Platform: Playstation 2

Genre: Action/Adventure

Number of Players: 1

The next generation consoles have brought an onslaught of games that break out of the standards of their respective genres. One game type has been crossed with another time and time again to create interesting and unique hybrids that defy conventional gaming. Despite the fact that this type of game production has been going on for quite a while, it seems that it has become more common recently. Ico is yet another in this string of games that crosses genres. It’s an adventure game, but yet it’s also a puzzle game, and although these genres have definitely been crossed many times in the past, Ico delivers a more unique experience.

Ico, which is the name of the games main character, is a young boy who was unfortunately born with a pair of horns. In the village that he’s from, these are a visage of ill fortune and bad omens. Any horrid events that befall the village are immediately attributed to Ico. On his 12^th birthday, Ico’s horns grew larger, and the villagers decided that it was time to sacrifice him in order to appease the spirits and end the misfortunes that had befallen them. They took the boy to an ancient and crumbling fortress and it was there that they imprisoned him in a dark tomb.

Perhaps it was fate that led the young boy to Yorda, a beautiful girl that was also trapped inside the ancient walls. Summoning all the bravery he can muster, Ico frees the young girl and together the two make their way to find a means of escape from the decrepit castle. The journey will not be an easy one however, as each room is filled with puzzles that must be solved to progress farther. To make matters worse, the two often cross paths with shadowy ghouls and wraiths that are obsessed with capturing the helpless Yorda. Armed with only a crude plank of wood and his wits, Ico must protect Yorda and himself.

Ico may in fact be one of the most beautifully rendered and arranged games that has been put on the PS2. The graphics are quite picturesque and half the fun of the game is just wandering around looking at your surroundings. Many of the pre-release reviews compared the games graphics to a Miyazaki film, and that’s quite close to the truth. Any fans of the anime master will immediately have recollections of films such as Laputa, Nausicca, or any of Miyazaki’s other films. The programmers also did an amazing job utilizing wind effects to create some subtle atmospheres.

Many of the rooms players will find themselves in throughout the course of the game are enormous and at times, are enough to instill a bit of dizziness. There are many times players will find themselves looking down from the games high towers or vast spanning bridges with a sense of awe combined with a bit of paranoia.

The puzzles that are encountered in Ico aren’t too terribly difficult, although there are a few that will leave you scratching your head for a bit. Eventually though, the solution will come and  more often than not, it will be the one thing that seemed far too simple. The puzzles themselves range from simple things, like moving blocks onto triggers to open doors to having to use explosives to make alterations to the existing landscape.

The fact that Ico and Yorda don’t speak the same language is a unique twist on things. Subtitles for Yorda are always shown in strange characters, and there’s more emphasis on Ico communicating through the use of sound and body language. Unfortunately however, Yorda is quite helpless and occasionally doesn’t pay close attention to what’s going on. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to sit down to save your game and having her just stand there oblivious to what’s taking place around her. It’s definitely a good idea not to stray too far from her as the shadows love to creep up and try and slip away with her. The easiest way to keep her close is to guide her by the hand, which is another interesting aspect of the game.

Overall, Ico is quite a well-done game and offers so much in terms of graphics that the simple game play and puzzles seem to be nothing more than an afterthought. The game however won’t appeal to those fans looking for an action title. For those looking for a game which shows the tip of the iceberg in terms of the PS2’s graphic abilities, Ico is a game that should be checked out.

 -mike-