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Journey into a mystical realm in
search of a princess......
Ico is simply an amazing experience. From the intro to the menu
to the end, it has been beautiful. Nowadays, it's all glitter
and glamour in many games, but Ico strives to be different. It
relies on nothing but an emotional bond with the characters in
the game. Surprisingly enough, this game was made by Sony.
Beginning with a gorgeous intro, a boy named Ico (pronounced ee-k-oh)
is brought to an old castle for some sort of sacrifice. The
town from whence he came has a tradition: every oh so many
years, a boy will be born with horns and he shall be sacrificed
in order to save the town. Unfortunately for Ico, he was that
boy. Put into a coffin of some sort and only a slit to see
the outside world, Ico is bound and imprisoned in a tomb.
He manages to free himself and on his path to finding a way out,
he meets a somber princess named Yorda. Together, they must
escape the castle, discovering that they need each other
otherwise it is futile. Along the way, the story introduces the
main villain, the Queen. But once again, it is very well
presented. The Queen isn't someone you would simply hate. She
has a certain air about her, making her very charismatic and
powerful.
What makes Ico's story so enjoyable and fascinating is the fact
that there is hardly any dialogue. And in addition, both Ico
and Yorda speak different languages. The game is voiced, but
both speak some sort of gibberish; Ico has English subtitles
while Yorda has symbols. An artful decision no doubt. It lends
the game a sense of mystery that manages to immerse both the
player and the game.
But it is the interaction between Ico and Yorda that is truly
touching. Ico is
a young boy lost in a castle and deserted by the people who call
themselves his family. Yorda is a mysterious girl who has never
ventured outside her shadowy cell. Since there is hardly any
dialogue, how can one really assert that Ico has a lot of
emotion? Whether it's Ico calling out "Umpa!" or Yorda's
confused look on the environment, it is simply captivating.
Every time Ico grabs Yorda's hand brings a smile; how she would
get tugged along, just as if she was learning to walk. The
animations are so simple yet life-like.
The game itself is simplistic, relying on puzzles and thinking
rather then
bare-knuckles action. There are a few action sequences where
you fight shadow creatures. Controls are tight and well done.
Everything is simplistic and easy to use. It's really how you
use what's given to you that makes the game so fun to play.
What does the gameplay really consist of? Boiling it down, it's
this: Ico must bring Yorda from point A to point B. But how you
get there is what makes them probably some of the best designed
puzzles in any video game. Instead of certain other games (Myst
anyone?), these puzzles make sense. At least in the context of
the game where you're in a world unbeknownst to us. It never
really throws puzzles at you that are frustratingly hard to
solve.
All it requires is some time and looking around. From a simple
"bring item to here and then there" to using the entire
environment to get around, it's a thrilling experience. When
you finally solve it after some time thinking, it's a rewarding
feeling. Never has there been a game that is so dependant on
the environment and not artificial obstacles.
But how does Ico pull all this off? Is it any good? The
graphics in this game are good. Really good. The castle is
wonderfully created, with each edge and curve adding to it's
countenance. Ico and Yorda both are finely detailed. There are
two faces to the graphics in Ico: the technical and the
artistic.
Technically, both Ico and Yorda are low polygon models, nothing
like some other PS2 games. Textures in the castles may look
good from afar, but using the zoom feature that's in the game,
they become blurry messes. Luckily, the characters still look
as good when focused in. If you were to look at all the
environments, there are lots of the same textures. Basically
it's "castle wall texture=everywhere" =P. Small complaint since
the game takes place in only the castle, but there could've been
a few more noticeable variations. Though, there are times
when it is just simply awe-inspiring to see how far the distance
goes. There is no fog, no draw in, or pop-in. Amazing.
It's equally amazing when, after getting to a new area, you look
around and see some place you had just been to previously. The
entire castle and areas around it are connected.
Architecturally, Ico's environment is well built and thought
out. Obviously, lots of effort and attention went into this.
Artistically is where Ico does it's best. The entire game has a
bleached look to it. It is especially noticeable when you're
outside with the sun shining (and the lens flare is gorgeous).
The colors are intensified into an almost toned white. Some may
view this as a flaw, but it adds to the atmosphere. It brings
an almost organic look to an otherwise sterile looking castle.
Not saying there aren't any living creatures though. This game
contains some of the most realistic trees ever. Just looking at
each individual leaf on the 3D trees *gasp it's true! no sprite
trees!* is breathtaking. There are the occasional birds
strutting around, that is, until you run up to them and cause
them to fly away. The waterfall later in the game is nice.
Yet, it becomes stunning when you see the rainbow in it as you
pass it on a certain angle. Animations have also been
mentioned before but deserve praise again.
The shadow creatures you fight really do look like a physically
sound form of smoke. Every time you hit them, parts of it fly
off and dissipate. There are even different forms of shadow
monsters, each one designed to be menacing.
The sound is perfect in Ico. There is practically no music in
the entire game, save for some cut scenes and the ending. But
it feels perfect. When you're actually playing, the ambient
sounds surround you and furthers the believe that you are there
taking it all in.
Going along with the entire emotion is the feeling of
loneliness. Most of the time you spend is in the interiors of
the castle. You hear your footsteps moving about with the
occasional crackle of fire. Once you see the light of day,
birds will chirp and the wind will blow. All these you can hear
distinctly and more importantly, feel.
All these add up to be a wonderful atmosphere and emotional
experience. Every time you fight the shadow creatures, you
fight them and want to beat them not because it's to get it over
with, but to protect Yorda. Seeing the Queen often spurs anger
for her treatment of Yorda rather then just some obstacle you'll
have to face. It often feels eerie, being alone in the entire
castle. Especially later on, loneliness is really
presented well; and there is a sadness that fills the entire
length of the game considering the foreboding nature of the
escape.
Sadly, this game comes to an end a tad bit short. It takes
anywhere from five-ten hours to finish the game. One might say:
"5-10 isn't that bad". But there is no replay value, unless you
wish to see everything again. You've solved everything and a
second time through has no challenge. Yet, this is pretty much
the only fault of Ico. Surprising though, is that most would've
liked it to be longer just because the experience was so good.
Obviously amazing, breathtaking, etc. have all been used
countless times in this review. But it's the truth. There
really isn't anything that can truly describe Ico. It is an
artful masterpiece. And as with art, there are those out there
who just don't get it. Sadly, they miss out on the point of the
entire game. When you think of Ico, don't think of it as merely
a game, more as a means to an end. That end is the experience
you get while playing. Enjoy Ico and just keep the previous
statement in mind and don't be overly critical. That's
what makes Ico so great.
.:. XenithOne |
