Ico (2001) (VG)

Director:

Fumito Ueda

Writer:

Junichi Hosono (script)

Release Date:

24 September 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy

Tagline:

Solve the puzzles or join the tormented souls forever.

Plot:

On a distant island village, there is a legend that anyone born with horns will bring about calamity...

Plot Keywords:

Castle | Sacrifice | Mother | Horns | Escape

Cast

Kazuhiro Shindou	...	Ico (voice)
Rieko Takahashi	...	Yorda (voice)
Misa Watanabe	...	The Queen (voice)

Country:

Japan

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

USA:T | Australia:G | South Korea:All

Company:

Sony Computer Entertainment

The video game equivalent of a short fairy tale.

It is no surprise that Ico sold poorly when one considers that the game released at a time when people were saving up for next-generation consoles and looking out for popular sequels such as Grand Theft Auto 3 and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. Many gamers overlooked this gem and it was quickly thrown into the bargain bin. How unfortunate for the developers who spent many years working on this fairy tale of a game.

The story tells of a horned boy exiled from his village. The boy, whom the game is titled after, is imprisoned in a faraway castle where he stumbles upon a beautiful young girl named Yorda. Both characters realize that they share a similar fate and band together in hopes of escaping the castle. However, the task is not as simple as it may sound. Yorda, the glowing white princess, does not speak Ico's language and cannot see. Utilizing the senses of touch and sound, Ico must then guide her to safety and protect her from the souls of those who have died in the castle past. The young boy grabs the hand of the girl and the adventure beings.

Visually, Ico stands head and shoulders above the rest. Artistically and technically speaking, this game is an achievement. The looming castle is brought to life with glorious lighting effects and expansive rooms so convincing in design the player can almost feel the stark sun shining through the great windows of the castle. Ico excels in creating an aural--almost magical--environment with its limited use of musical arrangements and spoken dialog. Adding, the language barrier between Ico and Yorda strengthens their physical bond to the point where the player can almost feel Yorda's heart beat, which is particularly impressive.

In terms of game play, Ico offers plenty of puzzles, some platform jumping, and a little bit of hack-and-slash action. Oftentimes the player will be using the full capacity of his/her mind to figure out the solution to one of the game's many interactive puzzles, none of which appear to be completely mindless or tacked on. There are also action/adventure elements to Ico, which are quite subtle. For instance, the player may be forced to protect Yorda from the evil spirits residing in the castle, but most such battles can be avoided completely.

Ico is a wondrous game which can be enjoyed on a deeper level than most others; one that will forever be engraved into the hearts of those that choose to play. Perhaps the game's only downfall would be its re-playability. Once Ico ends, it ends.

SCORE: 9/10 (Because there is no such thing as perfect.)