Rescue the Princess?!? Wait, there's more! (Ico (PS2))

Member Name: Iclements

Product:	Ico (PS2)
Date:	30/10/01 (380 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Incredible graphics, A game like no other on PS2, original

Disadvantages: Graphics can be slightly blurred, Short game length, Takes a little while to get into

Never ask someone to explain to you what ICO is about. It doesn't matter how intelligent they are, how eloquent with their words, or how seasoned a gamesplayer, they will come off badly. The plot, as it is, immediatly sounds contrite: A boy trapped in a castle, who has to rescue a princess from the evil intentions of her mother. And, in doing so, escape himself.

See what I mean? You're probably grimacing right now, envisaging Italian plumbers bouncing across multi-coloured blocks and Elves wearing sherwood green outfits as they search for they key to 'rescue their land'.

But ICO is far more than you would imagine, in visual spectacle alone it manages to impress, dazzle, and awe, not quite a cartoon but not quite realistic, yet always utterly fantastic to look at. The castle itself is recreated with painstaking attention, so much so that every room feels new and refreshing, and, indeed, one of the main points for advancing forward is to see what new graphics will astound you next.

The perspective is third-person, ala Tomb Raider and Max Payne, although the right analog stick can be used to look around freely and examine your surroundings, necessary only when the intelligent camera fails you. Controlling ICO himself is straightforward enough, the four buttons are allocated to jump, action, attack and release ( when holding onto ledges or chains ).

The shoulder buttons are used to zoom in on ICO, necessary at times to get a clearer view, and to call to the Princess if she is not nearby. The call button also doubles as a control to take her hand if she is next to you, therefore ensuring she stays at your side during important moments in the game.

What little combat there is is handled well, and adds a touch of urgency to the game. A short distance into the game you will meet the princess, who is at constant risk of being attacked by shadow beings who try and take her back to their realm. The princess is u
nable to defend herself, so you must beat back the shadows with whatever weapon you have to hand, and stop the princess from being dragged through their portal whereby the game is over.

The interaction with the princess is superbly managed, and adds a new slant to puzzles you encounter as she doesn't share all of ICO's abilities. She cannot climb chains, or jump as high as him, so you must manipulate the environments ( usually triggering a piece of old machinery by pulling a lever, or moving a box into place for ledges which are too high ) to allow her to progress along with you.

The Princess is the only one who can open mysterious doorways which you encounter on your journey however, and without her you cannot save at the many points scattered throughout the game ( which come in the forms of Sofas! ), which means ICO cannot advance too far forward without needing to solve a puzzle to allow the Princess to advance too.

Puzzles can be challenging, although never excessivly so, and will never have you tearing your hair out in utter frustration. Indeed, the fair nature of the puzzles coupled with the lucious visuals makes for a strangely relaxing gaming experience, one which I can honestly say I've never really encountered before.

Sound is also handled well, with background noises such as birds and water convincing enough, and an ominous melody which accompanies the appearance of the Shadow beings. ICO's speech is subtitled, intentionally, and you are very glad of it, as dubbing could really have taken away the enchanting nature of this title. The Princess speaks a different language and her words cannot be understood, but far from being a frustration this simply adds to the intriguing mystery of the game.

ICO's only real weak-point is the length, seven-eight hours in experienced hands, although, to be fair, this does feel like the right length for a game of this type, and the sheer experience alone
could never leave you feeling short-changed.

I think someone I conversed with on IRC about ICO said it best, that this is "A game which comes close to art". Enjoyable by many different people, as everyone will find something which touches them about this game, whereas others will take it to their hearts.

Summary: