14.7.2008

If there were to a be a single game which embodied the term 'cult classic', it would be hard to think of a title more deserving than Fumito Ueda's Ico.The premise is relatively simple - you play a young boy (the titular namesake) who is locked in a huge, seemingly abandoned isolated castle as a sacrifice. After a fortunate turn of events Ico is freed from his prison and makes his desperate escape bid.One of the most interesting and immediately striking things about this is the sheer scale of the environs you must traverse. Cloned many times since (but arguably never bettered), it's fair to say these are some of the most lonely, dizzying and spectacular environments ever committed to a game.There is no small variety in what's on offer, although much of the game takes place in the walled-in castle grounds. You will also see huge sea caverns, vertigo-inducing wall climbs and pleasantly serene gardens. It's a credit to the development team that even now, more than six years after its first release, the environments in Ico continue to stand out above most of the competition.After just a short while you meet Yorda - an ethereal young girl also incarcerated in the eerie castle. Once she is freed she becomes your companion which essentially gives the game most of its weight. You see, the castle is old and worn, and the way out is not simple or straightforward. Wearas Ico has the strength and agility to jump caveats and climb chains to negociate most of it, Yorda is too weak and feeble to do such things, so he must go off the beaten track to create paths for her. The twist here is that she harbours a strange power to move seemingly immobile obelisks which block their path, so both characters are needed if either one hopes to escape the castle alive. In fact, back at it's original 2002 release, Sony summed it up nicely with one of the magazine adverts for the game: 'If you die, she dies. If she dies, you die.' A bit morbid, perhaps, but it captures the essence of the game's driving force.Traversing the grand environments and working out a means of getting Ico and Yorda past obstacles makes the bulk of the game. It is split into fairly large areas and usually you will have to solve environmental challenges in the area before being able to move forward. Sometimes you will be unable to progress in a certain location, and will have to come back later when you have a certain item or have instigated something in another area which has a knock-on effect. These 'puzzles' are almost always logical and often quite grand in scale. It does rely a bit too heavily on the old cliché of box pushing and switch pulling, but it's all implemented here with as much imagination and originality as any game since the original Tomb Raider.You are not alone in the castle. Shadowy creatures emerge from dark portals and seek to recapture Yorda and return her to their master. Ico must defend and protect her. The rather simplistic combat is where many people have problems with the game, but you have to understand that Ico is no hero; he is just a small twelve-year-old boy who is trying to protect his companion as best he can. He can't grab or throw enemies like Persian Princes or Spartan Warriors can, he just has a simple, untrained and erratic swing of his wooden stick to try to beat back the foes.The presence of these dark foes also injects a sense of urgency into some of the puzzles. In instances where Ico must leave Yorda and try to find her a route, there is the ever-present fear that the creatures will take advantage of their separation and try to capture her. This leaves you cautious to leave her alone too long, even though sometimes you must. Although their presence can sometimes prove to be a nuisance, in fact it helps keep the pace of the game moving, balancing the sense of urgency with taking your time over the puzzles.The story is extremely understated and left very open to interpretation, and there is a bare minimum of cutscenes and speech. I won't go into any details, but despite the lack of plot development and indeed, significant characterisation of any kind, I felt a real attachment to Ico and Yorda, and the ending in particular was incredibly emotional. Obviously I'm far too big and tough to ever cry at a game, but this is probably the closest I've ever come.Graphically Ico can still hold its head high, even today. It has a very unique style and lots of character. It also has some incredible little details such as waves which go as far as the eye can see across the ocean and trees which blow in the wind with outstanding realism, but also a flawless draw distance (the few panoramic shots you get of the castle are incredible), gorgeous effects such as fire and explosions and all-round superb character animation. The sound and score are also excellent, mainly due to the fact they're so understated. You don't get any music running around the castle. Occasionally when the shadow creatures appear or during a cutscene you'll have an underplayed piece of music, but for the most part the rhythmic tapping of their shoes, grunts of exertion or incessant sound of the harsh winds or breaking waves will be the only semblance of a soundtrack. There is very little speech, although what is there is done in a mystic made-up language, much like the team's more recent effort Shadow of the Colossus - this is just one of a number of things shared by the two games, although I won't detail that here. The speech is very well done, and adds to the otherworldly feel of the proceedings. Technically speaking, Ico is pretty decent. Besides the attractive graphics and superb animation, the frame rate is rock steady and loading is very minimal.The controls are very good on the whole, but again, your abilities are to reflect those of a young boy, so don't come here expecting any double-jumps or wall-running. Nonetheless, Ico ticks all the typical boxes like shimmying along ledges, grabbing onto poles and a rather unpracticed form of swimming. There's nothing here that hasn't been in action adventures for the last ten years, but it's all competent enough and you never feel the need for anything more. The camera is one of the game's finer elements. Taking the same route as God of War (which, I might add, the creator David Jaffe has admitted he owes a huge debt to Ico for influences and designs), it is a fixed viewpoint, although you are granted a small amount of freedom to move it around and zoom if you wish. Although some people will undoubtedly find the fixed viewpoint a little irksome, It always worked perfectly well for me and I can't think of any examples when I struggled with the game because of the camera.I suppose the main shortcoming is the game's fairly brief length. This will obviously vary according to how long the obstacles keep you occupied, but you can probably expect in the region of eight hours on your first play through. Subsequent replays will prove far quicker given that you will know how to overcome the environments, although there are a couple of extras unlocked on the replay. If ever there was an arguement for quality over quantity, it has never been done better than here. I suppose a lack of direction could be levelled at the game from time to time, but if you spend a long time in one area or on one obstacle, Yorda will often shout and indicate objects of interest, which helps to keep things moving.In a way so few games manage to achieve, one of the strongest aspects of Ico is its feel and simplicity. Everything feels so expertly developed and - for lack of a better term - so *right*. It has a charm and character that is unfortunately so rare in the industry, and is chock full of beautiful moments, like the way Yorda and Ico slump down on the softly glowing stone couches which act as a save point, or the way they hold hands and Ico pulls her along, accompanied by a subtle rumble of the controller. The endearing trust Yorda and Ico have in one another is also lovely, with Ico holding out his hand to catch Yorda over a large jump, or the way they call to each other in their although-I-don't-understand-you-I-know-what-you're-saying way. And for those who are simply undeveloped two-dimensional characters, both manage to say a hell of a lot with body language in a way I've never seen in any other game.It will remain one of life's mysteries why Ico did so badly at retail. Perhaps it's a lack of marketing, or a lack of knowledge of how, exactly, to market a game as unique and charming as this. Perhaps it's the small number of 20,000 copies which were released in the UK back in 2002, which isn't really enough to make much a dent at retail. Or, (more likely?) perhaps it's just public and retail apathy to games which try to be a little different and unique (see also: Beyond Good & Evil and We Love Katamari). Thankfully Sony saw the light and re-released this classic a couple of years back, so please don't miss out on it again this time, or one of the most special games ever might just pass you by.

24.7.2004

I've had this one sitting in a box in the corner of my room (a happy abode for a spider named Johnston) for the best part of a year without even thinking about playing it. I had a 'swift half' on it when I first got it, but since then I've completely forgot about it. Somewhat synominous with how the market treated it.Well eventually I got back to a couple of weeks ago (I pulled Johnston's legs off and flushed him down the loo while I was at it) and thoroughly enjoyed what was there to play. ICO is a unique gaming experience. I suppose the closest thing you might be able to compare it with is Prince of Persia or some elements of Tomb Raider, but it's clearly something more refined. This is an ambitious,original, thought provoking game. There is a message in here for the entire game industry.The game starts with a short cut-scene sequence using the in-game engine - although at this early stage you'd be forgiven for thinking it was FMV. A young boy with horns being is shipped onto a remote island castle. He has apparently come of age and must be sacrificed in accordance with local village custom. Fortunately for him a minor earthquake disturbs his capsule and it falls to the ground breaking open. This is where the game begins proper.The first thing that strikes you is the sheer scale of the environments. They're huge, and incredibly detailed too. It's not so much the graphical splendor either (although they are very nice), it's more to do with the subtle details: the uneven surface of the walls, the crumbling cracks, the texture of the surfaces, the slicing beams of natural light coming through the windows. There is so much to see and marvel at, it's detail is on a par with Metal Gear Solid 2, but used in finer moderation. It all just blends into the environment naturally. Stunning.Once you've had a brief wander through the first room, you'll gradually progress to a long and huge stairwell - you have remember that nothing has really been done on a scale like this before so I have to exaggerate a little. During this time, you'll have a chance to play with the controls. You'll scale a few short walls, climb a ladder, jump onto some ropes. It's a learning curve device which seamlessly slots into the game without you even realising.By the time you've reached the top of this first staircase, you'll have met Yorda, a crippled female with a heavenly aura look about her. Once you've freed her from her cell - this in itself commands the first practical application of puzzle solving - Yorda becomes your key. In order to progress through each section of the game you must bring Yorda to a door which only she can open. This isn't as easy as it sounds. She is nowhere near as agile as Ico, she can't climb walls very well, simply doesn't do climbing and she minces all over the shop. It's a good job you can grab her by the hand and drag her about at you pace.Typical puzzles involve you performing daring jumps and exhausting yourself through endless climbing, pushing boxes and swatting away shadows (more on that later) only to drop a ten foot long draw bridge which Yorda can amble across. Herein lies the greatness of the game. It is the thought that it put until the puzzles and such which makes it both enlightening and infuriating at the same time.If we return to that stairwell for moment. I was stuck there for a good ten minutes trying to work out what to do. But the solution was obvious; climb a wall and run out of the broken window onto the exterior of the building. I wasn't thinking like that though. My assumption was that because it was a videogame I'd just be running up against invisible barriers. ICO is like no other videogame. You have to expand your expectations, realise that anything in the physical world can actually happen in ICO. The diversity of the puzzles and their respective solutions become so vast that during later stages you're lost because you start trying to apply too many variables. No other game has made me so irritated with myself because its scope deceives your logical thinking.One downfall that this game has is the combat system. It's difficult to try and find ways to describe that it's dull but in step with the game. Basically there is one type of enemy (which may occasionally fly) and you must mash the attack button for a bit until they die. Sometimes Yorda might get caught by one and you'll find yourself saving the day at the last moment by yanking her out of a black hole. It's simple, disappointing stuff. However, making it more intense and predominant in the game would ruin the overall pace of the game. I don't quite know how it could have been solved (maybe a z-lock on system like in Zelda) but I get the feeling that neither did the developers. They had an idea but they didn't know how to exploit it. You end up saying, "oh another fighting bit, let's just get it over with".I almost feel guilty finding faults with the game, it's such a breath of fresh air, but they are there, and in some number too. First and foremost, the game is tiny; some demos last longer than this game. I managed to finish it all within seven hours and with it being a puzzle game there ain't much point in playing it again. I also feel that the minimalist narrative moments hold back what could be a fascinating story. The world within Ico is brilliantly depicted and developed that the story and the characters behind it should have got the same treatment. Instead we have Yorda mumbling a foreign language for most of the game and Ico's past, present and future remaining an almost total mystery. Was it intentional? I just don't know.Ico breaks beyond the boundaries of conventional gaming with a giant leap, I really can't fault it at all for its determination to give the gamer something different. 'Almost' perfect.

30.7.2010

If you don't know about this game it's not surprising - for some reason it didn't do very well on it's release... but talk to the people who bought it and played it and they'll all tell you how much they loved it.Ico is staggering in many ways - particularly when you consider when it was made (it was originally intended and developed for the PS1!). The game play and idea is refreshing different and the graphics and scenery is beautiful (it may look a little dated alongside todays new machines, but it still looks excellent.The main thing for me about this game though is just how involved you become with characters and story (which is expanded on in another amazing game by the same team,now collectively known in the industry as Team Ico and which I'll tell you about in a moment). Ico - Japanese for 'come here' is a young boy with horns who is banished to a castle by his village elders as part of a ritual. Meant to perish as a sacrifice the plucky Ico breaks free from the stone tomb he was put in and so starts the game. Essentially it's one big puzzle - there is a bit of action, with black ghost that appear every now and then which Ico hase to fight off, but the main drive of the game is puzzle based: Ico is presented with the task of escape - escape from the castle one room at a time. Solve one room and then the next.During the game Ico meets a princes called Yorda who's been enslaved by the evil queen who dwells within the castle walls, Ico (or you as the player) have to figure out how to get Yorda out of the castle with you. Solve the riddle of each room then figure out how to get Yorda out with you.The characters are truly touching and the dynamics between them still almost bring a tear to my eye. Ico is a game that had a huge impact on me and to this day, although not a big gamer, I would say had a massive impact on my life. I still think of the characters, love the music, talk of the game and was only yesterday googling Ico to find out about the 3rd release from Team Ico on PS3 - The Last Guardian... actually I don't have a PS3, but I will buy one purely for the 3rd instalment of this game the probably sell it... that's how incredible and involved in the story of Ico I have become.So what of the Ico story - well I gave you the basic outline of this game above, but hinted at more - and there is - in another incredible game called Shadow Of The Colossus. A prequel that is just as incredible scenery wise and just as original in the concept of it's game play (in this game the puzzles come in the form not of castle chambers, but huge towering monsters - puzzles in themselves - that you have to figure out how to kill. One level=One Colossus). In the fantanstic game we find out about the curse of Ico - and how his line of ancestors came to be.Ico is simply amazing and it's incredibly sad this game was not played more widely - but maybe that adds to it in a way - I see there's a huge price tag for this game now (£[] - really?!!!) but in all honesty... It might be worth every penny.This is a truly phenomenal piece of work. A peice that will make your life richer and stay with you for the rest of your life.My heart still aches from the beauty of this game and the story of a brave a little boy named Ico.Funnily enough - I've just remembered I called my cat Ico too - although it's get's shortened to Ike now.If this review was helpful to you at all please give it the thumbs up. Thanks :-)

23.3.2007

This is the story of Ico, a boy who is taken to a castle, locked in and left to die.All because he has horns growing from his head, which the people of his village see as a curse.The game opens with an earthquake freeing Ico from his bonds, and seeing a young girl called Yorda trapped in a cage.The game is then about the two trying to escape the castle, and the nightmare creatures that try to recapture Yorda.This game is like an old style platformer in many ways. There are levers to be pulled, blocks to be pushed onto switches, ropes to be climbed, creatures to be fought and puzzles to be solved.The extra dimension is that you have to do this whilst protecting Yorda.If you leave her behind she is attacked by shadow creatures and taken away which leads to the game being over.As most people before have said this is an excellent game for so many reasons.The plus points of the game in my view are;The cut scenes (particularly the opening and closing ones) are superb - the cinematic effect is brilliant.The castle itself feels solid and looks amazing.It has been well thought out and the designers deserve a lot of credit for carefully crafting this.The movement of Ico is well done too - when he climbs up rocks, jumps chasms or swings from ropes, the movement is fluid and believable.The puzzles are good.The fact that you can't get through the castle without Yorda means that you for once 'care' about the characters.But for me, it's greatest strength is that is ORIGINAL.How many games on the PS2 have been rehashes of an idea? This game goes back to a classic platformer, and gives it a huge injection of originality.If you like shooting everything and everyone this is not a game for you.This is a game that is a break from the norm, and is deserving of high praise.However, i am not biassed towards this game.It does have it's flaws, even though they are fairly minor.For example, the camera sometimes is a bit of a pain, usually at a crucial bit, like when Yorda is attacked, or you move around a corner.It doesn't happen very often, but when it does it is irritating.I played this game when it came out originally - i think it was about 2003? - and the game doesn't give you much more second time around.There are no real extras to speak of.Another gripe is the puzzles.They are a bit easy in my view.Finally, it is just too short!I completed this the first time fairly quickly, and i was left feeling a bit short changed - i wanted more!!These are minor faults though, and i had to be really fussy to think of them. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a change from the football, sneaking, shooting, fighting and role playing games. I have to say that i don't think there are many better games out there on the PS2 - i am struggling to think of many! - but this is certainly up there with them.I would recommend buying this - the price is good and it is a real classic.The playstation 3 supersedes the playstation 2 today whilst i am writing this, which seems fitting in a way.Ico is the zenith of Playstation 2 gaming, what can developers and games producers come up with for the Playstation 3....................?

19.2.2006

ICO tells the story of a yong boy who has been outcast from his village and considered a curse by his fellow villigers because he was born with horns on his head(don't ask why, maybe his mother mated with a cow)anyhow ico is sent to a castle and is imprisened in a stone statue, luckly who ever designed his stone tomb must have been a bit stupid as within seconds ico breaks out and here is where the adventure starts.The game is basicly one big puzzel, you need to find your wayout of each room and some of the rooms will defently have you thinking. A few rooms in to the game you find a princess who has also been captured after you figure out how to release her you set out to escape together.Theprincess basicly has to be led round the casle by holding her hand and as the princess is not as good at escaping as you it is up to you to find ways to help the princess to the exit, for example one of the first rooms you enter has a rope that leads up to a ledge and on that ledge is the exit and a box, as the princess cant climb ropes you need to climb on to the ledge and push the block off so she can climb up and proceed to the next room.Every now and then loads of black misty monsters will appear and try to drag the princess in to a portal it is up to you to defend her by beating them off with a stick. I found these fighting bits the worst part of the game as there is no real fighting system in place like in games such as Zelda. All that happens is you chase the black things around while pressing the square button and it fast becomes boring.The art direction of this game is excelent everywhere you look there is cool looking castles and bridges hundreds of feet above the see below and the monsters look quite cool, some times i find myself looking over edges just to see whats around. Graphicly the game does look a bit dated as it was first released in 2002 or something like that but the game is really blury when you move the camrea sometimes hurting your eyes.The sounds are also very well done they have a combination of howling winds in the breaking the silence of the abandend castle as well as erie simple tunes that fit the game very well.Another thing i hated about the game was the camera, the camera is sort of controlled by the computer following you where ever you go and the right analogue stick alters the camera further but when you get in to a room you want to have a look around so you can plan your escape and some areas of the room are just impossible to see as the camera wont turn far enough so you find yourself running around the room hoping the computer changes the angle for you.CLOSING COMMENTSAlthough there are a few flaws with ICO the game is very fun and will have your brain put to work thinking about how you can escape from the room your in.ICO is up there with other classics this generation such as Zelda, Metroid prime 1 and 2 and Beyond Good and Evil so make sure you dont miss this re-release or you will defently be missing out.

15.2.2003

It's difficult to summarise just why ICO is so spellbinding, so mesmerising, so engrossing that you end up playing it through again and again. There's just something unique amongst games here - the characters are more emotive than any I've encountered elsewhere, despite failing for the most part to speak a single word of recognisable English, and the 'low-res' visuals are achieved with such elegance and grace as to leave you peering at rival PS2 games and laughing heartily.If your jaw didn't hit the floor the first time you saw the sun-charged gates, or took the train round the top of the castle, or peered out to sea, then you should probably take your helmet strap off.

21.6.2007

Ico is quite simply a joy to play. Recently uninspired by the offerings on next genereration platforms, I fancied a bit of gaming nostalgia. Aware that even Space Invaders would have provoked gasps of awe and wonder in its time, I was concerned that my memory of playing Ico was slightly inaccurate.Upon revisiting this masterpiece, which truly was ahead of its time, I have to say that Ico more than delivers. It has a beauty and charm that I have not seen in other games. The animation of Ico and Yorda as they attempt to escpape captivity in a forboding castle is superbly done. The inability of the two characters to communicate verbally is a thoughtful touch.

12.4.2006

I don't generally write reviews, but I saw this here and wanted to try my hand at persuading a few more people to buy it.The game really is something special. Everything from the basic concept of ICO to its stunning minimalistic score is brilliant. This is not a casual gamer's game. No guns, no loud noises. It's a game for people willing to look for something else in the medium; something understated and something genuinely artistic.I played ICO all in one go on a day when I had the house to myself and nothing to do but feel the sun stream through the windows as I laid in front of the TV. I went to my library, looking for a film and instead came away with ICO, this odd-looking game that I'd been meaning to play for years.

21.6.2002

I found young Ico's odessy to be moving, and rather haunting. As the horned child, Ico's destiny was to be sacrificed to the mysterious castle by the sea, which no one had ever returned from. Unlike the other unfortunate horned children who had been brought to the castle, Ico's will to live and a mysterious dream allowed him to break out from the crypt he was sealed in. Ico finds a strange princess, Yorda, who speaks a language that is exotic, mystical, and impossible to understand. Ico takes Yorda by the hand and the two begin to make their way out of the puzzle-filled castle.Though the puzzles are at times frusterating, it's a rush once one has finally solved a particularly challenging puzzle.

13.1.2006

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.

30.6.2003

This game stands out on its own. It is unique. And it is the standard setter for the Playstation 2.Because very few gaming houses actually bother with all the fuss of using games consoles to their fullest power, I really thought the Playstation 2 was not capable of such graphical richness. The environments are brilliantly designed and beautifully lit, not least by the glorious sunshine once you get outside. The animation of the characters goes so far beyond anything I've ever seen in a video game before, it's astonishing that this game isn't better known. The way Ico and Yorda move, it's like they are being second-by-second animated by Walt Disney himself! Complementing the background and animation graphics is the camerawork.

21.2.2006

For years Ico has been spoken of in hushed, reverential tones. Mostly because it was almost impossible to track down (barring paying through the nose, anyway), and partly as it had good write-ups from everywhere. Now that Shadow of the Colossus has been released, Ico has been given a second chance to be discovered, and hopefully will find a new audicnce.But does it deserve one? After all, a lot of games vanish without a trace and get a massive build-up because of their rarity, before being a bad case of hope over experience (Rise of the Robots, anyone?). However, Ico certainly isn't one for a variety of reasons.Firstly, and to be shallow, it looks fantastic. For a four year old game the graphics are eye poppingly good,

5.5.2012

I played this on the PS3, and chose to review it here because I haven't played through SOTC yet (the two games come on the same disk on the PS3). For that reason I will refrain from commenting on the visuals, although on the PS3 they are stunning.One of this game's most striking aspects is its minimalism. It's refreshing to have no HUD; this removal of a barrier I'd never previously payed attention to made it feel like I was viewing the games world through my own eyes. This element is true of the whole title - nothing feels superfluous or padded out - and the way that the puzzles have been imaginatively integrated into the modest,

16.7.2006

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.

1.2.2005

It's not often a game comes along that makes you want to play all the way through, but Ico is just such a game. When boiled down to its bare bones, the game is very simple (find a way to make a safe path for the girl, then fight monsters, repeat until end), but the style & obvious love that has gone into the game is apparent from the start. For every easy puzzle, there is an apparently fiendishly difficult one around the corner, that usually has a head-slappingly obvious solution; for every small leap from a 2 foot high block, there is a heart-stopping leap across a dizzyingly high precipice, and I defy you not to hold your breath when Yorda makes a long jump- only for you to catch her by her fingertips (the fantastic animation making it look much more dangerous that it actually is).

Ico (PS2) - Reviews

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