Ico - the Classic PS2 Game

Pal Version (UK & Europe)
Amazon.co.uk

In a small village in a remote kingdom, every so often a boy is born with horns. The child is thought to be cursed, and once he grows up he is taken to a castle in the sea and left there as a sacrifice. Ico, this generation's eight-year-old victim, escapes his coffin as the villagers leave and discovers Yorda, a strange girl made of light, who is a captive in the castle. Together they must try to escape the castle, the Queen, and the strange shadows which pursue them.

Uniquely the game has no screen furniture. There are no hit bars, magic points etc. Instead Ico dies if Yorda is captured, or if he falls too far. Normally the shadows you fight will try to restrain Ico while they go after Yorda. The controls are easy to handle, and Ico has a wide range of moves, including climbing, jumping and swinging from chains. However Ico also needs to lead Yorda around by the hand when they are running.
Graphically, this game is a work of art and the graphics are breathtaking. The game is presented in a stonewashed and faded palette, which appears almost real. It is difficult to appreciate jusy how good the graphics are until you look out of a window in the castle and see the landscape and sea below. Weather effects and water effects are beautiful. The sprite movement is beautifully done and the shadows and Yorda's movements are stunningly rendered. The levels are huge, and well designed, presenting challenges consistant with a castle and giving the game an incredible atmosphere.

The sound is also well done, including background birdsong, creaking machinery and water. Ico and Yorda speak different languages. Although Ico is subtitled in the first playthrough, Yorda is only translated in the second, adding to the mystery.
The plot is excellent, and discovering what the shadow creatures are is truly disturbing. Ico is a game about friendship, and it revolves around a boy trying to do the right thing because it is right, not because he is trying to benefit himself. All the puzzles are integral to the plot and not artificially inserted, although some of them are tricky and the answers are not always obvious. The section in the mill, which is based on jumping and climbing, is complicated and can become frustrating.

If this game has a flaw it is that Yorda is nearly helpless. Her AI is not very good, so trying to make her move onto lifts to complete puzzles and away from enemies is frustrating. She has to be lead nearly everywhere by the hand. If you complete this game once however, it unlocks the two player mode and another player can control Yorda making her less of a liability.
Ico is short, running to about 3-5 hours depending on how good you are at puzzles. Multiple endings and the two player mode add replay value.

Ico is a game which all fans of RPGs should play at least once, if only to see what the PS2 is capable of, and then again because its a stunning game. It will also appeal to puzzle solvers and mystery fans, though players looking for action-based shooters will be disappointed. Unfortunately it is rare and difficult to get hold of, but if you can get a copy this one is well worth a look.

Available on PS3, Ico and Ueda's next game Shadow of the Colossus are now available together.