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Ico-find this one if you can
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We open on a forest in early morning, the sound of birds and small animals echoing throughout. The calm is interrupted by the sound of horses. A group of tough looking knights passes the camera, escorting a man in billowing black robes. His face cannot be seen through the mask he wears, the demonic looking horns of which reach down to his shoulders, ending in sharp points. There is a sense of portent to this man. He could be a priest, an executioner, or some dire combination of both. Sharing a horse with him is a boy named Ico, not much more than thirteen years old and normal in every respect, save for the pair of bull like horns growing out of his head. Suddenly the group comes upon a sheer cliff. There is the crash of waves, and across the water the ruins of an enormous castle can be seen. We cut to a new scene. The party has somehow managed to make it's way down the cliff, and the swordsmen have loaded the boy into a rickety boat, rowing their way slowly toward a cavern at the base of the cliff the castle rests on. The entire journey passes in tense silence. Finally they reach a rickety wooden dock just inside the cavern entrance. "Get the sword" one of them barks, and another picks up an intricately carved blade from a nearby stone altar. Deeper inside the cave, two stone statues stand side by side. As the boy looks on, one of the knights points the sword at the statues. A bright arc of lightning shoots out of the blade. The statues absorb it, glowing from within, and move aside. Behind the statues is a vast chamber filled with row upon row of stone pods, each about the size of a preteen child. The horned boy is led to one of the pods and placed within, his arms bound in front of him by a stock-like mechanism. The pod closes, sealing him within. The knights, and the foreboding headsman-priest they were escorting, turn to leave. "Do not be angry with us, it is for the good of the village" offers one of the men. His feeble half-apology echoes through the chamber as he goes. Because of his mutation, and the ill luck his people associate with those born with it, the boy will be left here to die. Time passes as the boy struggles against his bonds. The stone at the base of the pod cracks, and it tumbles from its recess in the wall. The door bursts open as it hits the ground and the boy tumbles free, knocked unconscious by the impact.
In his dreams he climbs a winding staircase up a great stone tower, one hand on the wall for support. As he reaches the top he notices an empty wrought iron cage hanging from the ceiling. At the bottom of the cage, a black liquid is spreading. It overflows the cage. Drops of it fall to the bottom of the tower as a humanoid figure begins to rise up from it. Shadowy hands emerge from the wall at the boy's back, pulling him inward. We cut to black. Fade back in as he regains consciousness, sitting up slowly and rubbing his injured head. The entrance he was led in by has been sealed, but there is another door and it opens easily. He is alone, he is unarmed, and there is nowhere to go but forward, into the castle above.
So begins Ico, one of the greatest and most underappreciated games of the last console generation. In terms of basic mechanics, Ico doesn't really offer anything new. in fact, it plays a lot like Prince of Persia. You run, jump and climb across various obstacles in an effort to get from point A to point B, and eventually escape a haunted castle. There's a little combat, but it's fairly basic. There's a story, but you only get it in little snatches. In fact, you spend most of the game on one side of a vexing language barrier. So Russell, you ask me, given all that, what's so great about this game that you made us slog through that godawful prose? In short, it's the whole experience. It's the The visuals (which are still very good, even after eight years) the sound, and the overall art style combine to create one of the most superb exercises in mood and atmosphere yet created in a game. It's a misty, ethereal fantasy world, as paradoxically engaging as it is barren. The place isn't entirely lifeless, however. Shortly after escaping his own prison, Ico comes upon a mysterious girl locked in a cage atop a tower. Shadow demons and a foreboding, imperious woman pursue her, and its your job to keep her safe. Yorda (her name) isn't as strong as Ico is. She doesn't move on her own, and can't get around as well in comparison to him. Thus, escape is no longer just about getting yourself into that next room. You also have to find a way for Yorda. This adds duel layers of challenge to navigation. One of basic run-and-jump platforming, and another of complex environmental manipulation. The game has definite problems, though. For example, its' a little short. On your first playthrough it'll take you maybe 10 hours to complete the entire game. Plus, there's little replay value because once you know how to solve the puzzles, there's really nothing left to do but solve them. Once you reach that point you can burn through it in 3 hours or so. The combat also has issues. From time to time the spirits haunting the castle will attempt to recapture Yorda, and you'll have to fight them off and rescue her. Ico has about as much weapons training as you'd expect a thirteen year old to have, and when the game is interrupted for the thousandth time so you can beat them off with a stick you're liable to get a little frustrated. Still, I'd recommend this game to anyone looking for a little something different. It's one of the most unique things ever produced by the gaming industry, and everyone who appreciates games should experience it.
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