ICO (PlayStation 2, 2001)

ICO is a videogame that holds your attention without a complex story or a lot of dialog. All you have is a hero, a princess, and a huge castle. Sounds familiar?

Ico doesn't even speak english! The princess doesn't speak his language either. And so they communicate with simple hand gestures and shouts.

Throughout the whole games you navigate the huge castle, pulling levers, flipping switches, and traversing pits. Your only objective- escape together. The problem? This princess is helpless and fragile, and she's being pursued by monsters.

The game puzzles are intuitive and well paced. There are save points in all the right places. I spent nearly 4 hours playing it the first day! The game will last about a good week to week and a half I'd say.

The only noticeable flaw? Sometimes the lighting makes it difficult to see solutions to some of the puzzles. And at times its difficult to get the princess to climb up on a platform with Ico. But this is very minor, and does not detract from the game.

First off, the game is obviously dated, graphic-wise. I first played the "sequel/prequel" Shadow of Colossus - which is a stellar game.
This is mostly evident in the quality of the main character models themselves, which isn't terribly surprising since this is an early PS2 game that was also a port of an unreleased PS1 game.

Where this game really shines is the extraordinary environment and the "organic" feel given to the entire game. The lighting and sense of motion are incredible, despite being situated in an abandoned, ruined castle.

The puzzles themselves are not fiendishly difficult so far (still near the beginning, first couple hours or so of gameplay) but do require a rather classic mode of thinking. One good example is this one section where you need to cross a large gap in the ground floor. There is a broken bridge (can jump across) and catwalk above this room but no way to help the princess climb down.
There are 2-4 steps necessary to eventually solve this puzzle, and each feels fairly natural - and to figure it out requires actual observation skills (no - "look here!" or giant arrow indicators).

All in all, this is a stylish modern classic that belongs in every gamer's PS2 library.

ICO sets it self apart from every other game. In terms of graphical presentation ICO's world can be called the Mona Lisa of PS2 games. The sharp contrast between the shadows and light along with the subtle colors of nature really are a sight to behold. The sound design in ICO is also brilliant, instead of playing some musical tune over and over the game's ambient sounds take over. This immerses the player deeper into ICO's world.

Early on in the game you rescue a girl from a cage, you pull her by the hand in an attempt to free her and yourself from the crumbling ruins of a castle. It's a very simple premise for a game, but it's told in such a way that makes it believable. The character animations are very detailed, and the way that the characters move has a lot of emotions to it. The girl that ICO pulls is frail, you can really sense her vulnerability through her motions. This game is the best argument that one could make; that games should be viewed as art.

I originally bought ICO when it first came out some years ago. The gameplay first appears to be fairly simple; solving puzzles while running around outdoor environments and fighting monsters. However, unlike seemingly similar games, the focus of the gameplay is the protection of a second character whom is unable to attack or defend. Additionally, the second character is uncontrollable by the player, and must be led through the labyrinth of puzzles by holding her hand and dragging her along while demons and monsters attempt to return her to her place in the prison. As both characters are right at that prepubesent / early adolescent age, there is an innocence and a necessity in their relationship not easily found in videogames these days. There is no swearing, gunplay, extreme violence, or nudity; just stunning gameplay. ICO is a true testament that these elements do not always denote a masterpiece (tetris anyone?). Controls for the game are perfect and the camera never ruins the experience. Additionally, the feel of the game simply has to be experienced first hand and is not easily described. The visuals in the game are breathtaking as they are expansive. The player always has that "jack and the beanstalk" feeling while roaming the areas, yet never seems to waste time walking from one end of the world to another. The puzzles always push the player in the right direction. The audio is also perfect for the game. Music scores do not play continuously (much like Tombraider 1), adding emotion and feeling to certain areas of the game. In addition, the lack of music at times is sombering. You can hear your footsteps echo in the large areas and through corridors. You hear your companion yelling in an undecipherable language from around the corner or outside where you left her as demons/monsters attack, dragging her away.
I am a hard core gamer at heart, but my wife is not. However she fell in love with this game as well. So this is kinda like a benny for all of us gamers out there whom have girlfriends / wives keeping away from the video game scene. This one will make her see the hidden beauty and depth which a video game can possess (worked for me, and now she's hooked).
It is simply an understatement to call ICO a must have game. It is a masterpiece. Get it if you are able and experience why this title, which is rarely written about in the mainstream video game circles, always seems to crop up when discussing the top video games of all time.

Hope my gushing over ICO convinced YOU to buy a copy of your own.

Thanks for reading,

Baughercl

I'd long heard about Ico. Both in print and by word of mouth the legend came to me. There was this sleeper hit, a game simply called Ico, and it was the most unique RPG experience ever crafted. I ignored it for years, but the name Ico kept popping up. It seemed that I, as a gamer, was missing out on something cultural... like Star Wars, A Clockwork Orange, Deliverance... something that persisted in cultural memory and would continue to haunt me unless I, too, shared in the experience. So I bought Ico in 2008, seven years after it came out. And I promptly continued to ignore it in favor of the PS3/360 games that now littered my collection.

March 20th, 2009. An old friend came up and as we tired of Street Fighter IV and sought something different to do I brought up Ico. "Hey, I've got this game. It's old but it's supposed to be amazing. We could take turns..."

Four hours and forty-five in-game minutes later and my life is enriched. Ico is all that it's cracked up to be. It WAS an experience. For such a short game to live so vividly in play... this is the game that Myst should have been. Described as minimalist it is, nevertheless, rich beyond description. Ico flys in the face of modern gaming logic that decrees that all must be loud and powerful and complex in order to satisfy. My experience in Ico will not soon fade and will never be forgotten.

I'd love to tell you more about this game but I refuse to give any spoilers so here's the rundown:

Story: 10 - A perfect 10. This story is everything it needs to be.

Gameplay: 10 - Intuitive controls make this a pick up and play for everybody, regardless of skill level.

Music: 10 - Most of this game's sounds are ambient. Birds, footsteps, breathing. When music occurs it is ethereal and appropriate.

Camera: 9.5 - The camera is the only annoyance in an otherwise perfect experience. It is locked in each room and although it is movable it always snaps back in place. It can make navigation a bit of a challenge and the game's expansive setting could have been more richly experienced without the snap-back feature.

Replayability: 9.5 - The North American release is shafted of ALL of the cool extras. Regardless the short length of this game means it's not a hassle at all to play through it again. In fact I can almost guarantee you'll want to.

Bottom Line: Get this. While it's length makes for a great rental your collection is improved by the inclusion of this masterpiece. I can say if the US version ever hits the PS3 store it is mine in a matter of seconds.

I bought this game based on all the rave reviews and the fact that my wife and I were looking for a game based on problem solving and puzzles. It has lived up to my expectations completely so far...we haven't put in a lot of time on it yet but it is challenging without being too heavy on button mashing fights. It works for two people because you can help eachother with suggestions on how to open the door, reach point X, solve the puzzle etc. It is a one controller game. Although the game was published several years ago now, it was totally worth the money I spent to by it used on ebay. Plus the controls are so simple you don't need instructions or anything. The learning curve is very short but the game has stayed challenging. I would recommend it.

Okay, maybe it's not THAT exciting, but it's definately something to be excited about! This Gorgeous under appriciated game is made by your favorite people who brought Shadow of the Colossus, except this came out before it. The atmosphere of the game is haunting but serene. Basically, this action-ish adventure game let's you play as a boy who has to protect a girl while they try to excape a castle full of demons together. You can hold her hand or leave her to wander not far from you as you push blocks, pull levers, and wack demons with a stick. It's more about thought provoking puzzles than anything, but the demons are foes you cannot under estimate either. This game has a much deeper and mysterious feeling that can only be experienced. a lot of people who enjoyed the classic Sierra and Lucas Arts adventure games seem to enjoy this fine piece of work too. Whether an adventure gamer or not, this is a game people can appriciate for it's beauty and originality.

This is the most underrated game to come out on the PlayStation 2 system. The prequel to the now infamous Shadow of the Colossus game, the story is about a boy named Ico who unfortuneately was born with horns. The village that he lives in believes that all children born this way bring upon the people a bad omen. So two of their warriors take the boy to a far off castle to seal him in a casket to die.

But Ico breaks free. In doing so, he hits his head on the ground, goes unconcious and has a vision of a silhouted women in a cage. As he awakens you take control and thus the story is set in motion: Save the girl and get out alive. You use your wits an inginuity to get yourself through the many puzzles as you fight your way through this ancient castlea and ultimately meet the final boss.

This game still hails as having some of the best graphics on the PlayStation 2 and serves as a reminder to all TRUE GAMERS: you don't need blood, guts, guns and swear words to mae a good game.

Ico is a legendary game for the playstaion 2, it is deffintoly a tend setter and a unique experiance like no other, its a very fun game that makes you use your mind and wit to solve and learn how to play rather than some tutorial or some one telling you how to play.

The game itself has a great storyline allthough short, as the game can be beat in one to two sitings or around 8 hours its very enchanting and brings new things to the table with charicters youll never forget. it also feels very human as the charicter you play allthough having horns growing from his head is a normal boy with no powers, so it is easier to connect to him as you try to fight your way through the baddies and taking yorda by the hand and helping her along the pathways and puzzles.

all and all its an amazing game and is a must have for any RPG owner, as even 10 years from now ill have to break out my ps2 and play it to relive the epic story that is ICO.

This is an amazing game that shines in its originality. Even among all the next generation systems this game still feels like a fresh experience. Highly recommend if you have not tried this game already!

Personally, I really enjoyed this game. I was curious about it for a few years, but didn't buy it until I played the game's sequel, Shadow of the Colossus. After playing it, I was very happy with the buying decision. The objective is rather simple, but the plot brings excellent subtleties to the overall experience. Despite being made in the early years of the PlayStation 2, it boasts amazing and beautiful audio visuals.

Though I loved the game, I feel it fair to say that this game is not for everybody. The pacing can be slow, especially if you're not a fan of puzzle games. The plot does have its confusing parts, and some of the action aspects can get tedious/frustrating. Overall, it's a game which breaks the mold by providing a gaming and artistic experience you have probably never experienced before. I highly recommend it to any gamer looking for something amazing and different.

This Game IS Excellent, The Story Is Grand, You End Up Doing Puzzles And Fight Off The Darkness Using A Stick, Sword, Or Mace. If You Played Shadow Of Colossus You Would Recognize Some OF The Characters. This Game Requires You To Use Your Head ALOT. It Is Best Played Without A Walkthrough, The World Is Huge And Highly Interactive You Have To Experiment Alot If You Expect To Pass Some Parts. Not Much Action But If You Liked Shadow Of Colossus Then You Would And Should Consider Getting This Game.

I've been wanting to play this since it came out, but I did not have a PS2 at the time and years later when I got one I couldn't find it in any stores. I ended up getting Shadow of the Colossus, which was awesome and further made me want to play Ico. I finally got a copy through Ebay and it met every expectation. The game at its base is an extremely toned-down Zelda game. There is little fighting, and the core concept is to solve the environmental puzzles that lead to the next area. What the game has that others don't, however, is serious emotional depth. Not forced feelings brought on by cheap dramatic narrative, but an authentic involvement achieved through genuine interest in the characters and beautifully crafted environments. The simplicity really is the key- toning down the action and leaving out power-ups and varying weapons allows a person to focus on the characters and their surroundings. The detailed settings and perfect sound effects really make you feel Ico's position of being abandoned and lost in an unfamiliar place, but not without hope. The emotional connection created between Ico and Yorda, who speak different lanuages but relate in their predicament, is remarkable. It is an incredibly short game, but I did not feel cheated in the slightest. In fact, the brevity might have been to game's benefit, as emotional involvement or not, the gameplay never really changes and possibly would have dimmed the game's resonance if drug out further. Anyway, it really is a worthwile experience all around. I wish more games would exercise this sort of artistry in their development. I'll probably just have to wait for the follow-up to Shadow of the Colossus.

The world this game transports me to is so elegant and mystical. This game was one of the reasons I bought a PS2 after seeing a friend playing it, and I love turning off the lights and turning the speakers up, just letting the ambience take me. The only problem I've run into is the digitization of the graphics, which are great on a CRT TV, but clearly aren't meant to be blown up to the size they are (right now, they're up on a 72" screen from an LCD projector. As long as I sit back far enough, I don't have a problem with it.)

ICO is a wonderful game, and is a perfect escape, which is a great thing for games to be.

Ico for the PS2 is a superb game. After hearing from friends and reading reviews for this game for months, I went to several local stores but I couldn't find it anywhere and was told that it's a very rare game to find. A very rare gem indeed! I was immerserd in this game and couldn't stop playing it until I finished it. The story is very engaging, beautiful graphics and solid controls. Some of the puzzles are easy and simple and most casual players should be able to figure them out while others are a bit more challenging. I replayed the ending 3 more times and I really enjoy the ending sequence and the special surprise treat after the credits. So, in conclusion I think that it's one of the best PS2 games that I will keep in my collection alongside "Shadow Of The Colossus" and "God Of War".

Amazing game! It's very fun! It has great graphics, but as a surprise, the gameplay is new and refreshing. I recommend this to anyone!

ICO is one of the few games that I can wholeheartedly point to when discussing games as art. It may be a tad old, but even now it looks beautiful. This is thanks to the wonderful art direction and animations. The story is also quite nice. On the surface, it may not seem like anything special, but like its successor, Shadow of the Colossus (which is actually a prequel to ICO), it's not about what IS said, but about what ISN'T. The game leaves things to your imagination, and revels in the notion of personal interpretations. In some games, this may seeem as a cop out, but ICO is one of the few games that pulls it off.

To anyone interested in beautiful experiences (and to those who also have a PS2 or backwards compatible PS3), pick up ICO. You shouldn't be disappointed.

As an end note, I'm happy to announce that this game runs beautifully on a 60GB PS3 (the launch version), and on the 80GB PS3 that has PS2 backwards compatability. I cannot guarantee the same experience for other versions of the PS3.

This game has a beautiful art style, with fantastic animations and a haunting soundtrack. The gameplay is fluid and captivating. The solitary atmosphere draws the player in and gets them emotionally invested despite the lack of dialogue and other in-game characters. Ico presents intellgent level design with clever puzzles and a mysterious story. This game is one of the best games to be released on the PS2.

Can't say much that hasn't already been said. This game defies genre-pegging and is simply the most beautiful and innovative game I have ever played. Perfect for young and old.

I bought this for my son because we couldn't find it locally to rent. It is amazing that I can find anything I need or want on Ebay when I have no access to it locally. He loved the game and so excited to finally have it to play. Thanks Ebay.

I was told by one of my buddies that this game was as great as Shadows of colossus so I got it off eBay (cause thats the cheapest way). Anyways, the game is very innovative. The levels are nicely put together and the storyline is interesting. If you like puzzle games this is for you because that is what this is one big puzzle game. I personally think the puzzles were masterfully done. I will say though that the game can be frustrating at times. Overall this game was a lot of fun and if you like this game you should try Shadows of Colossus.

There is a reason why this game is so hard to find. It addicting and challenging, not to mention fun. A little too slow moving, but manages to keep you on your toes. Worth checking out.

The graphics were wonderful,game play exciting love the strategy,I just love this game from the get go. I'm 60 year old grandmother and it was a challenge of course all you young people will beat it quickly ,but that was half the fun to me.Figuring out the next step to take.
Buy it its worth it!Once you play it get the follow up Shadows of Collosus graphics for both games are awesome graphics