone so that Ico can explore the greater surroundings. If Yorda is left for too long, the castle's creatures attempt to steal her away. Thus, Ico must solve the puzzles before him while protecting Yorda along the way. This need to protect Yorda whilst dealing with your own dilemma is what creates such an incredible sense of connection between the children and the player. When Ico takes Yorda by the hand and guides her gently to safety, the result nourishes both the mind and soul. Equally as compelling are the times when Ico must tug Yorda along with great haste. She simply cannot keep up and players feel every ounce of her delicate nature. Thus, while the puzzles themselves are extremely well designed, it is the context in which they are presented that takes the game to higher levels. Ico and Yorda are incredibly believable characters, perhaps two of the strongest characters yet seen in a video game. The fact that this believability is achieved with little spoken dialog is a testimony to the ability of the storytellers. Ico's story is experienced, not told. After walking a mile with Ico and Yorda, you really feel as though you've been right alongside them.

The puzzle design in Ico is nothing short of brilliant. That's because you are never really presented with puzzles. The puzzles exist because of the environment and because of the strengths and weaknesses of the children. Even speech plays a role as both children can speak but neither understands the same language.

The solutions to all the puzzles are in the game. Yes, I know we've all read this before (and been duped), but in Ico this is actually true. Using a walkthrough guide or cheat codes doesn't make sense. Firstly, if you use these, there is no game left to play - you have robbed yourself of the entire point of the experience. Secondly, because solutions are deduced by interacting with the environment, the answers, when discovered, feel incredibly sensible - this gives immense satisfaction in figuring them out. (There are no Tomb-Rader-like puzzles requiring Vulcan mind melds with the developers.) Having said this, some of the puzzles are challenging. You must examine what you know and sometimes think a bit outside of what you know. Every puzzle can be figured out by deduction and by performing actions in the game. That's one of the things that I love about Ico. It doesn't fe


Absorbing, beautiful masterpiece.   November 25, 2002
D. James (UK)
27 out of 28 found this review helpful

Ico is, without doubt, the most beautiful masterpiece of a game ever created. The amount of graphical and emotional style that has gone into is unsurpassed by anything else. The game is fairly simple though, and relies on a system of symbiotic survival. You play as Ico, trapped in a huge castle you must help to free a strange spirit girl named Yorda. You have no life bar, but your life is ended if Yorda is captured by the castle's spirits. So your survival is dependent on hers, and vice versa. This system creates an incredible atmosphere, and a bond between player and character. Your mind will be focused entirely on Yorda's protection, creating anxiety whenever the sound of the spirit enemies can be heard. Your only weapon (at first anyway) is a piece of wood that you must swing valiantly to defeat your foes. They will only appear occasionally though, but when they do, it is usually in groups, and they will work as a team to try to capture Yorda. The rest of the game relies heavily on its puzzles, and you must try to help Yorda get to the places that only Ico can originally reach. Its all very clever stuff, and makes you think, whilst keeping you on edge all the time. Added to this is the game's graphical style that perfectly compliments it. Yorda has a kind of glow, as she moves elegantly and silently, holding onto Ico's hand. Facial expressions are also visible as well as the very subtle body movements of the characters. It's all very lifelike and helps to bring the characters to life that little bit more. The castle environments are huge and helped by the long draw distance. In fact, the graphics are nothing short of stunning, constantly showing that with a bit of good programming, the Playstation 2 hardware can be pushed to astonishing proportions. Absolutely beautiful game.


Ico European Re-Release!!!   November 6, 2005
27 out of 30 found this review helpful

Before you hand over your money to these people who are charging over-extortionate prices for this excellent game, check out www.eurogamer.com. The game Ico is being re-released in europe when Shadow Of The Colossus comes out in February 2006! This is great for those who missed out playing this game when it came out about 4 years ago. So wait a few months and you can probably get this game for about £20 estimated retail price! You could just ignore this and still buy it but I'm just thinking of you guys that want to buy this truly wonderful game!


Legendary   January 13, 2006
22 out of 23 found this review helpful

For those people out there who have not played Ico I have to say it is the best game I have ever played.

Unlike some I do not use this statement lightly. I have been plaing games for over 20 years and nothing I have ever played is as good as this game.

The story is the most captivating part of the whole experience. You find yourself itching to find out what happens next, desperate to learn if Yorda and Ico escape the castle. There are shocks along the way too - the biggest coming when you finally make it out of the castle.

The graphics have to be seen to be believed. Considering this is a 4 year old game on what is now the ageing technology of the PS2 they are stunning. When you reach the heights of the castle you can see the lush valleys and woods running for miles to the horizon and the sense of atmosphere and isolation that this gives is superb.

Add to this the haunting score and understated soundtrack and it's a real assault on the senses.

The gameplay takes the form of a very simple interface, matched to some pretty complex puzzles. Basically you find yourself in a huges castle and have to navigate from room to room by passing through idol doors which only Yorda can open. The challenge comes in getting Ico and Yorda to the doors together, whilst keeping Yorda safe. This sounds simple, but often needs plenty of thought! There is not a lot of combat but what combat there is has to be done tactically to prevent Yorda being taken.

The only slight downsize is that the game is not huge. I'm not great games player, but I polished it off in 3 weeks. That said I did play it virtually every day of those 3 weeks as I was desparate to see the story unfold.

The terms legendary, classic and best game ever and bandied about far too easily. However, in the case of Ico they are all richly deserved.

(I only hope Shadow of the Collossus provides the same sort of magical experience)


some things you should know   July 16, 2006
R. Fiveash (dorset)
22 out of 25 found this review helpful

Like many people judging from the review i loved ico, i only gave it four stars because i felt it wasn't long enough and the graphics weren't quite there for five stars, don't take this the wrong way though it is still an excellent game and i must admit if it was any longer then it may of began to drag a bit. Having looked at the review before I will not go on about the graphics and simple yet beautiful storyline etc, instead i feel that there are some things you should know before and as you play.
1. Before you do anything, read the instructions unlike many games this one doesn't have an inbuilt tutorial so it is advantageous to read the guide. The controls are easy to work out but it is helpful to what buttons to press the first time the shadow creatures turn up (you'll understand when you see)
2.Whatever you do don't leave Yorda alone for long stretches of time, you'll get the idea as the game progresses.
3. If in doubt of how to get somewhere think of the longest route possible, you'll probably be right.
4.Think literally and prepared to get fustrated at times, but also feel great when you solve a puzzle.
5. Also be prepared to fight differently, fighting isn't very prominent in this game but when it happens you'll be playing a purely defensive role which is very different to normal games and in a way quite refreshing.
6. Don't put the game down once you've started, occassionally you have to backtrack through areas (trying not to give too much away here) and its no good if you get a little lost.
I'm giving you this advice because i believe you should of already made up your mind and decided to buy this game, its a refreshing change from other games and lovely to play if nothing else.