Previous Next

A game both unique and special and an experiences you cannot miss.

Whether video games should be considered a form of art or not has been a hotly debated issues since their very inception. Despite grand, cinematic efforts such as those exemplified in recent titles such as Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9, and Metal Gear Solid, gamers have rejected them as nothing more than overblown epics. Fun? Nice to look at? Sure they are. Yet, they have more in common with The Mummy than Citizen Kane. Even amongst the most fanatical players, very few, if any, would consider calling a video game a "work of art." ICO may be the title to break that mold.

With a grand total of three characters, one general type of enemy, a total lack of music, and sparse environments, you would normally be hard pressed to think of this as any more than a cheap, knock-off, $10 budget-ware title. But then you'd be wrong. The three characters, through tremendous animation work, and well-done bodily and facial expressions, have more emotion in them than all the members of your average RPG cast put together. The enemies, while all variants of the same general design, have a distinctly eerie aura about them like something out of a child's nightmare. What music happens to be in the game is magnificent, but the ambient sound effects found throughout the rest of it are just as engrossing as any epic score. The sparse environments, while not containing much actual upholstery within, feel realistic, as if they were made of real soil and stone. All of this combined gives the game a strange sense of purpose. It's been said many-a-time before, but I found myself actually caring about getting ICO and Yorda out of the castle and if you lose either one along the way you'll find it hard to hold back that harrowing feeling that you've just screwed up horribly. Luckily, the game lets you continue from the last save point to save some gamers the embarassing experience of explaining to friends and family why they're crying over the characters of a videogame (Aeris and Alys notwithstanding). There are only a few scenes pertaining to the actual story in the game, and yet, due to the simplicity of it all I felt oddly compelled to keep pressing on. The player is left to fill in the speces with a great deal of his/her own emotions. It really is that engaging.

The gameplay itself feels like a 3d update of old classics like Prince of Persia with a dash of Zelda's dungeon design and Myst's environmental serenity. Throughout the game, Ico will shimmy across pipes, cling tightly to the wall while shuffling across steep ledges, move boxes, make long jumps across chasms, pull levers, climb chains, etc. all while solving puzzles that incorporate every aspect of the physical environment. This is perhaps one of the most masterful aspects of the game as the obstacles themselves almost never seem out of place. The entire castle itself is one gigantic labyrinth. Those with a fear of heights be warned, though. You'll almost always be suspended over some sort of chasm, making every movement a careful and decisive one. Of course, you'll also need to drag Yorda along behind you, considering you both need to escape from the fortress. The best her frail body can manage is making small jumps or climbing ladders. Most of the time, you will have to lead her around by hand or have Ico help her climb up walls and make some of the bigger jumps. Many puzzles involve making pathways for Yorda to progress through the castle. Thankfully, unlike a good number of "buddy" games such as Knuckles Chaotix or The Lost Vikings, Yorda never feels like a burden. Perhaps it is the fact that the game makes you care about her so much, but very rarely does she feel like dead weight dragging you down. Not to mention Ico could easily escape by himself if it weren't for those pesky magic barriers which only Yorda has the power to open. Be warned, though. If you exit the room she's in and leave her alone for too long, the shadow beings will come for her (instead of attacking at certain planned intervals like they normally do) so you'll have to beat a path back ASAP or you'll risk losing her.

The music, once again, is great. Most of it consists of appropriate ambient effects which always fit the mood, but the few actual songs in the game are incredible. The save point theme is a simple, but relaxing melody and the ending theme with vocals and all is absolute magic. I've found myself just letting the demo at the title screen play over and over in order to hear the (unfortunately) non-vocal version of the song.

Even though Ico can do so much, the control scheme is easy to learn and never presented a problem for me during play. Unlike many 3d games, the camera is really quite good. The developers scripted it so that it would almost always pan and zoom to provide the most appropriate view for each situation. You are free to look around to a certain degree with the right analog stick, but it always snaps back into position. Only a few of the camera angles felt the least bit distracting and I must applaud the developers for succeeding in an area where too many others fail. There's also a notable lack of an on-screen interface beyond the pause and save menus surely meant to complete the immersive experience.

If there's one problem with the game, it's that it's relatively short. Varying reports say it takes anywhere from 5-8 hours to complete and about 3 if you go a second time around. I personally clocked in at around 7 and a half. There's really no incentive to play it again, though. Originally, they were supposed to translate Yorda's language (but for some reason this was taken out), but as it stands, there is no replay value other than simply wanting to go through the same game over again. Nonetheless, this is one of those experiences you cannot miss. While I disagree with the many gamers who feel most titles are lacking these days, there's no disputing that ICO is truly something unique and special.