"ICO" at its core is a platformer and puzzle-solver with some basic combat elements, but its deeper aspects make it far more than that. The title character, Ico, must lead a young girl called Yorda out of a rundown castle and protect her from shadow creatures that try to reclaim her. The gameplay is very simplistic and yet contains one of the richest experiences ever found in gaming. The way Ico leads Yorda around is so beautiful, so powerful than it makes the player forget that he's playing a game and is instead living a dream. The dual-shock controller adds to the experience by causing the player to "feel" Ico leading Yorda by the hand. Add in realistic body physics, and the feeling is one that remains etched in a player's memory.

Adding to the unforgettable experience are superb graphics, some of the best the PS2 has seen. While the characters can look a little hazy sometimes, they always look, act, and seem real. The environment itself is a work of art. Unlike games like "Myst", where puzzles are just put there with no purpose other than to be solved, the castle is a living and breathing puzzle that is there for a purpose. Textures, lighting effects, and water effects all add to the magic the gameplay already casts.

Soundwise, there isn't a lot of music in the game except during cutscenes, pause menu, and the ending. But had there been music duing gameplay, it might've actually ruined the experience. A whistling castle with dripping water, crackling fire, and the footsteps of Ico and Yorda is all that's needed here. It simply adds to the experience. Also, the original voices were left in the game, and subtitles have been provided.

With all the good that "ICO" has, is there bad? Unfortunately, yes. The game is sadly quite short. Seasoned players can finish this game in 7-10 hours or even less, and replay value isn't very high for some players. The battles in "ICO" are very easys, usually requiring hack-slash-and-retreat tactics (although, personally, I feel a grandiose fighting system would've been ridiculous). Also, there is a small bug in which the pause menu sometimes pops up and freezes the game. I've only come across this once, but it is there.

But in the end, "ICO" outshines all its faults. From beginning to end (the ending was one of the most satisfying endings I've ever seen in gaming, far more satisfying than the ending of "Final Fantasy VII"), "ICO" is a masterpiece, albeit sadly a short one. Some players will want to buy this game and relive the experience again and again. Others will only want to live it once through a rental. Either way, this game deserves to be played by anyone and everyone.

47 of 48 found the following review helpful:


a great game that holds up over time  May 05, 2003 By chris romano "toonlets.com"
I bought ICO over a year ago, but never completed it. That is, until recently. This weekend I popped it back in to my PS2 and finished it off...and boy, am I glad I did.

ICO is an absolutely wonderful game. It has impeccable art direction, superb gameplay, and a very charming story. I was blown away by the scope and design of the environment. Even today.

The story is simple. ICO is a small boy out to rescue a fair princess in a huge, daunting castle. Finding your way out of the fortress is just half the battle, as you are able to do things and go places the fragile princess is not. You must figure how to get her out, too, while fending off the dark spirits out to steal her back. The game is a moderately-paced fairy tale in the absolute best sense. From opening to closing credits, this game is top notch.

If you like puzzle adventure games, you have to play ICO. It's vast, cinematic, and wonderfully played out. At it's current retail price it's a bargain. The used prices are just too good to pass up.

Really. Do yourself a favor and play this game if you never have. It's an early PS2 title, but it's still one of the best, and probably one of the most genuine games you will ever play.

35 of 38 found the following review helpful:


The best demo I've played  Jul 24, 2001
The demo is amazing.. if you look for the "summer jampack" disk which is only 7.99 - then you can experience this (if it sounds like your kind of game). What follows has no spoilers.

It starts with a good setup movie, which explains how the horned boy got locked in the castle (inside an urn).. the movie is rendered with the game engine! (it is not silicon graphics pre-rendered footage).

After the movie setup leaves the camera alone in this huge prison room in the castle, the floor crumbles and your urn spills open tossing you (the boy) onto the ground.

The initial room is *huge* with 36 of these mysterious urns lining the wall. Since one assumes each urn has a (presumably dead) person in it, this is a spooky setup indeed.

The sound of ICO is very striking.. there is no music while playing, but with brilliant footfalls, torches and other sound effects who needs music?

Movement of the boy is almost flawless.. beautifully animated he walks, trots, runs, trips, jumps and a dozen other things with high realism.

The resolution of the view inside the castle is high (unlike the comment left by another poster), although the rough hewn stones that form the walls and floor, slightly shifting camera, and misty corners to the rooms can give a negative impression to some.. but if you take time with the 2nd analog stick to move the view up and around, looking at the high roof and the detail you will be amazed.. having a quality TV with S-video or better connections helps a lot as well.

Moving through the demo you are required to solve some very simple puzzles and bring down the cage holding the mysterious girl, who is animated with a soft glowing quality that is quite wonderful..

It is only when one reaches the outside of the castle (with girl in hand) that the power and resolution of the ICO graphics engine reveal itself.. the view distance is astounding, with moving clouds in a bright super-white sky, and shifting sea far below.. the grass is almost floro green in the sun, but dark in shadow. A spectacular windmill rotates (with creaking sounds) over a pool of clear water .. the water reflects the windmill and also bounces wavering suns rays onto the wall above it..

If you leap into the pool, the waves spread from your impact, changing the reflections correctly and in real time .. its quite quite stunning, and the best in-game water possibly ever seen.

Shifting the view around one can appreciate the vastness of the castle surrounds, and get an idea of the adventure that awaits the boy and his strange friend in the full game.. there remains only one more puzzle to solve (how to help the girl across the bridge).

Ending the demo reveals an amazing cinema (once again, all in-game clips) that shows night, rain, waterfalls, explosions, trees with leaves waving in the wind, more switches and puzzles and demons. The 1 minute music track that goes with this cinema is also spot on.

Playing the ICO demo (which can be done in little over 10 minutes) over and over again I've spotted more things each time and cannot wait for the full game..

Some (kids) will undoubtably think ICO is "boring" or does not involve blood or guns and so is not for them.. but I'm convinced ICO is going to be one of the top 5 games on all platforms for the year 2001, and will be a game for adults who still have a child inside, and can still lose themselves in a fairytale world.. especially one as beautifully rendered as this.

18 of 18 found the following review helpful:


A Mysterious Masterpiece  Aug 20, 2005 By S. Morales
The mysterious game called Ico never made a splash upon release, nor did it really try to. Just like its quiet and shadowy approach within the game, its marketing was just as ambiguous. While I think this game was definitely underrated by audiences, it was just a TAD overrated by critics. You control a boy born with horns called Ico, who's been banished away to an immense castle as we're told "for the good of the village." There you escape and find a white glowing princess, and you must lead her and yourself out of there while trying to avoid the princess being captured by her dark lordess mother and her ghouls, while solving puzzles along the way to get out.

Eyes and Ears: 4/5: On a simply artisitc level, Ico is brilliant and beautiful. It's apparent with both graphics and sound the designers were trying to go for a more artsy approach rather than a straight-out bar-none eye-popping design. The graphics in this game are gorgeous, but not to the casual observer, as most of its inspired level design, attention to detail, and polished glitz are greatly overshadowed by a misty fog, or a layer of light calming "fuzz." This effect gives the mysterious world at some mysterious time a sense of surrealistic ambience, almost as if we were dreaming this whole adventurous ordeal.
Sound I can summerize in one word: quiet. The ONLY music that ever plays during the game is when you're loading your game, if you die, and during the ending. The other 95% of the time there is no sound but various doves flying around, footsteps, clanks during battle, the main character's mystery language, and other sound effects. At first I felt the game could've only benefited from some beautiful fantasy type music, but later swallowed my words, as doing so would make this dreamlike experience, well, far less dreamlike.

Hands: 3/5: While everything else in this game was beautiful, I have to give an 'eh' to the controls. See, the camera is self moving, which means you can't control it and you must move the analog stick in the appropriate direction depending on what angle the camera is pointing (always annoying). Also, I've fallen more times than I needed to thanks to Ico's running being too loose to what degree I'm holding the analog stick. On top of that, during battles it's basically mashing the same button towards whatever enemy you're fighting... but keep in mind, battle is simply an icing on the cake in this game (an easy icing), the fundamental thing here is puzzle solving. Decent controls, but would have appreciated a tighter feel.

Brains: 4/5: While many complain that the puzzle aspect in this game isn't anywhere near the challenge they thought it would be, it's for good reason: this isn't Myst. There are no collecting items for later strategic use, or reading riddles and trying to figure out how to solve a puzzle from them, or connecting jigsaw pieces together. The "puzzle" aspect in this game are from trying to find a way out of what specific area you're in, and not only that, but trying to get the princess a way out as well (because she's not as nimble as you and can't do as much). Getting from point A to B is the only point. Also, I think the concentration on this is only greater emphasized by the fact that there are no health meters, no power-ups, no hidden treasures, no timers. The only ways to die or lose is if the princess gets captured and pulled into the ghoul's black hole, or if you fall from a far distance. (hint: if you find yourself straying too far away from the princess, you're not doing the puzzle right and she WILL be captured - always keep her as close as possible)

Hormones: 4.5/5: While in the beginning most gamers may find this to be too slow, the more patient and sensitive gamer will fall in love with this one. Though you may think this game has no point, play it long enough (well, not too long, I beat it in 8 hours) and the characters will grow on you, leading to one of the sweetest and most heart-touching endings I've seen in a game in a very long while.
See, the most beautiful thing about this game lies in its mystery. The fact that you don't know what time you're in, or what world (or universe) you're in, or who EXACTLY these characters are, where they came from and where they go afterwards. Nor do you know what language they're speaking in (everything's subtitled). Still, you fall in love with this brave boy and beautiful princess because you become one with their adventure, and you learn more about their character based on this rather than just having 20 pages of backstory written by the game designer.

The purest ones who don't care for meglomania in games will see this one through and appreciate it greatly in the end. There most likely will be no sequal, or prequal, or spin-off. This is just a random but uniquely gorgeous little bird in a huge forest of birds who'll only be noticed and appreciated by a few. And just like a dream, this one comes to an end short, but the ride is great while it lasts.
If you're into castles, heroism, fantasy and lovable characters and need a break from blowing people's heads off (I did for a little bit) pick this one up now. Considering most people have it for less than $20, you've got nothing to lose.

14 of 15 found the following review helpful:


ICO - Very Creative and Fresh  Oct 15, 2001 By Karen H. O. Brien "Aivensmom"
I finished the game a week ago and have to say, I miss playing it. I even got a little misty-eyed at the end (make sure you sit through all the credits). If you don't use a walk-thru, you'll find it plenty challenging. Most strategy games are "Every Man for Himself" or "Kill or Be Killed." This is such a nice break from all that. The designers simulated a friendship and trust between your character and Korda's that their relationship seems almost real. The scenes are beautiful, you sometimes have to stop just look around and listen. If you rest in a grassy area, you may hear a bird fluttering by and watch it land near Korda's feet, and she may run off to capture it. The graphics are amazing, something like Riven but not so static. The special effects: sunlight, shadows, smoke, fire, and the sounds are the best I've come across. I recommend this game to both children and adults. The spirits may be too scary for children under 10, but for older kids it is challenging and engaging (even for us much older kids). I watched a 10 year old boy playing the game at a department store while his mother was shopping for CDs. I stood behind him and found myself saying, "you need to stretch out your hand to help her up." His mother saw the game and walked over, she was immediately engaged in the scenery and obviously pleased to see Ico rescue Korda and take her by the hand; she asked, "what game IS that?" I would be surprised if anyone says, after playing Ico, that they dislike this game.

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